Abba Eban Israeli statesman and political figure Date of Birth: 02.02.1915 Country: Israel

1. Early Life and Education
2. Zionism and the War Effort
3. Diplomatic and Political Career
4. Later Years and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Aubrey Eban, born in Cape Town, South Africa, to Jewish parents of Lithuanian descent, relocated to England at a young age. Eban's upbringing was marked by regular visits to his grandfather, where he immersed himself in Hebrew and biblical studies. He attended St. Olave's Grammar School in London and excelled in classics and oriental languages at Queen's College, Cambridge University.

Zionism and the War Effort

Eban was an active member of the Federation of Zionist Youth and edited its ideological journal, "The Young Zionist." He pursued research in Arabic and Hebrew at Pembroke College (1938-1939). With the outbreak of World War II, Eban joined the World Zionist Organization in London under Chaim Weizmann. Subsequently, he enlisted in the British army, serving as an intelligence officer in Jerusalem and rising to the rank of major. Eban coordinated resistance volunteers to counter a potential German invasion and facilitated liaison between the Allies and the Jewish community.

Diplomatic and Political Career

In 1952, Eban was elected Vice-President of the United Nations General Assembly. He returned to Israel in 1959, acquiring Israeli citizenship and winning a Knesset seat with the Mapai party. Under David Ben-Gurion, he served as Minister of Education and Culture (1960-1963) and later as Deputy Prime Minister to Levi Eshkol (1963-1966). Concurrently, he was President of the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot (1959-1966). Eban also held the post of Foreign Minister for three terms (1966-1974, 1977-1990, and 1991-1992).

Later Years and Legacy

After three decades in the Knesset, Eban lost his seat in 1988 due to internal divisions within the Labor Party. He dedicated his remaining years to writing and teaching, including guest professorships at Princeton University, Columbia University, and George Washington University. Eban passed away in 2002 and was laid to rest in Kfar Shmaryahu, north of Tel Aviv. He is remembered as a distinguished Israeli statesman, diplomat, and intellectual.