Amir Peretz is a Member of Knesset (Labor Party), a former defence minister and minister for the protection of the environment. Previously, he served as chair of the Labor Party, head of the Histadrut – Israel’s organisation of trade unions – and Mayor of his hometown Sderot
Our Voice of the Fortnight is from the Times of Israel's 'Wartime Diaries' podcast. In the immediate aftermath of October 7th, Shai Davidai – an Assistant Professor at Columbia University – became an unlikely public defender of Israel. And truthfully, even he was surprised by this turn of events: As a committed left-wing Israeli, he had spent years criticizing the government, and often took to the streets to demonstrate against its policies. But the atmosphere he witnessed on college campuses (and specifically on his own campus at Columbia), compelled him to speak up and speak out.