Uri Avnery

MKs


Date of birth = Birth date and age|1923|9|10|mf=y
Place of birth= Beckum, Germany
Year of Aliyah = 1933
Date of death =
Knesset(s) = 6th, 7th, 9th
Party = Left Camp of Israel
Former parties = This World – New Power, Meri
website = [http://avnery-news.co.il/]

Uri Avnery ( _he. אורי אבנרי, also transliterated Uri Avneri, born September 10, 1923 in Beckum, Germany as Helmut Ostermann), is a German-born Israeli journalist, left-wing [Atlas, Yonat. [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3498945,00.html "Left-wing activists protest Gaza blockade at Erez border crossing."] "Ynetnews". 26 January 2008. 19 June 2008.] peace activist, and former Knesset member, who was originally a member of the right-wing Revisionist Zionist movement.

Biography

Avnery made aliyah in 1933. [ [http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=238 Uri Avnery biography] , Knesset website.] He abandoned school after the 7th grade (age 14) in order to work and help his parents starting out as a clerk for a lawyer, a job he held for 5-6 years.

He also joined the Revisionist Zionist paramilitary group, the Irgun, at age 15 and was writing for an inside journal. He started writing for outside papers at the age of 17 and left the Irgun at the age of 19 after becoming disenchanted with their tactics, stating in a 2003 interview that "I didn't like the methods of terror applied by the Irgun at the time", noting he did not back killing people in retaliation for similar acts by the Arabs. [cite web
title = Violence is a symptom; the occupation is the disease
author = Jon Elmer
date = 14 September 2003
url = http://www.fromoccupiedpalestine.org/node/764]

In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War Avnery was a fighter in the Samson's Foxes commando unit (and also wrote its anthem). Afterwards, he wrote a book about the war, called "In the Fields of Philistia" ( _he. בשדות פלשת, "Bi-Sdot Pleshet").

During the 1950s and the 1960s Avnery was, with Shalom Cohen, co-publisher and editor of the "HaOlam HaZeh" weekly magazine, an anti-establishment tabloid known for many sensational scoops and for featuring nudes on its back cover. The formula seemed to work, as for many years it was Israel's leading alternative-media publication.

In 1965 Avnery created a political party bearing the name of his and Cohen's magazine, This World – New Power, and was elected to the Knesset in the 1965 election. Although he retained his seat in the 1969 election, the party disintegrated and Avnery founded a new party, Meri, though it failed to win any seats in the 1973 elections. He returned to the Knesset as a member of the Left Camp of Israel after the 1977 election, but did not retain his seat in the 1981 election. He was later involved in the Progressive List for Peace.

Avnery famously met Yasser Arafat on July 3, 1982, during the "Battle of Beirut" — said to have been the first time an Israeli met personally with Arafat. [ [http://www.avnery-news.co.il/english/uri2.html Uri Avnery - Biographical Notes] , Uri Avnery's website.]

He later turned to left-wing activism and founded the Gush Shalom ( _he. גוש שלום, "Peace Bloc") movement in 1993, which he continues to lead as of 2007. He is a devout secularist and strongly opposed to the Orthodox influence in religious and political life.

Death threats

In 1975, Avnery was seriously injured in a knife attack; the attempted assassin was later officially declared insane. [ [http://www.avnery-news.co.il/english/uri2.html Uri Avnery - Biographical Notes] ] In 2006, settler activist Baruch Marzel called on the Israeli military to carry out "a targeted killing" against Avnery whilst being interviewed on Channel 10. [cite web|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3230185,00.html|title=Marzel to cabinet: Kill left-wing leader|accessdate=2006-05-07] [cite web|url=http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en|title=Gush Shalom: Incitement To Murder|accessdate=2006-05-07]

Quotes

:"You can’t talk to me about terrorism, I was a terrorist." [Uri Avnery and Richard Swift, [http://newint.org/features/2002/08/01/blunt-talk/ Blunt Talk] ' [http://www.newint.org/ New Internationalist] ', Issue 348, August 2002]

Recent activities

* Avnery is a contributor to the news and opinion sites "CounterPunch", "Information Clearing House" and "LewRockwell.com".
* In 2002, a documentary directed by Yair Lev was made about Avnery's life entitled "Uri Avnery: Warrior for Peace."

Bibliography (partial list):

*Avnery, Uri (1968): "Israel Without Zionists: A Plea for Peace in the Middle East," MacMillan Co., New York, Hardbound (1st Edition in 1968; many reprints)
*Avnery, Uri (1986): "My Friend, the Enemy", Zed Books; Paperback. 1986 ISBN 0862322154 Paperback; Lawrence Hill & Co, 1987 ISBN 0882082132 Hard cover; Lawrence Hill Books (1987) ISBN 0882082124

External links

* [http://www.avnery-news.co.il/english/uri2.html Uri Avnery Biography]
* [http://www.avnery-news.co.il/ Uri Avnery's News Pages]
* [http://www.knesset.gov.il/lexicon/eng/avneri_eng.htm Uri Avnery's biography] Knesset website en icon
* [http://www.gush-shalom.org Gush Shalom]
* [http://www.rightlivelihood.org/recip.htm Right Livelihood Award recipient 2001]
* [http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1202631015 Uri Avnery - An End Foreseen - 2008]

References