Hili Tropper

Yehiel Moshe "Hili" Tropper (; born 22 April 1978), sometimes spelled Chili, is an Israeli politician, educator, and social worker. Serving in the Knesset for Blue and White since 2019, he held office as Minister of Culture and Sport from 2020 to 2022 and as a minister without portfolio in the emergency wartime cabinet from 2023 to 2024. Ahead of the 2026 Israeli elections, Tropper announced that he planned to leave Blue and White and co-founded the Zionist Home – The Reservists list with Yoaz Hendel.

Biography Tropper was born in Jerusalem in 1978, one of nine children of Faigie Tropper and Rabbi Daniel Tropper. He attended Horev yeshiva and during his national service in the Israel Defense Forces, was part of the Duvdevan Unit.

Political career Prior to the 2013 Knesset elections Tropper was placed twenty-third on the Labor Party list, but the party won only 15 seats. He was subsequently appointed as an advisor to Minister of Education Shai Piron. When Piron left the government in 2015, Tropper became Director of the Education, Welfare and Culture Division in Yeruham.

In the build-up to the April 2019 elections he joined the new Israel Resilience Party founded by his friend Benny Gantz. The party became part of Blue and White, with Tropper placed twelfth on the alliance's list. He was elected to the Knesset as Blue and White won 35 seats. He was re-elected in September 2019 and March 2020. In May 2020 he was appointed Minister of Culture and Sports in the thirty-fifth government of Israel. He subsequently resigned his Knesset seat under the Norwegian Law and was replaced by Yorai Lahav-Hertzanu. He was re-elected to the Knesset in the March 2021 elections. In May 2021 Tropper was additionally appointed Minister of Science and Technology, holding the portfolio alongside the culture and sports ministry until the swearing-in of the thirty-sixth government the following month. After being appointed Minister of Culture and Sports in the thirty-sixth government of Israel, he resigned from the Knesset under the Norwegian Law and was replaced by Mufid Mari. Tropper served until the inauguration of the thirty-seventh government of Israel on 29 December 2022, and returned to the Knesset as a member of the opposition National Unity.

On 12 October 2023 Tropper was sworn in as a minister without portfolio after his party joined the government following the outbreak of the Gaza war. Tropper resigned from the government in June 2024.

In May 2026 Tropper announced his departure from Blue and White and his intention to stand for re-election with a different party in the upcoming Knesset election. He collected signatures in June to begin forming a new party.

Zionist Home – The Reservists Tropper filed a request on 6 July with the Registrar of Parties at the Ministry of Justice to register a new party, "Yesodot Yisrael" (Foundations of Israel). Shira Shapira and Elyasaf Peretz, son of Israel Prize laureate Miriam Peretz, joined the new political initiative.

Later that month, Zionist Home – The Reservists was announced as the name of the alliance.

Published works Makom BaOlam (A Place in the World), Yedioth Sfarim, 2013 Shvil BaOlam (A Path in the World), Yedioth Sfarim, 2016 Mered Shel Tikva (A Rebellion of Hope), with Yehuda Shohat, Yedioth Sfarim, 2018