Haim Bar-On, publisher and general manager of "Globes", died Sunday, at age 54, after a severe illness.
Haim Bar-On was born in 1944 in Tajekistan, where his family fled during the Holocaust. He was brought to Israel at the age of three, when his parents immigrated. His military service was with the Military Government in northern Israel. On being demobilised, he studied Mid-Eastern history and political science at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
After the Six Day War, Bar-On again involved himself in Israel's defence. He enlisted for the General Security Service, where he focused on the Palestinian arena, and especially on the west Bank and the Gaza Strip. He then studied War Sciences at London University's Kings College. In the 'seventies, he belonged to Yigal Alon's inner circle, serving as his advisor and bureau chief at the Ministry of Education (1971-1974) and at the Foreign Ministry (1974-1977).
Following the change of regime in 1977, Bar-On turned to the media. He founded and managed the monthly magazine "Monitin" (Goodwill), and the weekly "Kessafim" (Money). In 1984, he and his partners acquired "Globes". Under his management, the "Globes" group came to occupy an prominent position in Israel's press.
In recent years, Bar-On extended the activity of the "Globes" group into media and communications. Among other ventures, the group invested extensively in cable television (Gvanim and TLM Subscriber Television), international telecommunications (Golden Lines and the MED-1 submarine cable), communications equipment (Americom), and Internet ("Globes Sites"). Last year, Bar-On and Eliezer Fishman, his partner in "Globes", bought a bloc of "Yediot Ahronot" shares.
Haim Bar-On leaves a wife, Edna, a daughter, Alona, a son, Amir and mother - Gita. The funeral was held at 12:00 Monday at the Kiryat Shaul cemetery, Tel-Aviv.
Published by Israel's Business Arena February 15, 1998