Gila Gamliel is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud and Minister for Social Equality.
Education
Born in Gedera to a family of Yemenite and Libyan-Jewish origin, Gamliel studied at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where she was awarded a Bachelor in Middle Eastern history and philosophy and an Master of Arts in philosophy. She also served as the first woman chair of the National Students" Association, and later obtained a Bachelor of Laws at the Ono Academic College and a Master of Laws at the Bar-Ilan University.
Career
During her time as a student, she was elected chairwoman of the university"s student union. She was controversially re-elected to the post after her boyfriend Sagiv Assulin had removed members who opposed Gamliel"s candidacy from the association"s steering council. Following her election to the Knesset, police decided to open an investigation into the suspected transfer of student funds into a private company.
She was also accused of blackmailing a fellow student council member in order to retain the chairmanship of the students" association of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev at the time.
Gamliel denied both accusations. In November 2003 the fraud police decided to stop the investigations against her because of lack of enough evidence.
In June 2003 she and three other Likud MKs were banned from the Likud faction for three months after voting against government economic policy. During her first term in the Knesset she chaired the committee on the Status of Women, and in March 2005 was appointed Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
Gamliel missed out on a place on the Likud list for the 2006 elections and lost her seat.
On 1 April 2009 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Gamliel as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister" General’ s Office in his new government, with the portfolio of the Advancement of Young People, Students and Women. In the 2013 elections she was re-elected to the Knesset, but lost her Deputy Ministerial post. She was also re-elected in the 2015 elections, after which she was appointed Minister for Senior Citizens in the new government (changed in Minister for Social Equality in August 2015).
Personal life
Whilst at Ben-Gurion University, Gamliel dated Sagiv Assulin, with whom she worked closely together in the students" association, with the couple becoming known as "Sagilon".
Gamliel is now married with two daughters and lives in Tel Aviv. She has five elder brothers.
Her father"s family, the Gamliels, are a big family of Yemenite Jews in Gila"s birthplace Gedera. Her mother is a Libyan Jew, originating from Tripoli.
Membership
Other family members of Gila are politicians as well.