Former Georgian minister makes aliyah

[ukhudshanskiy]

The former Minister of Defence of Georgia, David Kezerashvili, has moved to Israel. Mr Kezerashvili, 31, headed the defence ministry during the Georgia-Russia war in 2008, but was dismissed from the post amid criticisms of the way the war was conducted. Sources told the Rezonansi newspaper that an investigation is being conducted into corruption in the ministry during Mr Kezerashvili's tenure, including possible arms procurement. The former minister did not comment. Mr Kerzerashvili has long held Israeli citizenship. He immigrated to Israel in 1992, where he lived with his grandmother in Holon and attended high school. He returned to Georgia a year-and-a-half later. Currently there is only one Jewish member of the Georgian government, Deputy Prime Minister Timur Jakobashvili.