At 9:30 am, his coffin was placed on the stage in the Tzavta theatre in Tel Aviv. In the background, there was a presentation which included pictures and voices from various stages in his life. Ron Huldai, the mayor of Tel Aviv eulogized Nathan saying: “Abie was a symbol of the brotherhood of man who was quick to bring aid to the starving population of Africa and to people who were struck by disaster throughout the world. He had a vision and like every prophet he paid the price, which he knew he would pay”.

Amikam Gurevitz, an old friend talked about Abie’s generosity and kind heart. The singers Ozi and Miri sang the song “Eli Eli” (“My God”) which Abie loved and Henry Elkaslasi spoke on behalf of Abie’s friends. The crowd passed by Abie’s coffin paying him their last respect, and stopped for minute of reflection. Later, they left for the cemetery.

Shimon Peres, the president of Israel led the eulogies. He was followed by Israel Lau, the chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, and then by Abie’s physiotherapist Itay Ben Shaushan, who took care of him during his final years. Shaushan talked about the bravery Abie displayed during his illness. I spoke on behalf of the family and thanked all the people who helped Abie including the Rechtman family who were very close to Abie.

Sayid Nathan, his nephew said the “kaddish” prayer and the service moved to the burial plot. Amikam Gurevitz read from the book of “Psalms” and Shlomit Aharon sang the song ‘Veoli” [``was it only a dream . . .”] – the first Hebrew song Abie learned in his Jewish school in India.

A final word to all of Abie’s friends worldwide. We have all come from different places and have met Abie at different stages of his life but meeting this special man has united us all and in a sense enabled us to become a part of his rich life. We depart from Abie in sorrow but also with some relief that at long last he has been released from his suffering.

May he rest in peace

shalom
Une nouvelle étoile brille dans le ciel.
Abie m'a appris tellement sur le pacifisme, sur la détermination, sur la perséverance.
Abie me donne encore plus, aujourd'hui, le désir d'ouvrir les bras à la paix. Merci Abie
Shalom
A new star shines in the sky
Abie taught me so much about "pacificism', about determination and perseverance.
Today, more tha ever, Abie gives me the will, the desire to open my arms to peace. Thank you Abie
DP

How is it possible that Abie Nathan's visions has not come to pass in all these years? Why do so many scoff at living to goals of goodness, respect for all, caring? The manipulations of the fringe from all sides took over and still control the rest.
Israel's loss of Abie Nathan took over a while ago. Maybe now with his departure we can all think of what comfort for people it would have been had the world followed him, how many lives would not have been lost, how the Middle Eastern Union (like the EU) would flourish, and others. Many smirk at such suggestions. If we don't have visions of good things to guide us, life is a void.
Thank you Abie. Good-bye.

Those freezing evenings helping to build the Voice of Peace studios in West New York, NJ will forever be with me.
Warmed only by Abie's chili and fervor we struggled to build the ship without money.
Abie tried to get the funds to fix the transom and make the ship seaworthy, while all kind of famous (and not so famous) folks toured the rusty old MV Peace.
Thank you, Abie, for making this world a better place.
Ted Schober

I send my condolences to the family and friends of the late Abbie Nathan. I remember him worrying about my Somali compatriots in Somalia who suffered famile in 1992. He was very compassionate human being.
FArah

I will always be grateful to Abe for giving me my first job in Broadcasting. Also for introducing me to Israel where I now have many friends.
My condolences to all his friends and family.
Harvey

A great loss to a world crying out for sanity and peace. Abie was a guardian of lost causes a rebel against the rebelious self destructive nature of mankind.
I spent a year with Abie on and off the Peace Ship and travelled with him on the ground breaking transit of the Suez Canal in January 1976 as his Senior Radio Presnter.
Never was there a man so well meant and direct with his intentions, yet he did have an occasional lighter and humorous side. From all those early years Voice of Peace broadcasters, many of whom are also with you now in paradise can I say thank you Abie a million times.
Shalom

What a sad loss to the world.
Farewell Abie, and thanks for my wonderful time on the VOP. I remember your trips out to the ship, and the flurry of activity to get it all spick and span, ready for you coming on board.
What a great time, playing music, having fun, and soaking up the sunshine.(and getting paid a little too!)
They were great times, and we have you to thank Abie, for making it all posible.
For many of us VOP was the first step that turned into a career.
Your vision, belief, and commitment did change our world. G-d bless Abie. Gavin McCoy

Be at peace. You've worked for it all your life. Let others follow the path.

A Man of Vision, who, despite the obstacles placed in his way by all and sundry, made a supreme effort to improve life for the poor and helpless of humanity.
He continues his life in a better place.
Thank you Abie, it was an education, a lesson, working with you in your projects, your good humour carried us through. Shalom.

Abie we cannot over emphasis how great you are, because your records are there for the world to see, witnesses to your care for humnity and how you uphold the Greatness of Israel is now everlasting. It is an honour that you gave us the opportunity to visit you and express the gratitude of our organisation and our nation in general. We will continue with all your friends and any one who admires your great love for humanity to celebration your name yearly.
These years celebration in London in honour of your name was great and we promise that it will be greater year after year.
You are a Hero to our organisation, our people and millions of people around the world who will wish to respect and aspire for your legacy in their respective communities and countries where people are starvaing, oppressed and hoping for peace.
In the Biafran people you have won Friends for Israel.
May your spirit rest in the Kingdom of the Most High,may you family, friends and aids on earth share the grace of G-d during this time.
Abie! as humans we miss you, though we know that your spirit lives on forever in our hearts.
You're a GREAT MAN indeed!!.

