Israeli ex-Foreign Minister David Levy Dies at 86 After Lifelong Fight Against Racism
- David Levy, a prominent Israeli politician born in Morocco, passed away at the age of 86.
- Throughout his life, Levy fought against racism towards Jews from North Africa and held key government positions, including serving as the foreign minister.
- His death marks the end of an era for Israeli politics and highlights a legacy of combating discrimination.
David Levy was 86 years old. When he was 20, he moved from Morocco to Beit Shean, a town in northern Israel. He worked in construction and later became a politician. He served in the Knesset from 1969 to 2006, holding important positions like foreign minister and deputy prime minister. He was also a rival to Benjamin Netanyahu in the Likud party. In the past, Israel's leaders were mostly of European descent and treated Jewish immigrants from Arabic-speaking countries differently. David Levy, a Mizrahi Jew, helped the Likud party gain power by uniting the Mizrahi community. He improved relations with other countries during his time as foreign minister. David Levy is known for his work as a housing minister, where he developed housing projects that modernized the living conditions of Mizrahi Jews who lived in shantytowns. He faced racism throughout his career, but he continued to work hard for his community. President Isaac Herzog praised Levy's journey from a Moroccan teenager living in shantytowns to a top leader in Israel. Despite facing challenges, Levy was a respected figure who spoke multiple languages and made significant contributions to his country.