Efraim Sneh
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Efraim Sneh (born September 19, 1944 in Tel Aviv) is the Israeli Deputy Minister of Defense and a member of Knesset. A member of the Labor Party, Sneh is the son of Moshe Sneh, who was one of the heads of the Haganah.
Sneh served in the Nahal infantry battalion from 1962 to 1964. He studied medicine Tel Aviv University and in specialized in internal medicine. Once he finished his studies he returned to military service as a battalion doctor, then as a brigade doctor for the Paratroopers Brigade. In the Yom Kippur War (1973) he commanded a medical unit of the brigade in the Battle of The Chinese Farm and battles west of the Suez canal. Sneh also commanded the medical unit at Operation Entebbe, served as commander of the elite Unit 669 and as commander of the security zone in south Lebanon. His last role in the IDF was as head of the civilian administration of the West Bank.
In December 1987, with his release from the Army he joined the Labor Party. From 1988 to 1994 he served on many delegations, specifically dealing with the Palestinian leadership. In 1992 Sneh was elected to the Knesset, serving as minister of health from 1994 to 1996. In 1999 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, and in 2001 he was appointed Minister of Transportation.
Sneh stood out in his objection to the withdrawal from southern Lebanon, though he eventually accepted it following Prime Minister Ehud Barak's decision. Generally, Sneh is considered a "hawk" in the Labor Party, though he did not voice any objections to Barak's far-reaching peace plans in negotiations with the Palestinians.
In the negotiations leading to the formation of the 31st Government under Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, there was extensive speculation that Sneh would be appointed Deputy Minister of Defense. Although not initially appointed to a position in the government, Sneh was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense on October 30, 2006.
Sneh is currently chairman of the Labor Party in the Knesset. He lives in Herzliyyah, married with 2 children.
