David Ben-Gurion

Term of office
May 17, 1948 - January 26, 1954
Political party  |  Mapai
Preceded by |  ''New office''
Succeeded by |  Moshe Sharett
Term of office
November 3, 1955 - June 26, 1963
Preceded by |  Moshe Sharett
Succeeded by |  Levi Eshkol
Born |  October 16, 1886
Jerusalem
Died |  December 1, 1973
Tel Aviv
Religion |  Atheism[1]

David Ben-Gurion (Oct 16, 1886, in Jerusalem, Israel – Dec 1, 1973, Tel-Aviv) was a leader of the modern state of Israel, which he proclaimed on May 4, 1948. He served Israel as its first prime minister until 1963 except for a brief period from 1954 to 1955. He also served as the minister of defense.

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 See also
* 3 References
* 4 External links

## Biography[edit]

A Zionist, he settled in Palestine as an orchard worker in 1906. He was involved in the foundation of the worker's union Histradut (general secretary 1921–1935) and of the socialist party Mapai. As chairman of the Jewish Agency (1935–1948), he organized the immigration of Jewish refugees from Europe to Palestine against the resistance of the Palestinian Arabs and the British, who held a League of Nations mandate over the area and wished to avoid immigration policies that would upset the status quo. In 1944, he became president of the World Zionist Organization.

In 1956 during the Suez Crisis as a result of Egyptian provocations Ben-Gurion ordered to take over the Sinai Peninsula. The Israeli army withdrew from it when Israel was allowed to use the Strait of Tiran and when de facto peace was established along the Egyptian-Israeli border.[2]

He read extensively, accumulating a library of some 20,000 books.[3]

## See also[edit]

* Binyamin Netanyahu

## References[edit]

* Bar-Zohar, Michael: Ben Gurion, 1971–1974

1. ↑ http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/biography-david-ben-gurion/5810.aspx
2. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Ben-Gurion
3. ↑ Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Zionist Leaders: Ben-Gurion

## External links[edit]

* Knesset: David Ben-Gurion

v • d • e

Prime Ministers of Israel

David Ben-Gurion • Moshe Sharett • David Ben-Gurion • Levi Eshkol • Golda Meir • Yitzhak Rabin • Menachem Begin • Yitzhak Shamir • Yitzhak Rabin • Shimon Peres • Benjamin Netanyahu • Ehud Barak • Ariel Sharon • Ehud Olmert • Benjamin Netanyahu