Daniel Lubetzky

I heard Ron Pundak (the CEO of the Peres Center) most recently attended a meeting of a coalition of NGOs working for peace, and he was struggling because he is fighting a particularly noxious type of cancer, currently going through treatment.

I have always secretly and quietly admired Ron, and have always felt we need more people like him.  In a world filled with well-meaning mediocrity down to cynical manipulation, Ron never succumbs and always applies the highest standards to what he does.  We seldom speak about people we admire with the candor they deserve, unless they are no longer with us, which means we lose the opportunity to do the right thing at the right time.  Hoping that Ron will get stronger as we need him to continue to lead, I want to share why I so deeply am impressed with this man:

• Because he is a Doer – he gets things done;
• Because he works for the mission, not for the institution; if they conflict, in everything I’ve ever seen from Ron, the mission always takes precedence; he eschews jealousies in favor of positive partnerships; he thinks long-term; he doesn’t lose sight of his ultimate purpose;
• Because he is humble and down-to-earth, never seeking praise or the limelight, always just doing the right work;
• Because he is a solid manager and coach;
• Because he is an extraordinary thinker;
• Because he is a mentsch – a real human being – who treats everyone with dignity and respect, Israeli or Palestinian, President or janitor.