Tzipi Livni
A principled Israeli stateswoman who championed a two-state solution as foreign minister, becoming the highest-ranking woman in government since Golda Meir.
Born 1958 (age 68)·Israeli politician·Birthday: July 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tzipi Livni's path to politics was forged in Israel's most elite security circles; the daughter of prominent Irgun fighters, she served in the Mossad before becoming a lawyer. Entering the Knesset in 1999, she quickly distinguished herself with a sharp legal mind and a centrist, pragmatic approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As Foreign Minister during the Annapolis peace process, she became the face of Israel's diplomatic push for a two-state solution, conducting intense, if ultimately unsuccessful, negotiations. Her political career was marked by a series of party leadership roles and cabinet positions—from Justice Minister to head of the opposition—where she consistently argued for a secular, democratic Israel defined by agreements with its neighbors rather than perpetual conflict. Though she never attained the premiership, she broke ceilings and set a record for cabinet posts held by an Israeli woman.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Tzipi was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tzipi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Tzipi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- She served as Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs and led negotiations with the Palestinians during the 2007–2008 Annapolis process.
- She was the first woman to hold the position of Israeli Minister of Justice.
- She founded and led the centrist political party Hatnua (The Movement).
- She held a record eight different cabinet positions throughout her parliamentary career.
Did You Know?
Her first name, Tzipi, is a nickname for Tziporah, and she is often called by it exclusively.
She served as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces and later in the Mossad for several years.
She was named one of the world's 100 most powerful women by Forbes magazine multiple times.
Before politics, she practiced law and specialized in commercial and constitutional law.
“I am not a politician who was born a politician. I came to politics because I believe I can change things.”
