14 Facts About Yaakov Peri

Ya'akov Peri is a former head of the Israeli security agency Shin Bet and formerly a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid.

Yaakov Peri was the first Shin Bet head born in Israel.

Yaakov Peri became an MK in 2013 and was appointed Minister of Science, Technology and Space, a post he held until resigning on 2 December 2014.

Yaakov Peri was born in Tel Aviv during the Mandate era, and grew up in Netanya.

Yaakov Peri was exempted from service in the Israel Defense Forces due to a systemic heart murmur.

Yaakov Peri attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University, gaining a BA.

Yaakov Peri started his career as an orchestral trumpeter before joining the Shin Bet.

Yaakov Peri later went into business, and taught at Harvard.

Yaakov Peri was CEO of Cellcom Israel from 1995 until 2003, and in 2012 he featured in a documentary film, The Gatekeepers and discussed the main events of his tenure in the Shin Bet.

Yaakov Peri joined the new Yesh Atid party prior to the 2013 Knesset elections.

Yaakov Peri was elected to the Knesset, after which he was appointed Minister of Science, Technology and Space.

Yaakov Peri was placed fifth on the party's list for the 2015 elections, and was re-elected as the party won 11 seats.

In February 2018 Yaakov Peri resigned from the Knesset, after two investigative reports on the Uvda television program by Omri Assenheim exposed the fact that he had never served in the IDF and alleged that he leaked information on a corruption investigation to Aryeh Deri when he was head of Shin Bet.

Yaakov Peri is a fluent Arabic speaker, having learned it in school and during his Shin Bet service.