Levi Eshkol
Levi Eshkol | |
|---|---|
לֵוִי אֶשְׁכּוֹל | |
Eshkol in 1963 | |
| Prime Minister of Israel | |
| In office 26 June 1963 – 26 February 1969 | |
| President | Zalman Shazar |
| Preceded by | David Ben-Gurion |
| Succeeded by | Yigal Allon (Interim) |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office 26 June 1963 – 5 June 1967 | |
| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | David Ben-Gurion |
| Succeeded by | Moshe Dayan |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 25 June 1952 – 26 June 1963 | |
| Prime Minister | David Ben-Gurion Moshe Sharett |
| Preceded by | Eliezer Kaplan |
| Succeeded by | Pinchas Sapir |
| Leader of Mapai | |
| In office June 1963 – 23 January 1968 | |
| Preceded by | David Ben-Gurion |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Leader of Israeli Labor Party) |
| Leader of Israeli Labor Party | |
| In office 23 January 1968 – 26 February 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Himself (as Leader of Mapai) |
| Succeeded by | Golda Meir |
| Member of the Knesset | |
| In office 20 August 1951 – 26 February 1969 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Levi Yitzhak Shkolnik 25 October 1895 |
| Died | 26 February 1969 (aged 73) Jerusalem, Israel |
| Cause of death | Myocardial infarction |
| Resting place | Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Israel |
| Citizenship | |
| Party |
|
| Other political affiliations | Alignment (1965–1968) |
| Spouses | Rivka Maharshak
(m. 1922; div. 1927)Elisheva Kaplan
(m. 1930; died 1959) |
| Children | Noa Eshkol Dvora Tamma Ofra |
| Signature | |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Jewish Legion (1918–1920) Haganah (1920–1948) |
Levi Eshkol (Hebrew: לֵוִי אֶשְׁכּוֹל [leˈvi ʔeʃˈkol] ⓘ; 25 October 1895 – 26 February 1969), born Levi Yitzhak Shkolnik (Hebrew: לוי יצחק שקולניק), was the prime minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. A founder of the Israeli Labor Party, he served in numerous senior roles, including Minister of Defense (1963–1967) and Minister of Finance (1952–1963).
Eshkol was first appointed as prime minister following the resignation of David Ben-Gurion. He then led the party in the elections to the Sixth Knesset (1965) and won, remaining in office for six consecutive years. Shortly after taking office, Eshkol made several significant changes, among them the annulment of military rule over Israeli Arabs and a successful journey to the United States, being the first Israeli leader to be formally invited to the White House. His relations with American President Lyndon B. Johnson greatly affected Israel–United States relations and later on the Six-Day War.
Eshkol was active in the Zionist movement from a young age, emigrating to Ottoman Palestine in 1914 and working in agriculture. He was among the founders of the major institutions of the Yishuv, most importantly the Histadrut and Haganah. Eshkol was treasurer of Hapoel Hatzair political party and treasurer of the Agricultural Center. In 1929, he was elected as chairman of the settlement committee within the Zionist Congress, taking a leading role in enabling conditions for new construction. In 1937, Eshkol founded Mekorot water company and was its director until 1951. Simultaneously, he held positions at the Haganah, at Mapai and as chairman of Tel Aviv Workers' Council. In 1948–1949, Eshkol was Director General of the Ministry of Defense and from 1948 to 1963, he was chairman of the Settlement Department of the Jewish Agency. Elected to the Second Knesset in 1951, he was soon thereafter appointed to key government roles.
Eshkol led the Israeli government during and after the Six-Day War and was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.