Shlomo Avineri, 1933-2023

Shlomo Avineri, 1933-2023

Avineri, a native of Poland, was one of Israel’s premier political scientists as a Hebrew University professor and wrote extensively on the history of political philosophy, including Marx, Engels, Hegel, Zionism, colonialism and the Soviet…

Biographies|September 23, 2022
Aharon Barak, 1936-

Aharon Barak, 1936-

Lithuania-born Barak was a 28-year Supreme Court justice who served as the president of the court from 1995 to 2006. He lifted restrictions on individual petitions to the court and strengthened the judiciary’s authority to…

Biographies|August 31, 2022
Menachem Begin, 1913-1992

Menachem Begin, 1913-1992

Born in Belarus, Begin joined the Revisionist Betar movement and escaped Nazis and Soviets to reach Palestine. He led the Irgun, then spent three decades in the political opposition, including arguing against German reparations. In…

Biographies|August 31, 2022
Dennis Ross, 1948-

Dennis Ross, 1948-

Working in the Defense Department, with the National Security Council or in the State Department under every president from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama, Ross helped shape U.S. Middle East policy. He helped get Israel…

Biographies|October 17, 2022
Anwar Sadat, 1918-1981

Anwar Sadat, 1918-1981

Sadat was elevated from Egypt’s vice president to president after Gamal Abdel Nasser died in 1970. With Syria, he launched the October 1973 war against Israel. He flew to Israel four years later in pursuit…

Biographies|October 17, 2022
Ezer Weizman, 1924-2005

Ezer Weizman, 1924-2005

Weizman, the nephew of Chaim Weizmann, was Israel’s seventh president from 1993 to 2000. He was a founder of the Israeli Air Force and became its commander in 1958. As defense minister in the first…

Biographies|August 31, 2022