David Levy, an Israeli politician born in Morocco who fought against deep-seated racism against Jews from North Africa and went on to serve as foreign minister and hold other senior governmental posts, died June 2 at 86. Mr. Levy was born in Rabat on Dec. 21, 1937, and moved at 20 from Morocco to Beit Shean, an isolated town in Israel’s north. He served in the Knesset, or parliament, from 1969 to 2006, holding the posts of foreign minister, deputy prime minister and housing and construction minister at various times. During his tenure as foreign minister, starting in 1990, Mr. Levy renewed relations with many countries, including China and what was then the Soviet Union. He was the foreign minister during the Madrid Conference in 1991, which helped launch the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, though he did not attend.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 03, 2024 14:19 UTC