The woman behind the "Bibists" storm: Who is Galia Albin anyway?

Galia Albin, a 77-year-old businesswoman, returned to the headlines after saying in an interview that "the Bibists are only Mizrahim, there is no connection between the hand that puts the note and the brain." The article reviews her tumultuous life story: the mysterious death of her husband Miki Albin in an interrogation room, inheritance battles, publishing the Israeli edition of "Penthouse" magazine, running for the Knesset, four academic degrees, an acting career, and her closeness to the founder of WeWork.

Galia Albin, a 77-year-old businesswoman, returned to the headlines in the last two days after saying in an interview that "the Bibists are only Mizrahim, there is no connection between the hand that puts the note and the brain." The Prime Minister responded to her remarks and they topped the headlines. The article reviews her life story: she was born in Haifa to parents of Austrian descent, studied at the Reali School, and earned four academic degrees — teaching, psychology, and law. Her husband Miki Albin died in 1985 after falling from a window of an interrogation room in Jaffa while being investigated on suspicion of stock manipulation. She inherited his property and waged legal battles against his family. In the 1980s, she was a prominent figure in the financial world and published the Hebrew edition of "Penthouse" magazine, which sparked public protests. In the 1999 elections, she was placed fourth on the Penina Rosenblum list. In 2008, she ran in the Kadima primaries. Additionally, she studied acting in New York, wrote two novels, produced and starred in a film, and hosted a talk show. She is the aunt of Adam Neumann, the founder of WeWork.