Ron Pundak

Ron Pudack
Ron Pundak as a youth
Born14 May 1955
Tel Aviv
CitizenshipIsraeli
Alma materUniversity of London
Occupation(s)Journalist, Managing Director, Historian
ChildrenMay Pundak
FatherHerbert Pundik

Ron Pundak (Hebrew: רון פונדק; 14 May 1955 – 11 April 2014) was an Israeli historian and journalist. He played an important role in starting the Oslo peace process in 1993, and was part of the core group behind the Geneva Initiative. Pundak was the executive director of the Peres Center for Peace in Tel Aviv-Yafo and co-chairman of its Palestinian–Israeli Peace NGO Forum. He was on the board of directors of the Aix Group.

Background

Ron Pundak was born in Tel Aviv. His parents are Danish Jewish immigrants from Denmark. He was the son of Herbert Pundik, a Danish-Israeli journalist and author. In 1991, Pundak graduated from the University of London with a PhD in Middle Eastern Political History.[1][2]

Career

After his return to Israel, he wored as a journalist at the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz for one year.[3] Together with fellow academic Yair Hirschfeld, he founded an NGO called the Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF), through which they established relationships with Palestinian leaders, which eventually led to the Oslo peace process. In 2001, Pundak became director general of the Peres Center for Peace in Tel Aviv-Yafo, a position he held until 2011.[1][4] He was the subject of the article written by Yael Patir Remembering Ron Pundak, which was published in the Israeli-Palestinian Journal of Politics, Economics, and Culture in 2014.[5]

Personal life

Pundak died age 58 on 11 April 2014 after a long period with cancer.[6] His daughter is Israeli peace activist May Pundak.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Lewis, Geoffrey H.; Koppel, Steven C. "Ron Pundak, realist for reconciliation". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  2. ^ "Herbert Pundik". Humanity in Action. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  3. ^ "Interview with Dr. Ron Pundak". Justvision. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  4. ^ Jonathan Lis (9 December 2011). "Peres Center told: Choose between Gaza health project and tax break". Haaretz. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Remembering Ron Pundak - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  6. ^ Ron Pundak, architect of Oslo Accords, dies at 59
  7. ^ Thirty Years On, Oslo Accords Architect’s Daughter Is Reimagining Her Father’s Legacy - Israel News - Haaretz.com