NE'EMAN, YAACOV

(1940- )

Prominent lawyer andLikud Partyactivist. Born inTel Avivto immigrants (seeALIYA) from Hungary, he was educated in law at theHebrew University of Jerusalemand at New York University (where he also taught). An expert in the field of tax law, in 1972, he joined the prestigious Tel Aviv law firm headed byChaim Herzogand Michael Fox. In the early 1980s, he served as director general of the Finance Ministry under Finance MinisterYigael Hurvitz. Despite having not been nominated to any electoral list, he was appointed justice minister byBenjamin Netanyahuin June 1996.However, weeks later, he resigned amid allegations of perjury and obstruction of justice in the trial ofSephardi Torah Guardians(SHAS) member of theKnesset(MK)Arye Deri. After being acquitted of all charges in the spring of 1997, he was appointed finance minister, filling thecabinetposition left vacant by the resignation of Likud MKDan Meridor. As finance minister, Ne'eman moved aggressively to slash government spending and to reform Israel's tax system. He also served as the Netanyahu government's point man in efforts to find a workable compromise on the contentious issue ofreligiousconversion. Ne'eman resigned as finance minister on 18 December 1998, citing disarray in Netanyahu's coalition that prevented passage of the 1999 state budget.

See alsoNe'eman Committee.