Must Know
The first Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister. Born in Plonsk, Poland in the Russian Empire. In 1906, he made aliyah and was exiled by the Ottomans to Egypt due to his Zonist activism in 1915. After World War I, he returned to Israel and was appointed the first General Secretary of the Histadrut in 1921. As the Chairman of the Provisional State Council, he declared the independence of Israel in 1948. He served as Prime Minister on behalf of Mapai for over a decade. He led Israel in its War of Independence and during the Suez Crisis. During his tenure, Israel established its nuclear reactor and embraced hundreds of thousands of Jewish immigrants. He retired from politics in 1970 and dedicated himself to developing the Negev.
