Solar Energy pioneer Yosef Abramowitz, who moved to Israel from the United States as child, said Monday he is joining the crowded field of candidates to succeed Shimon Peres as President of Israel this summer.
Knesset Member Meir Sheetrit of Tzipi Livni’s Tnuah party also announced his candidacy Monday, immediately winning Livni’s backing. He has almost no chance of winning.
Abramowitz is president of Arava Power Company and was named by CNN as one of the top six Green Pioneers worldwide.
He is one of Israel’s most influential immigrants form the United States. He returned to the United States as a child and learned in Boston.
He is married to Susan Silverman, a reform rabbi and the sister of comedienne Sarah Silverman.
Abramowitz founded and led the anti-apartheid and divestiture movement at Boston University and was the president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews from 1997–2007.
