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Miri Regev (born Miriam Siboni on May 26, 1965, in Kiryat Gat, Israel, to Sephardi Jewish immigrants of Moroccan-Mizrahi and Spanish-Sephardic descent) is an Israeli politician and former military officer. She began her career in public service through the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), serving for 25 years in IDF public relations and rising to the rank of brigadier general in the reserves, with key roles including IDF Spokesperson from 2003, a role for which she is well-known. After retiring from the military, she entered politics with the Likud party, becoming a member of the Knesset in 2009. She has held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Culture and Sport from 2015 to 2020, Acting Prime Minister briefly in 2020, and currently serves as Minister of Transport, National Infrastructure, and Road Safety (often referred to as Minister of Transportation) since 2022. Regev is known for her hardline right-wing and controversial stances on security, cultural, and religious issues, as well as her support for Jewish heritage initiatives and advocacy for Mizrahi Jewish rights, and she has been critical of left-leaning NGOs. Her political career is marked by cultural policies promoting Israeli identity, though she has faced criticism for decisions such as funding cuts to arts programs deemed insufficiently patriotic. As a key Likud figure and a rival for the Likud leadership, she has been involved in coalition governments under Benjamin Netanyahu, contributing to her influence in Israel's right-wing political landscape. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Informal Education and a Master's Degree in Business. Her transition from military spokesperson to high-level politician underscores her communication skills and commitment to national service.