Levi Eshkol

Prime Minister of Israel

Levi Yitzhak Shkolnik 25 October 1895 Orativ, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire

26 February 1969(1969-02-26) (73) Jerusalem, Israel

26 June 1963 – 26 February 1969

Israeli statesman, a founder of the Israeli Labor Party and Prime Minister (1895–1969) Levi Eshkol (Hebrew: לֵוִי אֶשְׁכּוֹל ‎; listen  (help ·info ) , born Levi Yitzhak Shkolnik (Hebrew: לוי יצחק שקולניק ‎)‎ 25 October 1895 – 26 February 1969) was an Israeli statesman who served as the third 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, he 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, immigrating 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. He 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 he 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 he 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. He led the Israeli government during and after the Six-Day War and was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.