Obituary - David Glass

We are deeply saddened at the news of the death of David Glass, former Israeli minister and advisor to Shas, who passed away on Saturday in Jerusalem after a series of health problems. Having worked closely with David for the past ten years we will feel his loss keenly; he was a great friend to Forward Thinking and a key part of our Middle East programme to whose work his assistance, advice and guidance have been pivotal. An influential voice of wisdom and fairness, his death marks a great loss to Israel and the cause of peace in the region.David was a veteran attorney who served as Director-General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (1974-77) and Knesset Minister for the National Religious Party (1977-81) where he chaired the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. David left the NRP in 1984 as the party moved toward the political right to become both lawyer and confidant to the SHAS party founder, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.  He was a just and moderating influence and was a central figure in negotiations leading to the role of SHAS in a number of governmental coalitions.A man of deep faith, a family man, a man of courage and integrity, a wise counsellor, a wonderful human being who will be sorely missed by all who had the honour of knowing him. We offer our sincere condolences to his wife Bracha and his family.