Ya'akov Shamai

Shamai was born in Jerusalem during the Mandate era. After high school, he did national service in the IDF between 1958 and 1961, before working in agriculture.^{[citation needed]}

He headed the Likud faction in the Histadrut trade union, and was on the Likud list for the 1984 Knesset elections. Although he failed to win a seat,^{[citation needed]} he entered the Knesset on 5 February 1985 as a replacement for the deceased Yitzhak Seiger. He was re-elected in 1988 and 1992,^[1] before losing his seat in the 1996 elections.^{[citation needed]} Shammai died on 4 October 2016.^[2]

His daughter Yifat is married to Likud MK Yariv Levin.