Dtwclipper From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (8 years 1 month 3 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 812 times:
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Former Israeli President Ezer Weizman, a flying ace and crack military commander who built up the nation's air force and helped bring about the Jewish state's first peace treaty with an Arab country, has died, Israeli officials said Sunday. He was 80.
Weizman was president between 1993-2000. In three decades in political life, he made a highly public transition from hawk to dove, saying the Jews had to learn to "share this part of the world" with the Arabs.
LY7E7 From Israel, joined Jun 2004, 2218 posts, RR: 21 Reply 1, posted (8 years 1 month 3 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 752 times:
I've actually got to meet him when I was in high school and he was an acting president. A very impressive man. He was quite controversial in Israel, mainly due to his "old school" schovinism.
LY744 From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 5536 posts, RR: 11 Reply 2, posted (8 years 1 month 3 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 750 times:
A WWII RAF pilot he was also the longest serving IDF/AF commander (1958-1966 IIRC). Even after retiring from the military he was instrumental in helping preserve the tradition of the air force, including the preservation, in flying condition, of an IDF/AF Spitfire (The Black Spit) as part of the Air Force Museum.
His tendency to speak his mind sure made for an interesting political career!
Jetjack74 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 7338 posts, RR: 52 Reply 3, posted (8 years 1 month 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 724 times:
RJpieces From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (8 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 654 times:
I find his life amazing. The fact that he flew for the British in World War II and then accomplished all that he did in Israel and lived until this week is simply amazing.
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