is one of Israel’s leading voices in the Zionist left and the democratic camp, and among the central figures in the struggle against the judicial overhaul and the erosion of the rule of law advanced by Prime Minister Netanyahu. He currently serves as Chair of the Knesset Committee on Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs. In the previous 24th Knesset session, he served as Chair of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. Kariv is an attorney and Reform rabbi and is regarded as one of the foremost leaders of liberal Judaism in Israel and throughout the Jewish world.
Kariv has been active in the public arena for thirty years, working on issues of religion and state, social justice, advancing a two-state solution, promoting Jewish-Arab shared society, combating racism, and strengthening ties between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora.
Kariv was first elected to the 24th Knesset session in 2021 and, since then, has been considered one of its most outstanding members due to his parliamentary initiatives, speeches, and legislative efforts. Kariv leads numerous Knesset caucuses, including the Caucus for Advancing a Regional Security Arrangement, the Caucus for Advancing the Two-State Solution, the Caucus for Safeguarding State Secular Education, the Caucus for Religious Freedom and Jewish Renewal, the Caucus for Free Media, and the Caucus for Pensioners.
Kariv has advanced many legislative proposals in the areas of civil rights, freedom of religion, combating violence, and promoting a shared society. As Chair of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, he led significant reforms, including the digital correspondence reform, the establishment of the Israel Regulatory Authority, the expansion of transparency in elections, and the end of the ultra-Orthodox monopoly over the appointment of rabbinical judges. Kariv has blocked initiatives promoted by the conservative Kohelet Policy Forum that were advanced by right-wing parties and individuals in the Knesset.
In the current 25th Knesset session, Kariv has been a key figure in the struggle against the judicial overhaul, in safeguarding protesters’ rights, and in defending freedom of protest. Following the October 7th massacre and subsequent war in Gaza, he has stood out for his criticism of the government, his demand for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, the return of the hostages, and an investigation into the affair of Qatari involvement in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Kariv was the first member of Knesset to publicly call for and work toward the unification of the Labor and Meretz parties following their failure in the previous elections, and he was among the leaders of the move to establish the Democrats Party. He has published numerous public calls and opinion pieces advocating for the continued unification of forces among parties appealing to Israel’s liberal and democratic public.
Kariv holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law and Jewish thought from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, Northwestern University, and the Hebrew Union College (HUC) Reform rabbinical seminary. Prior to serving in the Knesset, he was the director of the Israel Religious Action Center and CEO of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism. Born in 1973, he lives in Givatayim with his wife Noa and their children, Amalia, Avigail, and Amos.
