Israel's coalition rebel on defying Benjamin Netanyahu from within

I first met Dan Illouz over a decade ago. Like me, he was a young, private citizen living in the Anglo-friendly Jerusalem neighborhood of Old Katamon.

I got to know the Montreal-born Illouz – nicely dressed and unassuming – over Shabbat lunches and via his locally famous post-Passover Mimouna parties, celebrating his Moroccan roots with homemade mufleta. I then enjoyed seeing his name pop up in the pages of this paper as he rose through the Jerusalem city government, serving from 2018 to 2021.

Today, close to his 40th birthday (February 21, if you’d like to send him a greeting), Illouz is a solid member of a Likud which, though still right-wing, many find unrecognizable from the party Menachem Begin helped found in 1973.

In office since 2023, Illouz has been in hot water several times with Likud leadership – including Benjamin Netanyahu – his party boss and the prime minister.

Refusing to toe the party line, Illouz objected to proposed legislation granting government subsidies to yeshiva students not serving in the IDF. In retribution, he was removed from the Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and was prevented from submitting private Knesset bills.

I sat down with Illouz at The Jerusalem Post offices at the end of 2025, to see whether he was deserving of the “rebel MK” label; how Oct. 7 had impacted his governance; maintaining work-life balance; and much more.

2011 STAMP of US president Ronald Reagan: Illouz believes in his philosophy of the conservative movement being a three-legged stool. (credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)

Dan, great to see you. Tell us about your background. Were you always a Zionist?

That’s a very good question. I was always Zionistic. I was born and raised in the Montreal, Canada, Jewish community. I was raised by my mother, who actually passed away a month and a half ago; she raised me as a strong Zionist. My dad was also a Zionist, but my mom was the one who pushed us.

Yet I never came to Israel until age 17. The first time I visited, I decided I wanted Israel to be the place I lived. At 23, after studying at McGill Law School, I decided to leave everything I had, the opportunities around the world... McGill is one of the world’s top law schools, and I really had a ton of opportunities. But instead of going to New York, Paris, London, or staying in Montreal, I came to Jerusalem to live our nation’s dream and return to the homeland.

I joined the army. At the time, I also decided I would serve the State of Israel for my entire life. That’s when I decided not only to move to Israel but also live a life of public service in Israel.

Your mother must have been very proud of you.

I think she was.

Has there been a learning curve in terms of culture?

Of course. Israeli society is intense, demanding, and uncompromising – and that is precisely its strength. Israel does not reward passivity. It forces you to sharpen your convictions, defend your ideas, and take responsibility. The learning curve is real, but it is also a process of becoming more Israeli in the deepest sense – more direct, more resilient, more serious about history and consequences.

Growing up, did you always want to be a member of Knesset?

Well, around age 17, my mom gave me this T-shirt that said on the back, “Worn by Prime Minister Illouz.” Don’t tell Netanyahu I have that T-shirt [smiles]... I’m not actually competing for the title.

The idea of public service and leadership was always very present in my life, but I wasn’t sure if I would go the political