Amos Elon

Israeli journalist and writer

Amos Elon (1926-2009) was an Israeli journalist and writer. Born in Vienna, his family moved to Palestine in 1933 and he grew up in Tel Aviv. He served three years in the Haganah, Israel's pre-state army, before completing his studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. After leaving university he was offered a job with the liberal newspaper Haaretz, and reported on the situation at home before being dispatched as a foreign correspondent in Europe and Washington. Inspired by the Six Day War he wrote book, The Israelis, the success of which prompted him to leave journalism between 1971 and 1978. He wrote a total of nine books, including The Pity of it All (2002) and Journey through a Haunted Land: The New Germany (1967). He retired from Haaretz in 2001, and moved to Italy in 2004 due to his disillusionment with the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. He died on May 25 2009.