Tel Aviv, Israel – Uri Savir, a prominent Israeli peace negotiator and a believer in the need for a settlement with the Palestinians, has died, according to Israeli media reports. He was 69 years old.
The treaties created the Palestinian Authority and established self-governing territories in the Palestinian territories.
It also created a broken promise, a push for violence and two failed attempts to negotiate a final peace deal, the effect of which left its architects with a mixed legacy in both the Israeli and Palestinian territories.
Since then, despite hopes of a Palestinian state fading, Savir has been committed to a two-state solution.
He often referred to himself as the “last hopeful” of the region and kept in touch with his old Palestinian counterparts.
He also founded a Facebook group called “Yala Young Leaders”, which brought together young Israelis and Arabs from across the region for online discussions and courses on peace and coexistence. The group has over 800,000 followers.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said Savir had “tried for a different Middle East.”
“His contribution to Israel is tremendous and is still felt today,” he tweeted.
Savir was a close adviser to the late former Israeli leader Shimon Peres, a driving force behind the peace talks, and he helped find and lead the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, which promotes cooperation among the people of the Middle East.
Savir also briefly served as a member of the Israeli parliament.
