Israeli writer Meir Shalev died on Tuesday at the age of 74. President Izchak Herzog expressed sorrow over Shalev’s death.
“What a pity we will never again feel the eager anticipation of a new book by Meir Shalev that will come out and change our lives,” Herzog wrote on Twitter. It is particularly sad that in the 75th year of the state Israel – also the year of Shalev’s birth – will no longer be able to celebrate Independence Day with him. The news site “ynet”, for which Shalev regularly wrote columns, reported on Tuesday that the author had succumbed to cancer.
Shalev was born on July 29, 1948 in the Israeli agricultural collective Nahalal. He was considered one of the important contemporary voices in Israel. The writer advocated a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages. Shalev also had fans in Germany.
Before he started writing books, the father of two children was a popular TV presenter in Israel. His books, which have also been published in German, include “Judith’s Love”, “My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner” and “Zwei Bärinnen”.
