Levy moved at age 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. At the height of his career, he was a rival in the Likud party to Israel’s current prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During his tenure as foreign minister, starting in 1990, 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 02, 2024 22:09 UTC