# Yitzhak Aharonovich > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Yitzhak_Aharonovich > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Yitzhak_Aharonovich.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak_Aharonovich > Source revision: 1357170888 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Israeli businessman and politician For the Israeli agronomist, see [Itzhak Arnon](/source/Itzhak_Arnon). Yitzhak Aharonovich Ministerial roles 2007–2008 Minister of Tourism 2009–2015 Minister of Public Security Faction represented in the Knesset 2006–2015 Yisrael Beiteinu Personal details Born (1950-08-22) 22 August 1950 (age 75) Jerusalem, Israel **Yitzhak Aharonovich** ([Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language): יצחק אהרונוביץ'; born 22 August 1950) is an Israeli businessman and former politician. He served as a member of the [Knesset](/source/Knesset) for [Yisrael Beiteinu](/source/Yisrael_Beiteinu) between 2006 and 2015 and also held the posts of [Minister of Tourism](/source/Tourism_Ministry_(Israel)) and [Minister of Public Security](/source/Ministry_of_Public_Security_(Israel)). He is currently Chairman of [Mekorot](/source/Mekorot). ## Biography Yitzhak Aharonovich was born in [West Jerusalem](/source/West_Jerusalem) to [Holocaust survivors](/source/Holocaust_survivors) from [Kaunas](/source/Kaunas). He grew up in [moshav](/source/Moshav) [Dishon](/source/Dishon) and studied at a [yeshiva](/source/Yeshiva) in [Safed](/source/Safed). In 1968, he began his mandatory military service in the [Israel Defense Forces](/source/Israel_Defense_Forces), and served as a deputy company commander and instructor at a training base. He later studied history at the [University of Haifa](/source/University_of_Haifa) and graduated with a BA. In 1972, he joined the [Israel Border Police](/source/Israel_Border_Police), and during the 1973 [Yom Kippur War](/source/Yom_Kippur_War) he was stationed on the border with [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon). Aharonovich lives in [Even Yehuda](/source/Even_Yehuda) with his family. ## Military and police career In the 1980s he headed the northern command of the Israel Border Police, and led rescue operations during the two [Tyre catastrophes](/source/Tyre_catastrophe).[1] He continued to rise through the ranks, and in 1993 he was promoted to major general and appointed commander of the Border Police. He later served as a representative of the [Israel Police](/source/Israel_Police) in the Americas for two years. In 1998 was appointed head of police in the [West Bank](/source/West_Bank), and became head of the [Southern District](/source/Southern_District_(Israel)) police in 2001. From 2002 to 2004 he was deputy police commissioner. In 2004, he left the police, and served as director-general of the [Dan Bus Company](/source/Dan_Bus_Company) from 2004 to 2005. ## Political career In [2006](/source/2006_Israeli_legislative_election) he was elected to the Knesset on Yisrael Beiteinu's list. In March 2007, he was appointed Minister of Tourism, but his tenure ended in January 2008 when the party left [Ehud Olmert](/source/Ehud_Olmert)'s coalition government. He retained his seat in the [2009 elections](/source/2009_Israeli_legislative_election), for which he was placed fourth on the party's list. Upon the formation of the Netanyahu government on 31 March 2009, he was appointed Minister of Public Security.[2] On 16 June 2009, Aharonovich attracted controversy over a comment he made during a meeting with an undercover police detective in [Tel Aviv](/source/Tel_Aviv)'s [Central Bus Station](/source/Tel_Aviv_Central_Bus_Station). After the detective apologized for being untidy while meeting Aharonovich, Aharonovich replied that he looked as dirty as an "Araboosh" a Hebrew slur roughly translating as "dirty Arab". He was denounced by several members of the Knesset as a racist following that, and subsequently apologized.[3] He was praised for his actions during the [2010 Mount Carmel forest fire](/source/2010_Mount_Carmel_forest_fire).[1] He was re-elected in the [2013 elections](/source/2013_Israeli_legislative_election), and retained his post as Minister of Public Security. In January 2015 he announced that he was retiring from politics, and would not contest the [2015 elections](/source/2015_Israeli_legislative_election).[4] and in November 2016 he became chairman of IMI Systems Ltd.[5] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-haaretz-fire_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-haaretz-fire_1-1) Verter, Yossi (10 December 2010). ["We're All (Not) to Blame"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101211230407/http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/we-re-all-not-to-blame-1.329865). [Haaretz](/source/Haaretz). Archived from [the original](https://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/we-re-all-not-to-blame-1.329865) on December 11, 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-haaretz-appointment_2-0)** ["Netanyahu Sworn in as Israel's Prime Minister"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100102083155/http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1075341.html). [Haaretz](/source/Haaretz). 1 April 2009. Archived from [the original](https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1075341.html) on 2 January 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-haaretz-arab_3-0)** Goren, Yuval (16 June 2009). ["Public Security Minister Calls Cop 'Dirty Arab'"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100327203900/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093401.html). [Haaretz](/source/Haaretz). Archived from [the original](https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093401.html) on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Yitzhak Aharonovich quitting politics](https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Yitzhak-Aharonovich-quitting-politics-387221) The Jerusalem Post, 9 January 2015 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Liberman to appoint party members as IAI, IMI chairs](http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-liberman-to-appoint-party-members-as-iai-imi-chairs-1001137310) Globes, 7 July 2016 ## External links - [Yitzhak Aharonovich](https://main.knesset.gov.il/en/MK/APPS/mk/mk-personal-details/790) on the Knesset website v t e National security ministers of Israel Sheetrit (1948–67) Sasson (1967–69) Hillel (1969–77) Haim Bar-Lev (1984–90) Milo (1990–92) Shahal (1992–96) Kahalani (1996–99) Ben-Ami (1999–2001) Landau (2001–03) Hanegbi (2003–04) Ezra (2004–06) Dichter (2006–09) Aharonovich (2009–15) Levin (2015) Erdan (2015–20) Ohana (2020–21) Omer Bar-Lev (2021–22) Ben-Gvir (2022–2025) Katz (2025) Ben-Gvir (2025–) v t e Tourism ministers of Israel Govrin (1964–66) Kol (1966–77) Patt (1981) Sharir (1981–88) Patt (1988–92) Baram (1992–96) Katsav (1996–99) Barak (1999) Lipkin-Shahak (1999–2001) Ze'evi (2001) Elon (2001–02) Levy (2002–03) Elon (2003–04) Ezra (2004–05) Hirschson (2005–06) Herzog (2006–07) Aharonovich (2007–08) Avraham (2008–09) Misezhnikov (2009–2013) Landau (2013–15) Levin (2015–20) Zamir (2020) Farkash-Hacohen (2020–2021) Razvozov (2021–22) Katz (2022–) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Yitzhak Aharonovich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak_Aharonovich) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak_Aharonovich?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.