Rafi Peretz

Rafael "Rafi" Peretz (; born 7 January 1956) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and former politician. A former military officer and helicopter pilot who also served as the Chief Military Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces, he was the leader of the Jewish Home party. Peretz was a member of the Knesset for the Yamina alliance until he separated from the faction in order to join the Netanyahu-led government. Early life Peretz was born in Jerusalem, to parents of Moroccan-Jewish descent. He grew up in the Kiryat HaYovel neighborhood of Western Jerusalem. He studied at Mercaz HaRav, and then Yeshivat HaKotel; he received semikhah (ordination) from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Military career Prior to being promoted to the rank of brigadier general, Peretz was the head of the Otzem Pre-Military Academy in Yated, which was relocated from Bnei Atzmon, where he established it in 1993, and a major (reserves) in the Israeli Air Force, where he served as a helicopter pilot. He succeeded Rabbi Avichai Rontzki as Chief Military Rabbi in mid-2010, serving in the post until 2016.