Gil Ronen
Gil RonenGil Ronen

Gil Ronen, a pro-traditional family activist and a long-time journalist and writer for Arutz Sheva, who died Thursday at the age of 54, will be laid to rest on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the new cemetery on Ben Zvi Street in Hadera.

Ronen was the founder of the Familism movement in Israel, and was an advocate for the rights of divorced men.

A native-born Jerusalemite, Ronen moved with his parents to the US at the age of seven, returning to Israel a decade later.

Ronen served in Israel Army Radio (Galei Tzahal) as the station’s first correspondent in Judea and Samaria, before working as a Knesset correspondent for the station. He later wrote for the Hebrew papers Koteret Rasheet, Ha’Ir, and worked as an editor for Yediot Aharonot and Haaretz.

In 1987, Ronen founded the Ohr Adom (Red Light) organization to combat police brutality.

In 2005, Ronen established the Familism organization, which works to strengthen traditional family values in Israel. He later became a prominent critic of the post-modern gender movement, debating supporters of the movement on television and publishing more than 100 pieces on the post-modern gender movement and its relationship with traditional family values.

The staff of Arutz Sheva expresses its sorrow over Ronen’s death, and offers condolences to his family.

Uzi Baruch, CEO of Arutz Sheva, lamented Ronen’s passing in a statement.

“There is a very heavy feeling of loss right now over Gil’s passing. Gil was a talented journalist, and a dedicated social activist who made it his life’s work to strengthen the traditional family in Israel. His death is a terrible loss for us, to his friends and colleagues. Arutz Sheva mourns his death and offers our condolences to his family.”