Michael Biton

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Michael Biton

| image = מיכאל ביטון - חוסן לישראל.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|2|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Yeruham, Israel

| office1 = Ministerial roles

| suboffice1 = Minister of Strategic Affairs

| subterm1 = 2020–2021

| suboffice2 = Minister in the Defense Ministry

| subterm2 = 2020–2021

| office3 = Faction represented in the Knesset

| suboffice3 = Blue and White

| subterm3 = 2019–2020

| suboffice4 = Blue and White

| subterm4 = 2021–2022

| suboffice5 = National Unity

| subterm5 = 2022–

| native_name = מִיכָאֵל בִּיטוֹן

| native_name_lang = he

}}

Michael Mordecai Biton ({{langx|he|מִיכָאֵל מָרְדְּכַי בִּיטוֹן}},{{cite web |title=Knesset Member Michael Mordechai Biton |trans-title= |url=https://main.knesset.gov.il/en/mk/apps/mk/mk-personal-details/1003 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Knesset}} born 3 February 1970) is an Israeli politician. He formerly served as Minister of Strategic Affairs and as minister for civic issues within the Ministry of Defense.{{Cite web|title=Cabinet approves Michael Biton as strategic affairs minister|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/cabinet-approves-michael-biton-as-strategic-affairs-minister-650585|access-date=2021-03-11|website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|language=en-US}} He was previously mayor of Yeruham between 2010 and 2018.

Biography

Biton was born in Yeruham to parents who had immigrated from Morocco.{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/small-town-mayor-can-revive-zionism-1.5410306|title=The Small-town Mayor Who Could Rekindle Zionism|date=18 October 2015|work=Haaretz|first=Ari|last=Shavit|access-date=28 October 2018|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://in.bgu.ac.il/en/now/Pages/Our-Michael.aspx|title=Our Michael|website=Ben-Gurion University of the Negev|language=en-US|access-date=29 October 2018}} He gained a BA in behavioral studies and Hebrew literature from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and an MA in organizational leadership from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.{{Cite web|url=http://www.khforum.org/2014/speakers/Michael_Biton.pdf|title=Michael Biton|last=|first=|date=|website=Keren Hayesod Forum|access-date=28 October 2018}} He also studied English at Yale University and worked as an au pair in the US. After his studies he was head of a community center in Yeruham, managed the Jewish Agency's Beersheba District, and founded the nonprofit organisation Youth of Yeruham.{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.5122820|title=Back to the Ballot Box|last=Yagna|first=Yanir|date=8 October 2010|work=Haaretz|access-date=29 October 2018|last2=Zuta|first2=Rutie|language=en}}

He was elected mayor of Yeruham as a Kadima candidate in November 2010 with 44% of the vote.{{Cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/198526|title=Kadima Wins in Yeruham City Elections - Israel National News|website=Israel National News|language=en|date=24 November 2010|access-date=28 October 2018}} In 2014 he was re-elected with 70% of the vote. He later joined the Labor Party,{{Cite news|url=http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/jerusalem/daughter-of-shas-party-founder-establishes-new-party/2018/07/30/|title=Daughter of Shas Party Founder Rav Ovadia Establishes New Party|last=Vigevani|first=Mara|work=The Jewish Press|agency=TPS/Tazpit News Agency|date=30 July 2018|access-date=29 October 2018|language=en-US}} and was a leader of the national "Equality March" which started in Yeruham.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nif.org/stories/social-and-economic-justice/equality-march-fairer-budget-allocation/|title=Equality March for Fairer Budget Allocation - New Israel Fund (NIF)|work=New Israel Fund (NIF)|access-date=29 October 2018|language=en-US}} In 2015 he was runner-up in the vote to become the head of the Israeli branch of the Jewish National Fund, 238 votes behind the victor, Labor MK Danny Atar.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Atar-elected-new-head-of-KKL-427449|title=Atar Elected New Head of KKL|last=Stern Hoffman|first=Gil|date=19 October 2015|website=The Jerusalem Post|access-date=28 October 2018}}

In the buildup to the April 2019 Knesset elections he worked with Adina Bar-Shalom to form a new political party called Ahi Yisraeli.{{Cite web|url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/249750|title=Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef's daughter registers new political party|website=Israel National News|language=en|date=30 July 2018|access-date=28 October 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Barak-bashes-Benny-Gantz-Gabbay-critics-569124|title=Barak bashes Benny Gantz, Gabbay critics|first=Gil|last=Hoffman|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=11 October 2018|access-date=29 October 2018}} However, he left the party due to a leadership dispute with Bar-Shalom.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Adina-Bar-Shalom-to-head-nascent-Achi-Israeli-party-575202|title=Adina Bar-Shalom to head nascent Achi Israeli party|first=Gil|last=Hoffman|website=The Jerusalem Post|date=23 December 2018|access-date=28 December 2018}} He subsequently joined the new Israel Resilience Party, which became part of the Blue and White alliance for the elections.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-resilience-party-reveals-top-picks-for-knesset-slate/|title=Israel Resilience party reveals top picks for Knesset slate|last=Bachner|first=Michael|website=The Times of Israel|date=7 February 2019|language=en-US|access-date=10 February 2019}} Biton was elected to the Knesset on its list, and re-elected in the September 2019 and 2020 elections. In May 2020 he was appointed Minister in the Ministry of Defense in the new government. He subsequently resigned his Knesset seat under the Norwegian Law and was replaced by Tehila Friedman. He was re-elected to the Knesset in the March 2021 elections.