We miss your voice of peace.
Thank you for everything.
Take care cowboy.

The sun has now, finally, set.

Thank you Abie. My time with the Voice Of Peace in '76 & '77 has resonated throughout my life and career. A brave, uncompromising man of vision. The world is a poorer place for his passing. Tom Hardy

Abie, coming to work on the Peace Ship changed the course of my life. Thank you for that wonderful opportunity.
You were truly unique. You helped protect the newborn State of Israel as it was just getting to it's feet. You championed the poor and gave them a voice, both here and abroad. You ceaselessly promoted peace.
I know how much you suffered in recent years, and hope and pray that you can now finally rest in peace.
May your memory be blessed.
יהי זכרך ברוך
Tim.

Godspeed Abie,
You dared to try what most men only dream about!

In 1973, I was a young man of 19, footloose and fancy free hoboing through Europe and ended up working as a volunteer at Kibbutz Hatzerim and later, Gevim in Israel.
After the Yom Kippur war, I had $60 and a plane ticket from Shannon, Ireland. It was time to figure out how to get home. Abbie put out a call on the radio for cooks and engineers on the Voice of Peace. I got the job as a cook and joined the rag-tag multinational crew.
On the air, Abbie was somber and thoughtful; his soft baritone voice pushing the arguments for Peace. Off the air, Abbie was kind, fun-loving and quite animated.
He was a man that knew that one person in the world could make a difference if they were willing to sacrifice - he did so happily and with an optimism that was infectious. He was never pious or preachy. He was a warrior who deeply understood the horrors of war and then spent a lifetime teaching us there was a better way.
I'll never forget my time with him and the crew on the VOP. I'll never forget the lessons he taught me - determination; to keep trying in the face of long odds; to speak truth to power; to forever and always seek peace and justice.
Abbie should have gotten a Nobel peace prize for his efforts - perhaps someday he will. He was an amazing individual who lived life to the fullest, cared deeply for the condition of his fellow citizens of the world and acted to make it a better place.
Abbie is now forever at rest. His cause lives on in those whose lives he touched throughout the world. All we are saying is give Peace a chance.
Thank you for your many gifts Abbie – You’ll always be remembered. Thanks for the ride home too.
Douglas A. Shields
President, Pittsburgh City Council
Voice of Peace, cook/deckhand/helmsman, November - December, 1973

Salaam, Shalom and Peace to all. "From somewhere on the Mediteranean this is the Voice of Peace." His mellow tones over the loop of John Lennon's chorus, Give Peace a Chance, All we are saying is give peace a chance. Each broadcast, everyday that summer of 1973, off the coast and out of this world. Abie was my father, my brother, my priest and my mentor.
And every night we tucked the world into bed with the stream of conscioueness sign off; Abie spoke of his dreams, his dreams of peace, his dreams of love and often his dreams of Carly Simon as we signed off with just one last song, one last good night.
They laughed at him, and us. They said he was a dreamer. But Lennon was more than a little prescient:
You may say i'm a dreamer
But i'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one
One day the world will be as one, it has to come. The dreamers, like Abie Nathan and millions more dream and act and lead and encourage and empower more dreamers and actors and leaders. Hate and evil will be extict as they cannot sustain themselves with hate and evil. The dreamers will live on in the dreams of those who are yet to come.
To everyone who knew or listened to Abie Nathan, dream his dream and remember him always.
Salaam, Shalom, Peace and sweet dreams dear Abie.

Thanks Abie for all you have done for the world, thanks for trying to bring peace to the world.
Abie was a visionary, a man who never gave up, taught many people about how to make the world a better place.
May he rest in peace
Shalom
Salam

I was only with the Voice of Peace for 3 months in 1976 but i learnt a lot about radio, about myself and my fellow man to last a lifetime. For this i thank you Abie. I thank you for giving me, green, wett behind the ears wannabe DJ a chance; later on in my career i was able to give similar guys an opportunity to shine. Not forgetting I had the time of my life too!
Abie your inspiration lives on.
Shalom
Norman Lloyd

I was searching the internet to see if I could find a 'Voice of Peace' t-shirt - similar to the one I bought in 1987. Turns out you can't find them anywhere. I wore that shirt (it was an iron-on)until the design was almost gone. I remember lying in bed in a hotel in Tel-Aviv, trying to fall asleep while listening to a show called "Twilight Time". What a great memory. My heartfelt condolences to all those who knew Abie Nathan. The more I read about him the more I'm impressed at what an ambassador of Peace he was - and hopefully his message of peace will continue. I didn't know him, but I will miss him.
"Heavenly shades of night are falling
It's twilight time
Out of the mist a voice comes calling
It's twilight time
Each day I wait for evening just to be with you
Together at last at twilight time..."

Now, here is a truely great man in the radio fraternity and in the seventies, also on the world stage.
A man of principle.
Dedicated.
An acheiver.
I remember well the Motorola onboard.
"Peace, Peace. This is Abe!" and his protestations of there being "Too much Boogie Woogie".
I was there and very proud to have walked along the same road with you for a while.
The world is much, much emptier without you Abe.
You made a vast difference.
Sleep well my brother.
Pera Ha Shalom.
Shalom Aleichem / Salaam Alechem.

I spent two wonderful years on the VOP, with many a rough sea and the mad bunch of sailors and Captain Naldvike (i think he was called). "Oh my god those guys", I used to hear eminating from the Motorola....thanks Abie, you were a great man.

I have worked from 1972 till 1977 with Abe 5 great years working with a great man.
May he rest in peace.
Bill Danse.