Abba Eban

Israeli diplomat and politician

Born: February 2, 1915 · Died: November 17, 2002

Abba Eban — Image via Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia.

Overview

Legacy

Eban famously remarked of the Palestinians, "The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

Known for

Israeli diplomat and politician (1915–2002)

Significance

Abba Solomon Meir Eban was a South African-born Israeli diplomat and politician, and a scholar of the Arabic and Hebrew languages.

Who was Abba Eban?

Abba Solomon Meir Eban ( ; Hebrew: אבא שלמה אבן [ˈ(ʔ)aba ˈ(ʔ)even]; born Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban; 2 February 1915 – 17 November 2002) was a South African-born Israeli diplomat and politician, and a scholar of the Arabic and Hebrew languages. During his career, he served as Foreign Affairs Minister, Education Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister of Israel. Eban famously remarked of the Palestinians, "The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." Abba Solomon Meir Eban was a South African-born Israeli diplomat and politician, and a scholar of the Arabic and Hebrew languages. He was also vice president of the United Nations General Assembly and president of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Historical significance

He was the second ambassador to the United States and the first Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations.

Related on thisDay

Israeli military launches cross-border assault on Samu

Israel launched Operation Shredder, a large cross-border assault on the West Bank village of Samu, following a mine attack that killed three soldiers.

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Israeli military launches cross-border assault on Samu Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Abba Eban.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/abba-eban/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

APA

Abba Eban. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved November 13, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/abba-eban/

Chicago

“Abba Eban.” thisDay. Accessed November 13, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/abba-eban/.

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