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Editor's Note: David Bittan is a lawyer. Analyst of political and international issues. Columnist of the newspaper El Universal de Venezuela. He has participated in the World Jewish Congress. He is a member of the American Jewish Committee and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
(CNN) - Recently CNN paid a well-deserved tribute to a good friend, an exceptional human being: José Levy, chief correspondent of the US news network in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and the Middle East.
José, a Spaniard born in the sun of Africa, Melilla (Spain): a city re-founded in 1497, which was a province of Malaga and considered, next to Barcelona, as one of the cities with the greatest heritage of the modernist style, even above Madrid and Valencia.
Melilla is the example of coexistence - in this contemporary era - among Jews, Christians, Hindus and Muslims. This marked the personality of "Pepe."
A vein of social justice always accompanied José from his childhood, according to his friends. His career as a doctor of philosophy, scientist and finally, in journalistic work, have made José Levy a cosmopolitan, cultured man, with a lot of common sense, but, above all, "gentleman" and humble.
Already highlighted during these days his professional successes, the great interviews carried out and his very interesting reports, I think it is fair to highlight what, in my opinion, is the most important in the personality of José: his humanity.
Joseph's life has focused on the values of Judaism: justice, truth, solidarity and love of neighbor.
José Levy is a pious man, who is affected by injustices; he suffers and feels sorry for reporting a tragedy, he does not forget the news after commenting on it and tries to add, from his scope, for a better world.
José has achieved the respect of those who follow him, of his interviewees and, above all, of all the parties involved in the Middle East conflict.
If there is something that I would like to know about him, it is the amount of secrets that he must have kept, especially of some characters in contemporary history who have not been so good, but that they surely confessed from the human side. These intimacies, surely he absorbs them to be able to understand reality from a different perspective, and they open up a whole range of ideas that give added value to his journalistic coverage.
A story can be narrated by anyone, but getting it done objectively and without impurities is a virtue of few. José Levy is one of them.
José: Congratulations on these 30 great years!
Joseph Levy