Former Knesset Speaker and Energy and Infrastructure Minister Yitzhak Berman passed away on Sunday at age 100. He was buried at Mount Herzl Sunday evening, with Knesset guards serving as his pallbearers.
Berman was born in Ukraine in 1913, and immigrated to Israel in 1920. In 1937, he joined the Irgun\’s intelligence unit, and enlisted in the IDF in 1948.
The Likud MK was speaker of the ninth Knesset, and was Energy and Infrastructure Minister in the 10th Knesset.
Berman resigned as minister in September 1982 because he opposed the government\’s stance on the formation of a commission of inquiry about the Sabra and Shatila massacre in the first Lebanon war.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said "Berman was a paragon of modesty and sensitive, reliable leadership."
"Yizthak 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 that faithfully served all of Israel."
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."