Meir Yitzhak Halevi


Meir Yitzhak Halevi is an Israeli politician who currently serves as mayor of Eilat.

Biography

Halevi was born in Jerusalem, in 1953, and is of Yemenite-Jewish descent, as his grandfather was the chief rabbi of Yemen.

Political career

He moved to Eilat in 1978 and ran the community centre and management college in the city. He was elected to the city council in 1993, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1998. Between 1998 and 2003 he served as opposition leader on the council. He won the municipal election in 2003, and following the formation of Kadima, Halevi joined the new party. In the 2008 elections he won 50% of the vote to retain office.
He gained notoriety for his "City Without Crime" program.