‘Trailblazer’ David Levy remembered for forging space for Mizrahi voices in politics
Former foreign minister, who died Sunday at 86, praised by politicians on both right and left for fighting on behalf of underserved communities from Middle East and North Africa
Figures hailing from both ends of the Israeli political spectrum praised former Likud minister David Levy as a trailblazer who brought attention to Israel’s underserved Mizrahi communities as they mourned his passing Sunday.
Levy, who died Sunday at 86 following a three-decade-long career that included three stints as foreign minister, was remembered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as someone who fought for equal opportunities for immigrants from communities in North Africa and the Middle East, like Levy himself.
“David, born in Morocco, forged his way through life with his own two hands,” Netanyahu said. “On the national level, he made a personal mark on the political world, while taking care of weak populations that knew adversity.”
Throughout his career, Levy played a central role in breaking down social and economic barriers to Mizrahi political involvement in the 1970s and 1980s, in addition to solidifying Likud’s working-class Mizrahi voter base, which remains strong until today.
Levy built his power base in Beit She’an, a development town far from Israel’s economic center that is home to a large community of Morrocan Jews. His son Jackie Levy was mayor there from 2003 until earlier this year, save a five-year stint in the Knesset.
His efforts to help build Mizrahi communities into a powerful voter base and secure economic benefits for them after years of systemic discrimination by the country’s Europe-bred elite, is perhaps the most enduring aspect of his legacy.
“He brought to the Knesset the voice and representation of the development towns that were so lacking in it, and in his fight for a fairer and more equal society, he became an important Israeli symbol within his lifetime,” said Opposition Leader Yair Lapid.
He lauded Levy as one of Israel’s “most exceptional and trailblazing leaders.”
Social Equality Minister May Golan of Likud wrote on X that “Levy was the brave first person to break the glass ceiling and raise himself to the highest peaks.”
Similarly, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir praised Levy for the distance he overcame “geographically and socially,” to lead the way “for himself and for many others.”
Levy was a longtime Likud stalwart, only leaving the to form the rival Gesher party in 1993 after successive failed efforts to win Likud leadership, though he re-merged with Likud in 1996.
Despite being one of the top figures in the right-wing’s flagship party, he was often seen as more moderate than many other Likud politicians, and took issue with what he called the “rampage and hooliganism” of many on the right in the leadup to Yitzhak Rabin’s 1995 murder.
“He and I, obviously, would not agree on anything,” former Meretz leader Zehava Galon wrote. “He was a Likudnik and a political hawk, and fought for what he believed in. Most of his political life he was subjected to racist ridicule… there are few Jewish politicians in Israel who have undergone such character assassination and withstood it with such style and patience.”
“He was so much greater than those who mocked him, and his name will live on long after them,” she added.
Labor MK Naama Lazimi — who is herself of Moroccan Jewish descent — similarly praised Levy, and mourned what she said was the absence of people like him in today’s political playing field.
“In 1998, in a move that is unimaginable these days, he left the government and slammed the door behind him because the state budget did not care enough for weaker communities. Those were different days with standards that we must bring this place back to,” she said, recalling how Levy was an inspiration for “anyone who grew up in the periphery and dared to dream big dreams.”
Levy’s political activism began when he was working for Ashkenazi-dominated kibbutzim in the Beat She’an area and organized a strike against kibbutz leadership until they guaranteed their workers clean, cold water to drink.
In a statement published online, the Kibbutz Movement said that despite differences between Levy’s ideology and that of many of Israel’s left-leaning kibbutz members, he was “greatly appreciated in the Kibbutzim for his commitment to the social issues he promoted with devotion, his political moderation and his public courage, including support for the peace process between Israel and Arab countries.”
The Brothers and Sisters in Arms protest movement, which has sought the ouster of the current Likud-led government, also praised Levy as someone who always represented “those whose voices are not heard.”
Levy was also remembered for his time as foreign minister, starting in 1990, during which Israel renewed relations with many countries, including China and what was then the Soviet Union. He was the foreign minister during the Madrid Conference in 1991, which helped launch the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, though he did not attend.
“As foreign minister and deputy prime minister, David helped to establish diplomatic relations with countries that avoided doing so during the Cold War years,” Netanyahu said.
“We didn’t always agree on everything, but I always appreciated his sense of mission,” the premier added, acknowledging the disagreements that frequented his political relationship with Levy, which included a period during which Levy refused to acknowledge Netanyahu’s position as Likud chair.
The late politician’s life story is “an impressive expression of true and inspiring social leadership,” President Isaac Herzog said of Levy.
“He will be remembered in Israel’s history as a symbol of statehood and groundbreaking social action that left a real mark on society and the country,” the president said. “I had the privilege of working with him and learning from his wisdom and experience.”
Charlie Summers and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
