Moda'i, Yitzhak

(1926-98)

   Born in Tel Aviv, he received a B.Sc. in chemical industrial engineering from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in 1947, a graduate degree in economics from the University of London in 1957, and a law degree from the Tel Aviv branch of Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1959. He served as Israel's assistant military attache in London in 1951-52; on the Israel-Syria and Israel-Lebanon Mixed Armistice Commissions; and as an observer, on behalf of Israel, at several sessions of the Council of Europe. After the Six-Day War (1967), he served as military governor of Gaza and was involved in private industry. First elected on behalf of the Liberal Party faction of Likud to the eighth Knesset in December 1973 and reelected to the ninth, he served on the economics and state control committees of the Knesset. He served as president of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce and general manager of Revlon (Israel), Ltd. Moda'i served as minister of energy and infrastructure from 1977 to 1981 and as minister of communications from 1979 to 1981. On 5 August 1981, he was sworn in as minister without portfolio. He became minister of finance in the Government of National Unity established in 1984 and later served as minister without portfolio. He became minister of economics and planning in the government established in December 1988. In June 1990, he assumed the position of minister of finance in the new Yitzhak Shamir-led government. He died on 22 May 1998.