Yakov Margi was born in Morocco in 1960 and immigrated to Israel in 1962. He served in the IDF Communications Corps.
Margi served as Chairman of the Be'er Sheva Religious Council (1993-2003) and as Director General of the Shas Movement (2001-2003).
A Member of Knesset since 2003, Margi has served on the Finance, Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee, Science and Technology, Ethics, Internal Affairs and Environment, Foreign Workers, Public Petitions, and Rights of the Child Committees, as well as chairing the House Committee.
In March 2009 Yakov Margi was appointed Minister of Religious Services.
He is married and the father of two children.