Avi Maoz

Avigdor "Avi" Maoz (Hebrew: אביגדור "אבי" מעוז; born 6 July 1956) is an Israeli civil servant and politician. As the chieftain of far-right Orthodox Jewish fundamentalist Noam party, which won 1 seat after a merge with the Religious Zionist Party, which won 7 seats and Otzma LeYisrael, which won 6 seats in 2022, he was its sole member.

 Biography 
Maoz was born Avigdor "Avi" Fischheimer in the Kiryat Shmuel neighborhood of Haifa. He is the son of the Shoah's survivors Esther and Israel Fischheimer. In 1975, he enlisted in the IDF, and in 1977, he was a partner in establishing the Jewish settlement of Migdal Oz in Gush Etzion, and was later the secretary of the Kibbutz. Between 1980 and 1991, he studied at a yeshiva.

 Early career 
Maoz was appointed Director of the Ministry of Interior by Natan Sharansky in 1999, and subsequently became director of the Ministry of Construction and Housing under minister Effi Eitam. He also served as the director-general of Yisrael BaAliyah.

 Political career 
Maoz became the Noam chief after its establishment in 2019. Noam's campaign on Israel's "Jewish identity", which Maoz, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir argue should be against secularism, laicism, liberalism, Reform Judaism and Islamism. He advocates for social traditionalism, and has campaigned heavily against LGBT rights, calling for a ban on Pride parades in Jerusalem and the legalization of conversion therapy. and has called for increased gender segregation of public events.

Prior to the 2021 Knesset elections, Maoz was placed sixth on the Religious Zionist Bloc's list, and was elected to the Knesset as the party won six seats.

Since the merge of Otzma Yehudit (w/ 6 seats), the Religious Zionism Party (w/ 7 seats), and Noam (w/ 1 seat), which won a total of 14 since the 2022 Jerusalem elections, Avi Maoz was re-elected though the Bloc offshooted into three factions on 20 November 2022. An agreement signed on 27 November 2022 will appoint Maoz a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Office the coalition under Benjamin Netanyahu. As part of the agreement, Maoz heads a new organization focused on Jewish identity, which will include control of Nativ, a body that administers immigration from former Soviet countries. Maoz has said he wishes to change Israel's Law of Return to recognize only Orthodox conversions to Judaism for migration. Maoz's appointment went into effect on 3 January 2023.

On 27 February 2023, Maoz announced his intention to resign as deputy minister, claiming the government did not intend on fulfilling Noam's coalition agreement with Likud. His resignation went into effect on 1 March. In May 2023, Maoz returned to his position as deputy minister in charge of the Jewish Identity Authority. On 24 March 2025, Maoz resigned from the government for the second time.

 Personal life 
Maoz is a Jew of Jerusalem, is married, and has ten children.

 References 
Category:Zionists
Category:Israeli rabbis

Category:Israeli Kahanists
Category:Kahanists
Category:Israeli settlers
Category:Otzma Yehudit politicians
Category:Israeli Orthodox Jews