Ben-Gurion

The first Prime Minister, who read out Israel's Declaration of Independence.

Life

Immigration

Ben-Gurion was born in Poland and emigrated to Palestine in 1906, where he worked on farms and organized the Jewish labor movement, later leading the Histadrut (the General Federation of Jewish Labor) and the Jewish Agency.

Declaration of Independence

On May 14, 1948, he read out Israel's Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv, became the first Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and led Israel to victory in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He oversaw the absorption of large numbers of immigrants and the building of the Defense Forces and state institutions.

Negev

He served twice as Prime Minister, resigned in 1963, spent his later years in retirement on a kibbutz in the Negev desert, and died in 1973.

Legacy

Ben-Gurion is regarded by Israel as the father of the nation; for Palestinians, the war of independence he led was also the "Nakba."

Did you know? Israel's largest international airport is named after him.

Key dates

• 1906Emigrates to Palestine
• 1935Chairman of the Jewish Agency
• 1948Reads the Declaration of Independence; becomes Prime Minister
• 1956Suez Crisis
• 1963Resigns
• 1973Died