US statesman George Shultz, who helped Soviet Jews move to Israel, dies at 100
Ronald Reagan's long-time secretary of state praised as a 'great man but also a mensch', and remembered for influencing the end of the Cold War
Tributes were paid this week to US statesman George P. Shultz after he died at the age of 100.
Shultz played a leading role in US-led efforts to open the gates of the USSR to large-scale Jewish immigration to Israel, and later helped Israel weather a period of hyper-inflation that threatened its entire economy.
He served as US Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan and US Secretary to the Treasury under Richard Nixon, two of four Cabinet positions he held.
As Reagan’s top envoy he helped negotiate an end to hostilities between Israel and Lebanon in 1985 and established dialogue with the PLO in 1988. In later life he lobbied for the release of Jonathan Pollard, who passed US secrets to Israel.
“Secretary Shultz was not only a great statesman, economist, businessman and academic, but also a stalwart friend of Israel,” said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, which Shultz co-founded.
“He was a great man but also a mensch. Every hour spent in his presence was simultaneously a seminar in world history and a practical course in leadership.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
