David Azulai

On 30 October 2018, Azulai died after a long-term battle with cancer. The illness had also forced him to resign from the Knesset early in the year. His son Yinon, who succeeded him in Knesset, is among those rumored to be candidates to take Azulai's place as the Israeli Religious Affairs Minister.

Following the 2015 elections, he was appointed Minister of Religious Services in the new government. He gave up his Knesset seat in March 2018 under the Norwegian Law due to an illness, and was replaced by his son Yinon.

A month later, in July 2015, Azulai stated “The moment a Reform Jew stops following the religion of Israel... I cannot allow myself to call such a person a Jew.”

From 1978 to 1993, he was a member of Acre's local council and served in the municipality's committees. In 1993, he was elected to Nahal Iron Regional Council, serving as deputy mayor of the council and later as its mayor. He resigned following his election to the Knesset in 1996. He served as Chairman of the Internal Affairs and Environment Committee (2000–2001) and as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs (2001–2003). In the latter post, he was assigned to head of commission regarding the status of the Falasha.

David Azulai was born in Meknes in Morocco, and immigrated to Israel in 1963. From 1973 to 1993, he worked as a teacher and vice principal.

David Azulai (Hebrew: דוד אזולאי; 5 May 1954 – 30 October 2018) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Shas for over 20 years from 1996 and 2018. He was also Minister of Religious Services from 2015 until his death in 2018.