Raphael Pinchasi

Rafael Pinhasi (; born 1940) is an Israeli former politician who served as Minister of Communications between 1990 and 1992.

Biography Pinhasi was born in Kabul in Afghanistan; his family migrated there from Bukhara in the 1930s. They later emigrated to Israel in 1950. He was amongst the founders of Shas, and served as deputy mayor of Bnei Brak.

In 1984 he was elected to the Knesset on Shas's list, and in December 1985, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Welfare. He retained his seat in the 1988 elections, and became a Deputy Speaker of the Knesset. In January 1990, he was appointed Deputy Internal Affairs Minister, and in June that year, he became Minister of Communications, serving until the 1992 elections.

As Communications Minister, he was criticized for granting operating licenses to communications entities owned by his associates. However, he was also credited with opening the telephone market, previously dominated by Bezeq, to competition. Pinhasi granted new licenses for last-mile infrastructure, international calling, satellite communications, etc.