Israeli civil rights pioneer Shulamit Aloni dies

[Ken Burch]

http://news.msn.com/obits/israeli-civil-rights-pioneer-shulamit-aloni-dies

[div class="excerpt"

JERUSALEM — Shulamit Aloni, an Israeli legislator who championed civil rights and was fiercely critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, died on Friday. She was 85.

Meretz, the party she helped found and led, announced her death in a statement on its website. The party did not reveal the cause of death.

Aloni was born in Tel Aviv and fought in the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation. First elected to Israel's parliament, the Knesset, in 1965, she served for 28 years and held a number of Cabinet posts.

[Israeli]

1. Thank you for posting this Ken....

I already did here :
http://www.democraticunderground.com/113456621

but its worth a double post .

I was at the funeral yesterday to say goodbye to someone I greatly admired and who had done more than anyone else to shape my politics . It was my privilege to know her and work with her for many years . She was exceptional and will be sorely missed .

Bidding farewell to Shulamit Aloni

It is difficult to conceive of the human rights movement in Israel without her. Through decades of parliamentary and public activity, her writing and activism, Shulamit Aloni paved the road which we walk to this day. She was among the prime architects of Israeli discourse on human and civil rights.

She taught us the importance of upholding the human rights of all people, be they in Israel or in the Occupied Territories. She taught us that human rights are not a prize for good behavior. Rather, human rights are inalienable and conferred on all people, with no exceptions, and the state is responsible for safeguarding these rights. Shulamit also taught us that the truth must always be told, even when disagreeable or unpopular. She was a model of fearlessness in speaking the truth, and we learned from her example of not shying away from exposing reality, no matter how unpleasant. Shulamit Aloni’s firm stance in the face of smears and vilification will continue to inspire us to do the same. We will carry on walking in her footsteps.

http://www.btselem.org/shulamit_aloni

Noam Sheizaf also wrote a good piece in English :

Shulamit Aloni, 1928-2014: Mother and prophet of the left

http://972mag.com/shulamit-aloni-1928-2014-the-mother-and-the-prophet-of-the-left/86245/

[LeftishBrit]

2. RIP. I always really admired her.