Journalist Bambi Sheleg dies at age 58

Rivlin: Journalist and founder of ‘Eretz Acheret’ magazine was ‘a woman of spirit and deed’

By JEREMY SHARON
Bambi Sheleg (photo credit: COURTESY FACEBOOK)
Bambi Sheleg
(photo credit: COURTESY FACEBOOK)
Bambi Sheleg, the journalist and founder of the Eretz Acheret magazine, has died at age 58.
Tributes for her poured in from across the political spectrum, with President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, MK Tzipi Livni and many others praising Sheleg for her contribution to Israeli society.
Born in Chile, Sheleg immigrated to Israel with her family when she was 12 years old. After her military service and academic studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she became one of the founders of the Atzmona settlement in Sinai and worked for Nekuda, a monthly publication of the settler movement, while also writing a regular column for Maariv.
In 2000, Sheleg founded and launched Eretz Acheret which was dedicated to exploring Israel’s societal fissures and analyzing the changes occurring within society.
Sheleg herself said that she had established the magazine after the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and the divides within Israel that had led to the murder and its ramifications.
Rivlin described Sheleg as “a woman of spirit and deed” who he said had worked tirelessly for dialogue and cooperation between the sectors of Israeli society.
Edelstein said that she was and would remain “a special figure in the panorama of Israeli dialogue,” and praised her for her knowledge and her pleasant demeanor.
“She deeply influenced the manner of dialogue between sectors and the different perspectives among us,” said the Knesset speaker.
“Her moderate, balanced and uniting voice, as a national-religious woman who established and built bridges between all groups of society will be greatly missed by us.”
And Livni said that Sheleg had represented “the depth and complexity of Judaism, and the deep dialogue that must replace slogans, criticism and superficiality.”
Sheleg was buried on the Mount of Olives and leaves behind her husband, the journalist Yair Sheleg, and their three children.