Background
Even, Uzi Jacob was born on October 18, 1940 in Haifa, Israel. Son of Gedaliahu and Ella (Rosener) Even.
chemist educationist physicist politician university professor
Even, Uzi Jacob was born on October 18, 1940 in Haifa, Israel. Son of Gedaliahu and Ella (Rosener) Even.
Bachelor, Technion University, Haifa, Israel, 1962. Master of Arts, Technion University, Haifa, Israel, 1965. Doctor of Philosophy, Tel Aviv University, Israel, 1973.
His specializations are spectroscopy of super cold molecules, molecular clusters and cluster impact chemistry, and the quantum properties of helium clusters. In 1993 he revealed that the Israel Defense Forces, where he served as a Lieutenant Colonel, had sacked him and removed his security clearance after they discovered he was gay. His testimony led to Yitzhak Rabin"s government changing the law and regulations to allow homosexuals to serve in the army in any position, including one requiring high security clearance.
In 1995 he successfully challenged his employer, Tel Aviv University, for spousal rights for his partner.
The divorce was granted by the Family Court, since the Rabbinical Court does not recognize same-sex marriage. This might lead the way for straight couples to bypass the religious establishment as well, which, in Israel, holds monopoly on marriage and divorce affairs
In 2006, Even announced he was leaving Meretz and joining the Labor Party, feeling comfortable doing so after he noticed that Labor promised equality to all citizens in its election manifesto.
A member of Meretz, he narrowly missed out on being elected to the fifteenth Knesset in 1999, but as the next placed candidate on the party"s list, he became an MK when Amnon Rubinstein resigned in 2002, making him the first openly homosexual member of the Knesset.
Member American Physical Society, American Optical Society, American Chemical Society, Israel Chemical Society.