Essayist, historian Amos Elon

Amos Elon, the distinguished Israeli essayist and historian, died at his home in Tuscany, Italy, on May 25. His wife, Beth, told the New York Times that he died from leukemia at the age of 82.

Elon was born in Vienna in 1926 and moved with his family to prestate Israel in 1933.

The author of nine books, Elon also was a longtime correspondent and columnist for the Israeli daily Ha’aretz. Elon’s decision to move permanently to Italy in 2004 touched off debate throughout the Israeli cultural and intellectual world. — jta