Gideon Berli was born 1938 in Transylvania. His first years were spent in constant migration in an attempt to escape persecution during World War Two. Arriving in Haifa in 1947, Berli completed his high school and army service, then went back to Europe. In Germany he studied and worked as a freelancer for several German outlets including Quick magazine. He also provided material to a variety of newspapers such as Yedioth Aharonot and Haolam-Haze in Israel. He was sent back to Israel by Quick to cover the story of the Six-Day War but lost the story due to being drafted. After the war Berli worked for the Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) and twice served as the chairman of the Foreign Press Association. In Bonn in February 1982, Berli was awarded the highest German Award – Verdienstkreuz 1st Klasse – by the German State President for his exceptional services towards forging German-Jewish friendship. In 1989, Berli passed away at the age of 51 leaving his wife and three children.