1. Gideon Moshe Sa'ar is an Israeli politician currently serving as Israel's Foreign Minister and member of the Knesset for the party New Hope.
34 Facts About Gideon Sa'ar
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Gideon Sa'ar subsequently formed his own party, New Hope, and became Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister in the Bennett-Lapid government.
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In 2022, Gideon Sa'ar formed an electoral pact with Benny Gantz's Blue and White faction named National Unity.
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In March 2024, Gideon Sa'ar withdrew New Hope from National Unity and from the coalition, and resigned as minister, before returning to the government in September 2024.
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In November 2024 Gideon Sa'ar replaced Israel Katz as Foreign Minister.
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Gideon Sa'ar's mother Bruriah was born in Israel to a seventh-generation Bukharian Jewish family, whose ancestors arrived during the Ottoman Empire.
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Gideon Sa'ar's father Shmuel is an Ashkenazi Jew who was born in Ukraine and moved to Argentina as a child before immigrating to Israel.
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Gideon Sa'ar has two siblings, a brother and a sister.
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Gideon Sa'ar's father was a doctor, while his mother was a teacher.
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Gideon Sa'ar grew up primarily in Tel Aviv, but as a child, he lived for a number of years in Mitzpe Ramon, where his father worked as a pediatrician, and in kibbutz Sde Boker, where he was the kibbutz doctor.
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Gideon Sa'ar's father was frequently in contact with Ben-Gurion as the kibbutz doctor, and the young Gideon Sa'ar met Ben-Gurion numerous times when accompanying his father on visits to his home, during which Ben-Gurion gave him geography quizzes.
12.
In May 2013 Gideon Sa'ar married Israeli news anchor Geula Even, with whom he has two children, David and Shira.
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Gideon Sa'ar has another two children, Alona and Daniela, from his first wife Shelly, as well as one grandchild.
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Gideon Sa'ar worked as an aide to the Attorney General between 1995 and 1997, and then as an aide to the State Attorney until 1998.
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Gideon Sa'ar was appointed cabinet Secretary in 1999 and again from 2001 to 2002 after Likud's Ariel Sharon won a special election for Prime Minister.
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Gideon Sa'ar was opposed to Israel's unilateral disengagement plan, and attempted to pass a bill demanding a referendum on the subject.
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In December 2008, Gideon Sa'ar won the Likud primaries for its list going into the 2009 elections, giving him second place on the Likud list after leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Gideon Sa'ar said he would still remain a member of the Likud.
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On 3 April 2017 Gideon Sa'ar announced his return to politics and intention to run in the next Likud primaries.
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Gideon Sa'ar was seen as a potential candidate for party leadership and eventually prime minister.
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On 24 November 2019, Gideon Sa'ar asked the Likud Central Committee to schedule a party leadership race within two weeks, allowing the winner to try to form a coalition government before the Knesset would be dissolved which would trigger new Knesset elections, the third in a year.
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Gideon Sa'ar received the endorsement of a few Likud Members of Knesset, including Haim Katz, the powerful head of the Likud central committee.
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In December 2020, Gideon Sa'ar announced that he would leave Likud and will form his own party, called New Hope.
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Gideon Sa'ar regained his seat in the Knesset, as New Hope gained six seats at the elections.
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On 10 July 2022, Gideon Sa'ar announced that New Hope would form an electoral alliance with Benny Gantz's Blue and White, to be named National Unity.
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Gideon Sa'ar was sworn in as a minister without portfolio on 12 October 2023.
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On 12 March 2024, Gideon Sa'ar announced that New Hope would leave the National Unity alliance.
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On 5 November 2024, it was announced that Gideon Sa'ar would replace Israel Katz as Foreign Minister.
29.
On 13 February 2025 Gideon Sa'ar spoke with New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters by phone about the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the need for its full implementation including the release of all hostages and the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
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Gideon Sa'ar thanked New Zealand for designating Hamas and the Houthis as terrorist organisations, and extended an invitiation for Peters to visit Israel.
31.
The British Foreign Office said that Lammy and Gideon Sa'ar discussed "the ongoing hostage negotiations, protection of aid workers, the need to end the humanitarian blockade of Gaza and stop settlement expansion in the West Bank, and the Iranian nuclear issue".
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Gideon Sa'ar's visit was met with outrage by critics of Israel in the UK.
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The request claims that Gideon Sa'ar is responsible for the attack on Kamal Adwan hospital and the detention and torture of Hussam Abu Safiya.
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Gideon Sa'ar supported annexation of the West Bank, and supported the idea of Palestinian autonomy in a federation with Jordan.