Sharir, Avraham

(1932- )

   Born in Tel Aviv, he studied Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and became an attorney. He was active in youth and student circles of the General Zionist Organization and served as parliamentary secretary of the Liberal Party until 1964 and as its secretary general from 1974. From 1964 to 1967, he headed the Jewish Agency economic department in the United States and served there as an economic consul for Israel from 1970 to 1974. From 1967 to 1970, he was director general of the Employers' Organization, a member of the High Court for Labor Relations, and a member of the Government Committee on Pensions. Sharir was first elected to the ninth Knesset in May 1977, after serving as Liberal Party national elections manager. On 5 August 1981, following his reelection to the 10th Knesset, he was sworn in as minister of tourism. He served in this capacity during the Government of National Unity established in 1984, as well as justice minister from 30 July 1986 until the formation of the second unity government in December 1988. Reelected to the 12th Knesset in 1988 on the Likud list, he did not contest the 1992 elections.