Shlomo Argov Israeli diplomat. Date of Birth: 14.12.1929 Country: Israel

1. Early Life and Military Service
2. Education and Diplomatic Career
3. Assassination Attempt and Lebanese Invasion
4. Later Life and Legacy

Early Life and Military Service

Shloimo Argov was born in Jerusalem in 1929. He joined the Palmach paramilitary organization and served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from its inception in 1948. Argov fought in the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli War and was wounded in action.

Education and Diplomatic Career

From 1950 to 1952, Argov studied in the United States at Georgetown University. He then pursued further studies at the London School of Economics. In 1959, he entered the Israeli diplomatic service. Argov served in Ghana, Nigeria, and the United States. From 1971 to 1974, he was Israel's ambassador to Mexico. He subsequently served as ambassador to the Netherlands and was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1979.

Assassination Attempt and Lebanese Invasion

On the night of June 3-4, 1982, Argov was leaving a banquet at London's Dorchester Hotel when he was attacked by three unidentified gunmen. He sustained a gunshot wound to the head and remained in a coma for three months (some sources erroneously reported that Argov had died). The attackers were later identified as members of the Abu Nidal terrorist organization, which had broken away from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The Abu Nidal group and the PLO were engaged in a violent rivalry.

Despite evidence suggesting that Israel knew of Abu Nidal's involvement in the attack, Israel retaliated with air strikes against PLO camps in Lebanon on June 4. In response, Palestinians fired rockets into Israel. To quell these attacks, the Israeli army invaded Lebanon on June 6, 1982, sparking a controversial and bloody war.

Later Life and Legacy

Argov survived the assassination attempt but remained severely disabled. He spent the rest of his life hospitalized in the rehabilitation ward of Jerusalem's Hadassah Ar A'tzofim Hospital. He was paralyzed and required constant medical care. Argov's wife, Hava, dedicated her life to his care until her own death in 2002. Shloimo Argov died in 2003 at the age of 74 from the effects of his wounds, 21 years after the assassination attempt.

Argov's son, Gideon, established the Shlomo Argov Excellence Program for outstanding students at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. Additionally, Bar-Ilan University established the Shlomo Argov Center for the Study of the Jewish People and the State of Israel.