Zvi Hendel was born in Romania in 1949 and immigrated to Israel in 1959. He served in the Artillery Corps and worked as a farmer. He speaks Hebrew, Hungarian, and Yiddish.
A Knesset member since 1996, he served in the 14th Knesset as a representative of the National Religious Party, and in the 15th and 16th Knessets for the National Union.
He has served as a member of the House, Finance, and Economics committees; chairman of the Committee for Immigration, Absorption, and the Diaspora; member, Economics Committee, Finance Committee, Finance Committee (alternate), the State Control Committee, Labor, Social Affairs, and Health Committee.
Hendel has served as head of the Gush Katif Regional Council, director of the Company for the Development of Gush Katif, chairman of the board, the Company for the Development of the Negev Coast; member, Organization for Settling the Negev; member of the Secretariat of the Moshav Union; member, Judea and Samaria Council Executive.
He has published articles in the "Ma'ariv" and "Nekuda" newspapers.
In March 2003 Zvi Hendel was appointed Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, and Sport. He resigned in June 2004.
Hendel is married with four children and lives in Moshav Ganei Tal, Gush Katif, the Gaza Strip.