Ofir Sofer

Sofer was born in 1974 in Alma, a moshav in the Galilee, to Rahel and Ben-Zion Sofer.[1][3] His parents were teachers, and his father later headed the Merom HaGalil Regional Council.[3] His father died in a car accident when Sofer was in seventh grade.[3] Sofer has described himself as strongly attached to the Galilee.[4]

He attended the Benayahu regional school for children from moshavim, followed by a preparatory school in Kfar Saba, Midrashiyat Noam high school, and Shavei Hevron Yeshiva.[7] He is married to Adina, has seven children, and lives in Moshav Tefahot.[1][4]

In September 1996, Sofer was a young officer in the Haruv Battalion operating near Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus during the events surrounding the opening of the Western Wall Tunnel.[3] He was wounded three times while commanding soldiers and helping evacuate them under fire; six soldiers from his battalion were killed.[3] He received a regional commander’s commendation for his conduct during the battle.[3]

His injuries mainly affected his head and eye, and he underwent two years of rehabilitation.[4] He was recognized as a disabled IDF veteran and later returned to military service.[1][4] His subsequent posts included training officer in Haruv, company commander, and deputy commander of the 202nd Paratroopers Battalion.[7][4] He left regular military service in 2007 with the rank of major.[7]

The psychological effects of the 1996 battle continued after his physical injuries.[3] A return to the Joseph’s Tomb area on a rescue mission in 2003 brought his stress into sharper focus, and he sought treatment from the IDF’s combat-reaction unit and discussed his difficulties with his commanders.[3] His own experience of post-traumatic stress later formed part of the background to his parliamentary work on treatment for veterans.[3]

After military service, Sofer worked as a project manager at the ministry responsible for developing the Negev and Galilee.[8] He said that he had decided to concentrate on developing the Galilee, met then-Knesset member Uri Ariel, and gradually became more involved in politics.[8] Regional economic development, employment, and education were among the priorities he identified in a 2019 interview.[8] Before entering the Knesset, he served as secretary-general and then director of the National Union party.[4][8]

Sofer was fourth on the Union of Right-Wing Parties list for the April 2019 election and entered the 21st Knesset.[1][9] For the September election that year, he was sixth on the United Right, or Yamina, list and served in the 22nd Knesset.[9] During the 23rd Knesset, he chaired the parliamentary lobbies for the Galilee, Jewish Israel, and agriculture.[7]

In the 2021 election, Benjamin Netanyahu gave Sofer the 28th position on the Likud list, although he was identified as a Religious Zionism Knesset member and planned to return to his party after the election.[10] Before the election to the 25th Knesset, Sofer finished first in the Religious Zionism Party’s primaries.[11] He was placed third on its electoral list, behind Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.[12] The list won 14 seats in the November 2022 election.[12]

In December 2021, Sofer proposed a parliamentary inquiry into allegations concerning female guards at Gilboa Prison.[13] He sought a thorough examination after testimony by a prison commander and the announcement that an existing Prison Service inquiry into the prison break would not examine the matter.[13] His proposal was defeated by 46 votes to 41, with coalition discipline contributing to the result.[13]

Sofer became Minister of Aliyah and Integration in the government formed in December 2022, his first ministerial appointment.[4][2] In February 2023, he identified immigration from the United States and France as areas in which he wanted to make a particular effort, while emphasizing that he intended to serve immigrants from every country.[4] He argued that people arriving from financially established countries could still face difficult integration challenges, and proposed greater housing support and opportunities to settle in communities with shared backgrounds.[4]

Employment matching was another early priority.[4] Sofer proposed helping immigrants find work appropriate to their expertise, including opportunities for those with relevant professional or academic backgrounds to serve in the IDF in their fields or through internships.[4] He also discussed updating the absorption basket of financial assistance, which had not been updated since 2015, and changing the period over which rent assistance was distributed.[4] These were proposals he outlined in 2023, rather than measures he presented as already implemented.[4]

Sofer and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich presented the “Af Al Pi Chen,” or “Nevertheless,” immigration and integration program, with an estimated cost of about NIS 170 million.[14] Its measures included increased rent assistance for immigrants settling in the Negev, Galilee, or the West Bank — known by its original, indigenous Jewish name of Judea and Samaria — alongside tuition and housing support for immigrant students, digital Hebrew study, and personalized assistance beginning with the immigration process.[14]

