Former minister Grupper passes away at 88
Head of Hof Hacarmel Regional Council, says activist, politician Pesah Grupper, 'he was a colorful man,' whose house was 'always open to the public'
Grupper was born on August 21, 1924, in Jaffa – the third generation to agriculturists – and lived in Tel Aviv's Neve Tzedek neighborhood. When he was 14, his family moved to Atlit and he resided there until his final day. He eventually served as Atlit Local Council head.
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In 1974, Grupper was elected to the Knesset on behalf of the Likud and in 1981, he was appointed as deputy agriculture minister and later served as agriculture minister.
In the Knesset, 1983 (Photo: Hanania Herman, GPO)
Carmel Sela, head of the Hof Hacarmel Regional Council, said that "as agriculture minister he took care, amongst other things, of the private sector, which at the time was deprived in relation to the kibbutzim."
Sela also said Grupper was a colorful man," whose house was always open to the public.
Grupper used to mention that while he didn't graduate from high school, he was a member of the Knesset’s Economics Committee, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and the Labor, Welfare and Health Committee.
(Photo: Yaakov Saar, GPO)
His political activities revolved around the organization of the Farmers’ Lobby and establishment of communities throughout Israel. At the end of his tenure in the Knesset, he was chosen as president of the Association of Farmers and chairman of the Vine-growers Association and the Pardes Hannah Agricultural High School.
Grupper was also known for his struggle to open the Atlit train station. The train passed within the town, but because there was no station there, Grupper reached an agreement with the railroad engineer: Upon arrival in Atlit, the driver used to slow down and let Grupper jump off.
His family members said that the father and grandfather "was a farmer and the salt of the earth, who died of old age." His funeral will be held on Tuesday afternoon in Atlit.
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