Israel Prize laureate Prof. Zeev Sternhell dies at 85
Israel Prize laureate Prof. Zeev Sternhell died on Sunday at the age of 85, from complications following surgery.
He was born in Przemysl, Poland, to a wealthy Jewish family during World War II. His mother and sister were murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust, leading to Sternhell going into hiding with his uncle and aunt in Lviv, Ukraine.
He moved to France after the war, studying in Avignon, and moved to Israel in 1951 before finishing his studies. He got his bachelor’s degree in 1960 from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in history and political sciences. His master’s came four years later, and he got his PhD in Paris five years after that. He then became a political sciences professor at the Hebrew University.
Sternhell, who received the Israel Prize for his studies in political sciences, was known worldwide as an expert on fascism. He was known to be left wing in his political beliefs and was attacked for this reason in 2008, when he was lightly injured by a pipe bomb left at the entrance to his Jerusalem home.
Sternhell regularly wrote op-eds for Haaretz, criticizing settlements and annexation.
“Zeev received international academic recognition for his studies on fascism and modern nationalism,” said the head of Hebrew University’s Political Sciences Department, Prof. Dan Avnon. “His books and articles were translated widely and used by scholars and students around the world.
“On a personal level, Zeev was a role model for us: a person who combined academic excellence with a deep commitment to society and country,” he continued. “Our thoughts are with his wife and daughters.”
Maariv contributed report. to this