In March 2025, Sofer said his ministry had created opportunities for immigrants to study in their native languages through 27 degree programs at 16 Israeli colleges and universities.[15] He also described a professional-licensing reform developed with eight other ministries to reduce barriers facing immigrant professionals, including those in medicine.[15] Other ministry initiatives included rental subsidies in the Negev and Galilee, stipends, a support system for immigrants, and the “My Aliyah” app.[15]

A joint ministry report for Jewish year 5786 recorded more than 20,000 immigrants arriving from over 100 countries.[16] It also reported the launch of a tax reform intended to ease immigrants’ integration into the Israeli economy, initiated by the ministers of finance and aliyah and integration.[16]

On April 18, 2024, Sofer attended a pre-Passover event for reserve lone soldiers and their families, hosted by his ministry, the Jewish Agency, and the Merage Foundation Israel.[17] The “Together for Seder” initiative formed part of Wings, a joint program of those organizations supporting thousands of immigrant lone soldiers annually before enlistment, during service, and for up to approximately five years after discharge.[17] Wings also supported lone soldiers during the Iron Swords War.[17]

Sofer was among the officials welcoming approximately 110 immigrants at Ben Gurion Airport on June 25, the day after a ceasefire with Iran.[18] Most arrived on an El Al flight from France, with others coming from the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands.[18] The other greeters included Jewish Agency chairman Doron Almog and World Zionist Organization chairman Yaakov Hagoel.[18]

In November 2025, Israel approved a plan proposed by Sofer and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the remaining Bnei Menashe community from northeastern India to Israel.[19] The plan called for 1,200 people to immigrate by the end of 2026 and another 5,800 by 2030, completing the community’s aliyah and reuniting them with approximately 4,000 members already living in Israel.[19]

The initiative, named “Wings of Dawn,” was led by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Jewish Agency, with family reunification and support for integration among its stated aims.[5] The government decision was initiated by Netanyahu, Sofer, and Smotrich.[5] On April 23, 2026, Sofer attended the airport reception for 240 Bnei Menashe immigrants, the first of three flights expected to bring approximately 600 people over the following two weeks.[5] The arrivals included young families scheduled to move initially into absorption centers in Nof HaGalil and reunite with relatives who had immigrated earlier.[5]

At the reception, Sofer said: “We are making history as we bring the entire Bnei Menashe community to Israel,” describing the initiative as a means of uniting the community in the country.[5]

During his first Knesset term, Sofer led a parliamentary subcommittee focused on improving treatment for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition he had personally experienced.[3][11] His parliamentary responsibilities included employment, welfare, and health issues affecting people with shell shock and post-traumatic injuries.[7] He also promoted legislation concerning care for combat-stress casualties.[3]

He argued that soldiers seeking recognition for psychological injuries faced a system shaped by suspicion and an excessive burden of proof.[3] In legislation promoted with Uzi Dayan, he supported completing recognition and permanent disability determinations within a year of a claim, while emphasizing rehabilitation, family support, and employment.[3]

In 2019, Sofer rejected Palestinian statehood, saying, “There is no place for the delusion called a Palestinian state.”[8] He presented the land as belonging to the Jewish people and opposed relinquishing any of it.[8] On religion and state, he favored preserving the status quo to protect Israel’s Jewish identity while allowing discussion of possible improvements.[8]

In 2023, he criticized the handling and pace of the judicial overhaul, favoring a calmer, more moderate approach and dialogue.[11] He expressed concern that the protests and public debate were affecting Jewish communities abroad and making Israel less inviting to prospective immigrants.[11] His ministry’s emphasis on encouraging immigration from France also drew criticism from some immigrant communities; France had accounted for 3% of immigrants in 2022, compared with 86% from former Soviet Union countries.[11]

On Haredi military service, Sofer said in 2019 that enlistment should be encouraged rather than compelled, while recognizing the value of Torah study.[8] In December 2025, he said he would oppose a proposed Haredi draft bill even at the risk of dismissal, calling its outline “shameful” and emphasizing the burden on reserve soldiers.[20]

In July 2026, he announced that he would not stand in the next Knesset election and would remain minister until the end of the term.[6] Reports linked his decision to disagreements with Smotrich and coalition efforts to authorize military-service exemptions, although that explanation was reported rather than directly confirmed as his motive.[6] His statement referred to the lasting scars of bereavement and war injuries, called for unity and shared responsibility for national security, and thanked Smotrich for years of cooperation.[6]