David Ben-Gurion

{{Audio|He-David_Ben_Gurion.ogg|David Ben-Gurion}} (October 16, 1886 – December 1, 1973; Hebrew: ?????? ???? ???????????) was the first Prime Minister of Israel.

Prime Ministership

Ben Gurion led Israel during its War of Independence. He became Prime Minister on January 25, 1948 and remained in that post until 1963, except for a period of nearly two years between 1953 and 1955. As Premier, he oversaw the establishment of the state's institutions. He presided over various national projects aimed at the rapid development of the country and its population: Operation Magic Carpet, the airlift of Jews from Arab countries, the construction of the National Water Carrier, rural development projects and the establishment of new towns and cities. In particular, he called for pioneering settlement in outlying areas, especially in the Negev.

Related Topics:
War of Independence - Prime Minister - January 25 - 1948 - 1963 - Operation Magic Carpet - National Water Carrier - Negev

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In 1953 Ben-Gurion announced his intention to withdraw from government and settle in the Kibbutz Sde-Boker, in the Israeli Negev. He returned to office in 1955 assuming the post of Defence Minister and later prime-minister.

Related Topics:
Kibbutz - Sde-Boker - 1955

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Returning to government, Ben Gurion collaborated with the British and French to plan the 1956 Sinai War in which Israel stormed the Sinai peninsula in retaliation for raids by Egypt thus giving British and French forces a pretext to intervene in order to secure the Suez Canal after Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser had announced its nationalization. Intervention by the United States and the United Nations forced the British, French and Israelis to back down.

Related Topics:
French - 1956 Sinai War - Sinai peninsula - Egypt - Suez Canal - Gamal Abdel Nasser - Nationalization - United States - United Nations

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Ben-Gurion was among the founders of Mapai which governed Israel during the first three decades of its existence. He stepped down as Prime Minister in 1963, in large part due to differences with his government over the Lavon Affair, and was succeeded by Levi Eshkol. A rivalry developed between the two, however, and Ben Gurion broke with the party in June 1965 over Eshkol's handling of the Lavon affair and formed a new party, Rafi which won ten seats in the Knesset. In 1968, when Rafi merged with Mapai to form the Labour Alignment, Ben Gurion refused to reconcile with his old party and formed another new party, The State List, which won four seats in the 1969 election. Ben Gurion retired from politics in 1970 and spent his last years on his kibbutz.

Related Topics:
Mapai - 1963 - Lavon Affair - Levi Eshkol - 1965 - Rafi - Knesset - 1968 - Labour Alignment - State List - 1970

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