Ilan Gilon
Gilon was born in Galați, Romania.  He got polio when he was a baby. Because of this he has problems with his legs. He migrated to Israel when he was a child. He studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem but didn't obtain a degree. He became involved in politics by becoming a member of the youth department of Mapam (a socialist political party and a forerunner of Meretz), followed by Meretz itself later on.