Former Minister of Justice and Finance Yaakov Neeman is dead

Prof. Yaakov Neeman, who served as Justice Minister and Finance Minister in two governments led by Binyamin Natanyahu died late Sunday aged 77 after a long illness. He is survived by a wife and six children. His last term in Justice ended in 2013. Neeman, an Orthodox Jew and a conservative, did not belong to any party. He was chosen for office and other public appointments by virtue of his legal erudition and talents as a moderator.

Chairman Natan Sharansky of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel lauded Neeman’s work as head of the Conversions Committee as “symbolic of efforts to bridge the gaps within our society by easing the path for immigrants who wish to join the Jewish people’s ranks."

Neeman was also a partner in the big legal firm of Herzog, Fox and Neeman.