Yuli Ofer
Yuli OferIsrael News photo: Flash 90

Israeli entrepreneur and businessman Yehuda (Yuli) Ofer died on Sunday night at his home. He was 87.

In 1924, when he was only six months old, Yuli Ofer's parents and his brothers Sammy and David immigrated from Romania to Israel and settled in Haifa. He served in the infantry and completed his military service with the rank of Major.

Ofer started his business in the city of Haifa, where he served as an agent and provider of equipment for ships, and with his brother Sammy later founded the Ofer Brothers Group. Over the years the two brothers developed the family's shipping business, and in the 1970s they began to heavily invest in Israel, mainly in real estate.

Sammy Ofer passed away just over three months ago at the age of 89.

Over the years Yuli Ofer founded the company Melisron and made it a success. He also purchased, along with Muzi Wertheim, Hamizrachi Bank, an Israeli bank chain. Today, his eldest grandson, Uri Angel, is the manager of Ofer Shipping, another company Yuli Ofer founded.

His associates said following his passing Sunday night, "Yuli Ofer is considered one of the best and most successful managers in Israel. Over his decades of extensive activity in Israel, he contributed generously of his time, his energy and money to people in need, to institutions and to society. Yuli was a people person. He loved them and invested in them and they loved him and invested in him in return. Yuli had the infinite ability to give his family, his friends and his surroundings."

Yuli Ofer is survived by his wife Ruth, daughter Leora, son Doron, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A few months ago, the Ofer brothers were at the center of a political and media storm involving their shipping company, Tanker Pacific. Accusations were made that ships owned by Tanker Pacific had docked in Iran, and the United States slapped sanctions on the Ofer Brothers Group over suspicions that it had violated sanctions against trade with Iran.

Allegations also surfaced according to which ships belonging to the Zodiak shipping company, also belonging to the Ofer family, had docked in Iran as well