Aridor, Yoram

(1933- )

   Born in Tel Aviv, Aridor received a B.A. in economics and political science and an MJur. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was first elected to the Knesset from the Herut faction of Gahal in October 1969 and reelected to subsequent Knessets as a member of the Likud bloc. He served as the chairman of the Herut faction in the Histadrut from 1972 to 1977, was a member of the Herut central committee since 1961, and served as chairman of the Herut Secretariat since October 1979. From July 1977 to January 1981, he served as deputy minister in the prime minister's office. For varying lengths of time during this period, he was also responsible for the activities of the Ministries of Justice, Labor and Social Welfare, Transport, Communications and Industry, and Commerce and Tourism. In January 1981, he was appointed minister of communications. Aridor later became minister of finance in the government of Menachem Begin and also served as the original finance minister in the new government of Yitzhak Shamir (1983). He resigned on 13 October 1983 amid substantial furor over his proposal that Israel link its economy directly to the United States' dollar. After his resignation, Prime Minister Shamir sought to calm public concerns and distanced himself from Aridor and his proposals. Aridor subsequently served as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. In 2002, Aridor was named to the board of directors of Bezeq, Israel's largest telecommunications company. In February 2004, he was appointed to chair a commission mandated to examine state assistance to public institutions.