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Former Israeli finance minister Avraham Hirschson dies at 81

In the course of his political career, he also served as minister of communications and tourism.

Israeli Finance Minister Avraham Hirschson speaks at a press conference on the government's plan to reduce poverty, on April 18, 2007. Photo by Ariel Jerozolimski/Flash90.
Israeli Finance Minister Avraham Hirschson speaks at a press conference on the government’s plan to reduce poverty, on April 18, 2007. Photo by Ariel Jerozolimski/Flash90.

Former Israeli finance minister Avraham Hirschson died on Monday at the age of 81.

Hirschson served as a member of Knesset for both the Likud and Kadima parties between 1981 and 1984, and again from 1992 until 2009. During his parliamentary career, he held the communications, tourism and finance portfolios.

In 2009, he was convicted of a string of crimes, including aggravated fraud, theft, breach of trust, money laundering and forgery of corporate documents after embezzling millions from the National Workers Labor Federation while he was its chairman.

He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail and ordered to pay a 450,000 shekel ($137,500) fine. He was granted early release in 2013.

Hirschson is survived by his three sons. The details regarding his funeral had yet to be released at the time of publication.

This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.

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