13 Facts About Uri Ariel

Uri Yehuda Ariel is an Israeli politician who formerly served as a member of the Knesset for The Jewish Home, and as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Uri Ariel was born in Afula, and grew up on kibbutz Tirat Zvi, which his father had helped found.

Uri Ariel attended school in Sde Eliyahu, and was conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1971.

Uri Ariel became involved in Israeli settlements, and served as secretary general of both the Amana settlement movement and the Yesha Council, as well as head of Beit El local council.

Uri Ariel was a member of the Jewish National Fund directorate.

Uri Ariel was placed sixth on the alliance's list for the 2003 elections, and retained his seat when the party won seven mandates.

Originally placed fifth on the National Union Knesset list for the 2006 elections, Uri Ariel conceded his spot to Aryeh Eldad, and was listed 6th.

Uri Ariel said he believed that this would be correcting a historical injustice, and that it is an opportunity for the Muslim world to prove that it is tolerant to other faiths.

In March 2008, Uri Ariel opposed the Knesset House Committee's decision to let Angela Merkel deliver her speech to the Knesset in German.

In January 2012, Uri Ariel admitted to giving IDF troop movement information to such militants in order to facilitate disruption of army activities, saying, "If a person who transfers information about IDF movements is a spy, then I am a spy".

Uri Ariel was ranked by the settler NGO Matot Arim as the most effective right-wing MK in 2011, and the second most right-wing in 2012.

In January 2019, Uri Ariel was ousted as Tkuma leader by MK Bezalel Smotrich.

The election yielded an Interim government, and Uri Ariel subsequently resigned as Agriculture Minister in November 2019 at Benjamin Netanyahu's request.