Bernard Lewis, leading scholar of Islam and champion of Israel, dies at 101

Bernard Lewis, a leading scholar of the Middle East and the history of Islam as well as a defender of the State of Israel, has passed away.

By: World Israel News Staff

Bernard Lewis, a leading scholar of the Middle East and the history of Islam as well as a champion of the Jewish state, died Saturday at the age of 101.

Lewis was the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He wrote extensively on the relationship between Islam and the West and was recognized as well in academic circles for his works on the history of the Ottoman Empire.

“Dr. Lewis’s prolific scholarship — including more than 30 books, hundreds of articles and competence in at least a dozen languages — traced fault lines that define the modern Middle East, such as sectarian divisions, the rise of radical Islamists and entrenched dictatorships, some backed by the West,” according to the Washington Post.

“Bernard Lewis was one of the great scholars of Islam and the Middle East in our time. We will be forever grateful for his robust defense of Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

“I will always feel privileged to have witnessed firsthand his extraordinary erudition, and I gleaned invaluable insights from our many meetings over the years. I was also deeply moved by his wide-ranging conversations with my late father, Professor Ben Zion Netanyahu,” he said.

“Professor Lewis’s wisdom will continue to guide us for years to come,” the prime minister concluded.