Yossi Beilin (born Joseph Beilin on June 12, 1948, in Tel Aviv, Israel) is a veteran Israeli politician, diplomat, and peace advocate known for his dovish, left-leaning stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He began his career as a journalist for Davar in 1969 and entered politics in 1977 as a Labour Party spokesperson. Beilin served in the IDF signal corps during the Six-Day War (1967) and Yom Kippur War (1973), experiences that led him to abandon his religious lifestyle. He served as a Knesset member for 20 years, primarily with the Labour Party, and later led the Meretz-Yachad party. He held ministerial positions including Minister of Justice and was a key architect and peace negotiator, instrumental in the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. He was a key architect of the informal Geneva Peace Accord in 2003, co-initiating the Geneva Initiative, a draft peace agreement negotiated with Palestinian leaders. Beilin was a key early proponent of Birthright Israel before its official launch. After retiring from active politics around 2008, he founded the business consultancy Beilink and writes opinion pieces for major Israeli newspapers. He serves as Chairman of the Geneva Initiative, advocating for a two-state solution. Beilin holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Tel Aviv University and has been critical of hawkish policies.