Levi Eshkol

Who was Levi Eshkol?

Levi Eshkol (Hebrew: לֵוִי אֶשְׁכּוֹל [leˈvi ʔeʃˈkol] ;‎ 25 October 1895 – 26 February 1969), born Levi Yitzhak Shkolnik (Hebrew: לֵוִי יִצְחָק שְׁקוֹלְנִיק), was the prime minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. Levi Eshkol, born Levi Yitzhak Shkolnik, 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). He then led the party in the elections to the Sixth Knesset (1965) and won, remaining in office for six consecutive years. 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.

Eshkol was treasurer of Hapoel Hatzair political party and treasurer of the Agricultural Center. 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.

Historical significance

Eshkol was first appointed as prime minister following the resignation of David Ben-Gurion. 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. He was among the founders of the major institutions of the Yishuv, most importantly the Histadrut and Haganah. 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. Eshkol led the Israeli government during and after the Six-Day War and was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.