On Wednesday, 17th April, Mr. Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel and former Israeli minister, together with his wife Avital, attended the funeral service for Baroness Thatcher as a mark of gratitude and respect for her personal role in Sharansky’s release from Soviet detention, and her campaigning work for Soviet Jewry. Mr. and Mrs. Sharansky were invited to attend the service by Baroness Thatcher’s family.
As a Refusenik in the Soviet Union, Natan (then Anatoly) Sharansky was sentenced to 16 years in solitary confinement. Approached by Avital Sharansky, Baroness Thatcher played an active role in bringing attention to his plight leading to his release after 9 years in prison. Baroness Thatcher met with Mr. and Mrs. Sharansky on several occasions.
Natan Sharansky described Baroness Thatcher’s role in his campaign when delivering Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom Lecture in 2006. “It was by far the strongest reaction of any foreign country at that time to the situation of one specific prisoner. And that says a lot about Margaret Thatcher-about her determination, about her commitment, about her global view, about her always seeing the big picture.”
Sharansky also paid tribute to his wife Avital who persuaded Thatcher to become involved in the campaign. When Margaret and Dennis Thatcher visited Israel, Sharansky said to Dennis: “Do you know what you and I have in common? Both of us came to Israel thanks to our wives.”
For further details please contact the Press Department at the Embassy at 02079579542