David Ben-Gurion
David Grün was born on the 16th of October 1886 in Płońsk, a town within Congress Poland. His father Avigdor Grün worked as a secret adviser navigating clients through the corrupt Imperial legal system. The family lived among three main communities: Russians, Jews and Poles. Each group numbered roughly five thousand people yet remained distinct in their living arrangements. Jewish families occupied innermost districts while Polish residents lived in outlying areas. Relations between these groups were generally amicable though distant.
Ben-Gurion attended five different heders between ages five and thirteen. Two of these schools taught Hebrew rather than Yiddish. His formal education ended after his bar mitzvah because his father could not afford to enroll him in a beth midrash. At age fourteen he formed a youth club called Ezra with two friends. This group promoted Hebrew studies and emigration to the Holy Land. By 1903 the organization had collected funds for victims of the Kishinev pogrom.
In 1904 Ben-Gurion moved to Warsaw hoping to study at the Warsaw Mechanical-Technical School. He lacked sufficient qualifications to matriculate so he took work teaching Hebrew instead. Inspired by Tolstoy he became a vegetarian during this period. In October 1905 he joined the clandestine Social-Democratic Jewish Workers' Party Poalei Zion. Two months later he served as delegate from Płońsk at a local conference.
On the 7th of September 1906 David Grün landed in Jaffa and immediately set off on foot toward Petah Tikva. He traveled in a group of fourteen people including his sweetheart Rachel Nelkin and her mother. The journey covered distance across Ottoman Palestine to reach one of thirteen Jewish agricultural settlements. Petah Tikva consisted of eighty households with nearly fifteen hundred residents. Around two hundred of these were Second Aliyah pioneers like Grün himself.
He found work as a day laborer waiting each morning hoping to be chosen by an overseer. Jewish workers struggled competing against local villagers who were more skilled and willing to work for less money. Grün was shocked by the number of Arabs employed alongside them. By November he contracted malaria and doctors advised him to return to Europe. During summer 1907 he had worked an average ten days per month leaving him frequently without money for food.
Israel Shochat spotted Grün upon his disembarkation at Jaffa. Shochat had arrived two years earlier establishing a group of approximately twenty-five Poale Zion followers. A month after arriving at Petah Tikva Shochat invited Grün to attend the founding conference of the Jewish Social Democratic Workers' Party. This gathering took place between October 4 and 6 1906 attended by about sixty people. Shochat engineered elections so that Grün was elected onto the five-man Central Committee.
The conference produced The Ramleh Programme which stated the party aspired to political independence of the Jewish People in this country. All activities were to be conducted in Hebrew with segregation of Jewish and Arab economies. Three members of the Central Committee resigned allowing Grün and Shochat to continue meeting weekly in Jaffa or Ben Shemen. Their political activity resulted in establishment of three small trade unions among tailors carpenters and shoemakers.
In autumn 1908 Grün returned to Płońsk to avoid conscription into the army. He immediately deserted and traveled via Germany using forged papers. On the 12th of April 1909 two Jews from Sejera were killed in clashes with local Arabs following death of a villager from Kfar Kanna. Later that summer he moved to Zichron Yaakov where he received an invitation from Yitzhak Ben-Zvi to join staff of Poale Zion's new Hebrew periodical Ha'ahdut.
The first three editions came out monthly with initial run of one thousand copies. It then became weekly with print run of four hundred fifty copies. Grün contributed fifteen articles over first year using various pen names eventually settling for Ben-Gurion. This name choice honored historic Joseph ben Gurion. In spring 1911 Poale Zion leadership decided future lay in Ottomanisation requiring study of Turkish language.
During first weeks of Israel's independence Ben-Gurion ordered all militias replaced by national army called Israel Defense Forces. He used firm hand during Altalena Affair when ship carrying arms purchased by Irgun led by Menachem Begin arrived. Sixteen Irgun fighters and three IDF soldiers died after fighting broke out on Tel Aviv beach. Ben-Gurion ordered the ship taken by force and shelled. Following policy of unified military force he also ordered Palmach headquarters disbanded integrating units with rest of IDF.
Plan Dalet was work out by Haganah in March 1948 requested by Ben-Gurion. Guidelines included taking control of Mandatory Palestine declaring Jewish state defending borders before invasion by regular Arab armies. Plan called conquest of Arab towns villages inside along borders allocated to proposed Jewish State. Population of conquered villages expelled outside borders if resistance met. If no resistance residents could stay under military rule.
On the 26th of September 1948 Ben-Gurion presented argument to Cabinet attacking Latrun again conquering whole or large part West Bank. Motion rejected vote seven to five after discussions. Ben-Gurion qualified cabinet decision source lament for generations considering Israel may have lost forever Old City Jerusalem. Later General Yigal Allon proposed conquest West Bank up Jordan River as natural defensible border. This time Ben-Gurion refused though aware IDF militarily strong enough carry out conquest.
