Uri Avnery

Uri Avnery
Moshe Pridan · Public domain · source
Name	Uri Avnery
Native name	יורי אבנרי
Birth date	10 September 1923
Birth place	Beckum, Weimar Republic
Death date	20 August 2018
Death place	Rosh HaAyin, Israel
Occupation	Journalist, Member of Knesset, peace activist, writer
Nationality	Israeli
Known for	Founding HaOlam HaZeh, advocacy for Israeli–Palestinian peace, meeting with Yasser Arafat

Uri Avnery

Uri Avnery was an Israeli journalist, politician, and peace activist who played a prominent role in Israeli public life from the 1940s through the early 21st century. He founded the weekly magazine HaOlam HaZeh and served in the Knesset as the leader of the radical peace-oriented group Gush Shalom and the Shinui-aligned faction HaOlam HaZeh–Koah Hadash. Avnery gained international attention for his direct engagement with Palestinian leaders, most notably his unmediated meeting with Yasser Arafat in Beirut in 1982, and for persistent advocacy of a two-state solution involving negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Early life and military service

Born in 1923 in Beckum in the Weimar Republic, Avnery emigrated with his family to Mandate Palestine in 1933 amid rising antisemitism in Nazi Germany. He joined Irgun briefly and later became associated with the Lehi and the Haganah milieu before serving in the Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. His wartime experiences intersected with events such as the 1948 Palestinian exodus and operations in the Negev, shaping his later critiques of militarism associated with figures like David Ben-Gurion and institutions such as the early Mapai leadership.

Journalism and publishing career

After World War II and the 1948 war, Avnery entered journalism, founding the influential weekly magazine HaOlam HaZeh in 1949. The magazine became known for investigative exposes challenging establishments linked to Ben-Gurion, Menachem Begin, Golda Meir, and parties including Herut and Mapam. Avnery's editorial line confronted scandals involving figures such as Shmuel Dayan and institutions like the Histadrut, and published debates engaging writers like Amos Oz, A. B. Yehoshua, Dahn Ben-Amotz, and critics from Maariv and Haaretz. HaOlam HaZeh combined muckraking with cultural coverage of events such as the Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War, influencing public discussion alongside outlets like Yedioth Ahronoth and The Jerusalem Post.

Political career

Transitioning from journalism to electoral politics, Avnery established the HaOlam HaZeh–Koah Hadash faction and was elected to the Knesset in 1965. In parliament he opposed policies of the Israel Defense Forces and criticized the Lavon Affair era figures, aligning at times with dissenters from Rafi and activists in Meretz precursors. Avnery served during pivotal moments including the aftermath of the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, voting and speaking on issues involving leaders such as Levi Eshkol, Yitzhak Rabin, and Menachem Begin. He later founded or associated with movements including Gush Shalom and engaged with international groups like Amnesty International and peace networks connected to International Solidarity Movement activists.

Peace activism and Israeli–Palestinian advocacy

Avnery became internationally known for meeting Yasser Arafat in Beirut in 1982, a controversial act that predated official Israeli–PLO recognition by decades. He consistently advocated direct negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization and supported a two-state outcome akin to accords later formalized in the Oslo Accords. Avnery’s activism placed him in dialogue with Palestinian figures such as Hanan Ashrawi and Saeb Erekat and international interlocutors including Noam Chomsky and Jimmy Carter. He organized and participated in demonstrations with groups like Peace Now, Women Wage Peace, and B’Tselem allies, frequently criticizing settlement policies in the West Bank and the political strategies of leaders like Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu. His proposals often referenced international frameworks such as United Nations resolutions including UN Security Council Resolution 242.

Writing and literary works

Avnery authored numerous books and articles in Hebrew and other languages addressing Israeli history, diplomacy, and conflict resolution. His works analyzed episodes involving Arthur W. Ruppin-era Zionist debates, the political evolution of Zionism, and military episodes from the 1948 Arab–Israeli War to the 1982 Lebanon War. He contributed essays to outlets like The Guardian, The New York Times, and Le Monde, and wrote books engaging with personalities such as Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weizmann, Menachem Begin, and Yitzhak Shamir. His style combined firsthand reporting with polemical critique, intersecting with scholarship published by institutions such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Democracy Institute.

Personal life and legacy

Avnery was married and had family ties in Tel Aviv and later resided near Rosh HaAyin. His longevity in public life earned him recognition and criticism across the Israeli political spectrum, from supporters in Gush Shalom and centrists in Shinui to opponents in Likud and religious parties like Shas. After his death in 2018, commentaries appeared in publications including Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, Der Spiegel, and Al Jazeera, reflecting on his meetings with Yasser Arafat and his role in shaping discourse about Palestinian National Authority recognition and two-state solution advocacy. His archive and writings continue to be cited in studies by scholars at the Tel Aviv University Middle East programs, the Institute for Palestine Studies, and by journalists covering ongoing developments involving figures such as Mahmoud Abbas, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert, and Ehud Barak.

Category:Israeli journalists Category:Israeli politicians Category:Peace activists