Natan Sharansky — deputy pm (former) with roots in the USSR
Natan Sharansky spent nine years in Soviet prisons after being convicted of treason and espionage in 1977. Released in 1986, he emigrated to Israel, became a cabinet minister, and chaired the Jewish Agency.
"Emigrated to Israel in February 1986 after being exchanged on Berlin's Glienicke Bridge."
Migration storyTracing the roots — Donetsk (Ukraine)
Born Anatoly Sharansky in Donetsk, he was shaped by Soviet antisemitism into a Zionist activist. His KGB interrogations and Gulag years forged a philosophy of identity and freedom he carried into Israeli public life.
Famous Soviet dissident and human rights activist who spent years in the Gulag.
Donetsk (Ukraine). At the time, this region was one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union.
A career defined by ambition
""I have no reason to fear because I have nothing to be guilty about.""