Ben-Gurion elected Prime Minister when Mapai party won largest number Knesset seats first national election held the 14th of February 1949. He remained post until 1963 except period nearly two years between 1954 and 1955. As prime minister he oversaw establishment state institutions presiding various national projects aimed rapid development country population.
Operation Magic Carpet airlifted Jews from Arab countries while construction National Water Carrier proceeded. Rural development projects established new towns cities particularly Negev desert region. Ben-Gurion saw struggle making Negev bloom area where Jewish people make major contribution humanity whole. He believed sparsely populated barren Negev offered great opportunity Jews settle Palestine minimal obstruction Arab population setting personal example settling kibbutz Sde Boker center Negev.
In September 1947 Ben-Gurion decided reach formal status quo agreement Orthodox Agudat Yisrael party. Letter stated commitment establishing non-theocratic state freedom religion promising Shabbat Israel official day rest. State-provided kitchens access kosher food every effort single jurisdiction Jewish family affairs each sector granted autonomy sphere education provided minimum standards curriculum observed.
During period Palestinian fedayeen repeatedly infiltrated into Israel from Arab territory. In 1953 after handful unsuccessful retaliatory actions Ben-Gurion charged Ariel Sharon security chief northern region setting up new commando unit respond to fedayeen infiltrations. Sharon formed Unit 101 small commando unit answerable directly IDF General Staff tasked retaliating fedayeen raids.
One operation gained international condemnation Israeli army attack village Qibya then Jordanian-ruled West Bank ended massacre sixty-nine Palestinian villagers two thirds women children. Ben Gurion denied involvement army placing blame Israeli civilians fabrication repeated UN. He seen having protected involved subordinates military accountability. During five months existence unit launched repeated raids against military targets villages used bases fedayeen.
In July 1956 United States Britain withdrew offer fund Aswan High Dam project Nile week later Nasser ordered nationalisation French British-controlled Suez Canal. Late 1956 bellicosity Arab statements prompted Israel remove threat concentrated Egyptian forces Sinai Peninsula invading Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. Other Israeli aims elimination fedayeen incursions making life unbearable southern population opening blockaded Straits Tiran Israeli ships.
Ben-Gurion retired politics 1970 spending last years living modest home kibbutz Sde Boker working eleven-volume history Israel early years. In 1971 he visited Israeli positions along Suez Canal during War Attrition. On the 18th of November 1973 shortly after Yom Kippur War Ben-Gurion suffered cerebral haemorrhage taken Sheba Medical Center Tel HaShomer Ramat Gan.
His condition began deteriorating November 23 dying few days later December 1. Body lay state Knesset compound before flown helicopter to burial site. Posthumously named one Time magazine's hundred Most Important People 20th century. He had been nearly obsessed Israel obtaining nuclear weapons feeling arsenal only way counter Arabs superiority numbers space financial resources sure guarantee Israel survival prevention another Holocaust.
In final months as premier Ben-Gurion engaged declassified diplomatic standoff United States. He stepped down prime minister the 16th of June 1963 choosing Levi Eshkol successor. Year later bitter rivalry developed two Lavon Affair failed 1954 Israeli covert operation Egypt. Ben-Gurion insisted operation properly investigated while Eshkol refused failing unseat Eshkol Mapai party leader November 1965 election subsequently broke Mapai forming new party Rafi.
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Common questions
When and where was David Ben-Gurion born?
David Grün was born on the 16th of October 1886 in Płońsk, a town within Congress Poland. His father Avigdor Grün worked as a secret adviser navigating clients through the corrupt Imperial legal system.
What did David Ben-Gurion do after arriving in Jaffa in 1906?
On the 7th of September 1906 David Grün landed in Jaffa and immediately set off on foot toward Petah Tikva. He traveled in a group of fourteen people including his sweetheart Rachel Nelkin and her mother to reach one of thirteen Jewish agricultural settlements.
How did David Ben-Gurion establish the Israel Defense Forces?
During first weeks of Israel's independence Ben-Gurion ordered all militias replaced by national army called Israel Defense Forces. He used firm hand during Altalena Affair when ship carrying arms purchased by Irgun led by Menachem Begin arrived and shelled it.
Why did David Ben-Gurion resign from Prime Minister office in 1963?
He stepped down prime minister the 16th of June 1963 choosing Levi Eshkol successor. Year later bitter rivalry developed two Lavon Affair failed 1954 Israeli covert operation Egypt leading him to break Mapai forming new party Rafi.
When did David Ben-Gurion die and what was his cause of death?
On the 18th of November 1973 shortly after Yom Kippur War Ben-Gurion suffered cerebral haemorrhage taken Sheba Medical Center Tel HaShomer Ramat Gan. His condition began deteriorating November 23 dying few days later December 1.