Yitzhak Berman, former Knesset speaker, dies at 100

The Likud MK was speaker of the ninth Knesset, and was Energy and Infrastructure Minister in the 10th Knesset.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Yitzhak Berman 150 (photo credit: Courtesy of Knesset)
Yitzhak Berman 150
(photo credit: Courtesy of Knesset)
Former Knesset speaker Yitzhak Berman died on Sunday at age 100. He was buried on Mount Herzl on Sunday evening, with Knesset guards serving as pallbearers.
Berman was born in Ukraine in 1913 and immigrated to Palestine in 1920.
In 1937 he joined the Irgun’s intelligence unit, and in 1948 enlisted in the IDF.
He went on to become a Likud MK. He served as speaker of the legislative body during the 9th Knesset.
During the 10th Knesset, Berman became minister of energy and infrastructure under Menachem Begin. He resigned in September 1982 because he opposed the government’s stance on forming a commission of inquiry into the Sabra and Shatila massacre in the First Lebanon War.
“Berman was a paragon of modesty and sensitive, reliable leadership,” Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud Beytenu) said on Sunday.
“Yitzhak Berman lived for many years, but the pain of his death is the pain of the end of a generation that invested all it had to establish the State of Israel and make sure it is strong and has a deep democratic basis,” Edelstein added. “The Knesset bows its head to the memory of an honest man who faithfully served all of Israel.”
Another former Knesset speaker, MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud Beytenu), said Berman was “one of the greatest parliamentarians and democrats that the country knew. He was only concerned about the good of the country and the truth.”