Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel Natan Sharansky has released the following statement regarding the passing of former U.S. Representative Benjamin Gilman.
“I was saddened to learn of Congressman Benjamin Gilman's passing. I remember when Capitol Hill was a central battlefield in the struggle for the freedom of Soviet Jewry, and Congressman Gilman was one of the foremost soldiers in that battle. He was deeply involved in that struggle and was always a staunch supporter of Israel and a champion of the American Jewish community.
"He was an American patriot and rightly saw no contradiction between fighting for his country and standing up for the Jewish people and for the State of Israel. May his memory be a blessing.”