A Story Of Generations: Michal Cotler-Wunsh in conversation with Natan Sharansky
Michal Cotler-Wunsh & Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky was born in 1948 in Donetsk, Ukraine. He was a spokesman for the human rights movement, a prisoner of conscience and leader in the struggle for the right of Soviet Jews to immigrate to Israel. Upon his arrival to Israel in 1986, he became active in the integration of Soviet Jews and formed the Zionist Forum. In 1996, he established the Yisrael B’Aliyah party in order to accelerate the integration of new immigrants into Israeli society. He served in four successive Israeli governments as Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, followed by Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Mr. Sharansky is the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is the only living non-American citizen who is the recipient of these two highest American awards.
A former Montrealer, Michal Cotler-Wunsh is a member of the Knesset in the Blue and White alliance.. In addition to serving on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, and several additional committees, she chairs the Special Committee for Dealing With Drugs and Alcohol, and the Subcommittee on Israel’s Relations With the Diaspora. As a religious, liberal woman and jurist, who has lived both in North America and Israel, she developed extensive and meaningful ties with many people from diverse backgrounds through an understanding of local cultures and appreciation of interpersonal communication.