Alexander Aaronsohn

Alexander Aaronsohn  was an author and activist who wrote about the plight of people living in Palestine in his book, With the Turks in Palestine.

Aaronsohn was part of the influential Aaronsohn family who were major figures in the Zionist movement; his brother was Aaron Aaronsohn and his sister was Sarah Aaronsohn, the three of whom were founder members of the Jewish spy network NILI. Sarah Aaronsohn was caught by the Turks, brutally tortured and committed suicide at home during her custody in 1917, aged 26.

Aaronsohn's parents emigrated from Romania to Palestine with other Jewish families and founded the community of Zikhron Ya'akov in the fertile region south of Mount Carmel. Aaronsohn was born in this small village and grew up amongst a blossoming agricultural community.

In 1910 Aaronsohn left for America on the advice of his brother who headed the Jewish Experiment Station at Atlit. He received his naturalization papers a few days after arrival and obtained work with the Department of Agriculture.

Aaronsohn returned to Palestine in July 1913 intending to make Zionist propaganda to spread to the United States. Two months after his return Aaronsohn learned of an attack on a well-respected Jewish doctor by four Arabs and the rape of a young sixteen-year-old Jewish girl. This event shocked Aaronsohn and he vowed to form a strong society that would protect the life and honor of villagers.

Aaronsohn died of a heart attack in 1948 in Nice, France.