Yitzhak Shargil for more than 20 years the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s correspondent in Tel Aviv, died here today of a massive heart attack. He was 53. Shargil was also an editor of Israel’s largest daily, Yediot Achronot. Burial services will be held in Tel Aviv tomorrow afternoon.
Shargil had been ill with pneumonia for the past three weeks but recovered and returned to work this morning. Stricken while driving home, he managed to bring his car to a safe stop. Police rushed to his aid and a Red Magen David ambulance took him to Ichilov Hospital where he died.
Shargil joined the JTA in the mid-1950s. His specialty was military affairs but he also covered stories dealing with political, economic and social developments and a master of the “human interest” angle. His contacts within Israel’s armed services enabled him to keep close tabs on military matters. He performed his reserve duty in recent years in the office of the military spokesman. During the past ten years. Shargil kept a telex in his home to keep him abreast of late breaking stories.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.