Zvi Hauser

Biography

Hauser was born in 1968 to Mordechai and Yehudit. He was raised in Ramat Gan, Israel. His military service was in the IDF’s School of Leadership Development. Afterwards, he became a professional assistant to the Director-General of the Ministry of Labor and Welfare and assistant to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the government-owned company Amidar; a provider of subsidized and rent-controlled housing.

In 1992, he became the Spokesperson for the National Union of Israeli Students. The following year, he served as a Media Adviser to the Likud party and to the then Chairman of the Opposition, Benjamin Netanyahu.

He graduated from Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Law in 1994, completed a legal internship at Pinchas Marinsky & Co. law firm , and became a member of the Israel Bar Association in 1996.

Regulation, Communications and Broadcasting

Serving in several governmental positions, Hauser was one of key players in enhancing competition in the Israeli communications market and expanding broadcasting services in Israel. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed Israel’s 27th government in 1996, Hauser was appointed Senior Professional Adviser to Minister of Communications, Limor Livnat. In this capacity, he served as the Coordinator of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Enhancing Competition in the Telecommunications Market, and as the Coordinator for the Ministry of Communications for Increasing Competition in the Broadcasting Market. He also was a member of the public committee for expanding broadcasting services in the state of Israel; and served as a member of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Regulating National Radio Broadcasting.

In 1997, Hauser was appointed as the Chairman of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council and as the Chairman of the Administration for Regulating Broadcasts for the Public. In 1999 he was also appointed as the Chairman of the Israeli Rating Committee. Later on, in 2002, he served as a member of the Public Committee for Examining the Future of Israeli Educational Television.

From 2000 to 2009, Hauser made a transition to the private sector and became a law firm partner at Goldfarb, Levy & Co. (later became 'Goldfarb Seligman & Co.'). He headed the firm’s Communications and Media Department.

His professional career included the establishment of the 'Israel News' Company, which served as Channel 10's news company during the broadcast station’s embryonic years. From 2004 to 2009, he served as the director for the "Dori Media Group" (DMG), a traded company on the AIM London Stock Exchange. His public service included being a board member for several government owned companies including the Tel Aviv Port (Otzar Mif'aley Yam) and Mikve Israel. He was also a member of both the Public Council for the Commemoration of Benjamin Zeev Theodor Herzl and the Management Committee on the Council for Preserving Heritage Sites in Israel.

Israel's Cabinet Secretary

In April 2009, upon the establishment of the Thirty-second government of Israel headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hauser was appointed as Israel's 17th Cabinet Secretary and served in that position until 2013 under the Thirty-third government of Israel.

Besides the responsibility of setting the Cabinet’s agenda and ministerial committee meetings as well as managing the inner workings of the Office, he simultaneously served as the Secretary of The Ministers Committee on Security Affairs ('The Political-Security Cabinet'). In this position, Hauser liaised between the cabinet and the Knesset (Israeli parliament), and between the cabinet and the [President of Israel]. He was also the deputy to the Director General of the Office of the Prime Minister and served as the Cabinet's spokesperson.

During his time as Cabinet Secretary, Hauser Co-Chaired Masa Israel Journey, an organization that brings tens of thousands of young Jewish adults to Israel in order to strengthen their bond with the state of Israel and the Jewish people. As part of his dedication to preserving Israel’s landmarks, he served as a member for Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Independence Hall and initiated the Moreshet Program, a national program for preserving restoring national heritage sites.

After announcing his intention to move to the private sector in 2013, Hauser continued to serve as Cabinet Secretary after the 33rd government was established. He remained in the position until the appointment of Reserve Major-General Avichai Mandelblit.

Current Affairs

After leaving his position as Israel's Cabinet Secretary, Hauser was appointed as a special counsel at the Goldfarb Seligman & Co. law-firm, where he advises some of Israel's largest companies and corporations as well as represents foreign entities in their activities in Israel. He also appears on major media outlets as a political commentator.

Hauser currently serves also as the chairman of The Land of Israel’s Museum (aka Eretz Israel Museum) in Tel-Aviv and as a member of the International Executive Committee of The Albert Einstein Foundation;

Beginning of 2014, Hauser became the Chairman of the Alumni Organization of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Law.

Hauser is a member of several government and public committees, including: Chairman of the Public Committee for Examining the Computerization of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) Elections and the Local Municipalities' Elections; a member of the Committee for Examining the Special Agreements regarding the Western Wall, which its formal recommendations have been adopted by a Governmental Resolution to construct a new egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall for non-orthodox Jewish movements (especially the Conservative and Reform movements); and a member of the Exceptions Committee regarding the Aliyah of members of the Falash Mura who remain in Ethiopia. He was also a member of the public committee which advised on the selection of twelve individuals who participated in Israel's 2014 Independence Day Ceremony.

Besides being a senior fellow at Kohelet Policy Forum, Hauser, in 2013, joined the academic staff of Hebrew University’s School of Public Policy and Government, where in teaches students pursuing their masters.