Israel Peleg

Israel Peleg (Hebrew: ישראל פלג‎; born June 5, 1949) was an Israeli politician who served as the Director General of the Ministry of the Environment of the State of Israel, Consul General of Israel in Philadelphia (USA) and the Director of the Government Press Office. After more than twenty years of service in the government he initiated and founded the Governance of Jaffa, was appointed to the board of directors of leading companies, he was the Chairman and President of H&O Fashion chain of stores. Peleg was the CEO of the company for Location and Restitution of Holocaust Victims' Assets in Israel. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of Clalit Health Services.

Israel Peleg was born in 1949 in Ramat HaSharon. He is married to Dr. Anat Peleg a former journalist broadcast on court and justice for 'Kol-Israel' –The Israel National Radio. Media Scholar and Director for the study of Media and Law at Bar Ilan University.

Peleg's Public Service

Peleg was Chief Assistant to the Director of the Government Central Office of Information (1973–1976) and was the coordinator of the Celebration for the 25th year of Independence of the State of Israel and in charge of domestic tours of Prime-Minister Yitzhak Rabin. When the Labor Party lost the election in 1977 Israel Peleg was appointed as the Secretary and Spokesman of the Labor Alignment Faction in the Knesset (The Parliament). He recruited young students to establish a professional system of Parliamentary Assistants, who would become a few years later leading figures in the Israeli business arena and political theater. When the first results of the 1981 elections were collected Peleg, as the spokesman, was too fast to announce Shimon Peres as "…The next Prime Minister of Israel", however according to the final results in the ballots it was Menachem Begin who formed the government.

Peleg got his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in June 1982. Speaking on behalf of the graduates in the traditional ceremony on Mt. Scopus he criticized the censorship on the media which covered the war in Lebanon and demanded full implementation of the public right to know. Peleg was a lecturer of Media and Politics at the Hebrew University and at the Tel Aviv University. He was owner and president of two advertising and public relations offices ( Maof and Etgarim). He lectures Marketing Communications for MBA at the Center of Academic Studies.

As the Director of the Government Press Office (1984–1988) he introduced the Teletext system in Israel. He was a member of Prime Minister Shimon Peres' team of advisors, Chairman of the International Jewish Press Conference, member of the boards of directors of the Broadcasting Authority, the Government coin and medals company, and ISSTA – the student's travel agency.

During his tour of duty as Consul General of Israel in Philadelphia Peleg was in charge of the diplomatic-political relations with the respective administrations in the Mid-Atlantic States (Pennsylvania, Delaware, S. New Jersey, Kentucky, West Virginia). He was the President of the Diplomatic Corps of Philadelphia. His special involvement with the Jewish community includes: "Mission1000"- the largest ever mission which flew to Israel, Israel fashion week, and Israel Film Festival. Peleg published a column in 21 Jewish newspapers in the US under the title "Just-a-Minute".

Peleg's period as the Director General of the Ministry of the Environment (1992–1996) is regarded as a turn-around on both environmental awareness and the beginning of a new era of environmental protection. He initiated the closure of 400 dumps and the opening of state-of- the-art landfills. The new word in Hebrew –"Mitmana"- which he added to the vocabulary represents the new concept of solid waste management in Israel. Peleg was the coordinator of President Shimon Peres' think tank on Sustainability. He was a member of the board of directors of Gaon-Agro-Industries.

As the Director General of the ministry of the Environment Peleg was, inter alia: Head of the Israeli delegation to the multi lateral Peace Talks on Environment; Member of the National Board for Planning and Building; Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee for financial Assistance to Industries (for installing environmental facilities); Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committees for Licensing Land-Based Discharges to the Sea and Dumping of Waste in the Sea; Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee for the National Scheme for Solid Waste Management; Vice-President of the Bureau of the Mediterranean Action Plan (Organization of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution) ; Chairman of the Boards of the Fund for Prevention of Marine Pollution and the Cleanliness Fund; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Yarkon River Authority; Initiator of the National Program of Sustainable Development in Israel; Member of the US-Israel Science and Technology Commission; Initiator of the Year of the Environment – The largest national awareness campaign.

Private sector

Peleg was a member of the boards of a number of leading companies, amongst them: El-Al (1993–1999) Israel airways; Blue Square Israel (1996–2001), the largest retail-supermarkets chain in Israel; Polar Investment Ltd. (1996–2001). He is a member of the Board of Trusties of the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo; Member of the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce and member of the board of the America-Israel Friendship League (AIFL); and Member of Israel-Poland Chamber of Commerce.

Peleg was the Chairman of the Public Committee on Tourism in Israel (2007–2008). This committee was appointed by the Minister of Tourism Issac Herzog and was composed of representatives of all the tourist industry. In its recommendations the committee calls for the implementation of new rating system of hotel and tourist services and accommodations. The committee recommends on a covenant which all the parties involved should adapt to ensure better tourist products and services. Peleg emphasized the need of branding and marketing of tourism to Israel.

Following the request of the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo Peleg prepared (1999) the conceptual program for the reconstruction and rejuvenating of Jaffa . He named it "Ha'Mishlama" - The Governance of Jaffa (Yafo). Peleg was the founder and first Director General of the Governance of Jaffa. At that time he was also a member of the board of the Eretz Israel Museum. Later on, Peleg was the Chairman of Ganey Yehoshua ( Parks of Tel Aviv-Yafo) – Ha'Yarkon Park, Begin(South)Park and The Zoological Park. He is a member of board of trusties of the Cameri Theater.

As the Vice President of Israel National Lottery (2000–2003) Peleg was in charge of Marketing, Advertising, Sales, Customer Service, Membership Club etc. with 2,400 Points of Sale, Advertising budget of NIS100m (US$25 million) and turnover of NIS3.2 billion (US$800million). He was awarded the prestigious prize of the Marketing and Advertising Association on the new game he introduced "The Winning Horse".

From 2003 until 2009 Peleg was the Acting Chairman and President of H&O Fashion chain. He led the business turn around and under his leadership this company has undergone repositioning and re- branding. The chain had 33 huge stores with total sale of NIS 470m (US$117million). In 2007 it purchased another fashion chain – TagWoman – with 25 stores.

In 2009 Peleg established his private consulting firm - Ispel Ltd.- for marketing and business development, specializing in environment management. In 2010 Peleg was appointed Honorary Consul of Cape Verde in Israel.

On January 1, 2012 Peleg assumed the responsibility as the CEO of the Company for Location and Restitution of Holocaust Victims' Assets Ltd. following his reorganization plan the Company restituted NIS 720 Million, and supported Holocaust Servivers with over 1 billion NIS. He was a member of the board of directors of JCT (Which held 5% of Leumi Bank in Israel).

Peleg is on The Government Companies Authority list of Directors Team. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of Clalit Health Services. member of the Board of Trusties of The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo.

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