MK Alex Kushnir was appointed as Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee. Kushnir immigrated to Israel with his mother as a child in 1992, served in the Givati Brigade becoming a lieutenant colonel (company commander). Afterwards, he served in Israel’s General Security Service (Shabak) retiring after nine years. He received a , from Ono Academic College. Kushnir held a number of positions in the fields of finance, retail and energy and served as the representative of the JDC organization in Belarus. He went on to serve as the Director General of the Ministry of Aliyah and Absorption and then as the Director General of the Netiv governmental organization. His most prominent area of work in the Knesset was as chairman of the Lone Soldiers Subcommittee in the 23rd Knesset.