HEROES & LEADERS

DAVID BEN-GURION

THE FIRST PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL WHO FOUNDED THE NEW COUNTRY’S ARMED FORCES 1886-1973 ISRAEL

Born in Poland, which was the part of the Russian Empire, Ben-Gurion’s father was an ardent Zionist. As a teenager, Ben-Gurion led his own Zionist group, and immigrated to Palestine in 1906. During his early years in Palestine, he was involved in the creation of the first agricultural workers commune (which evolved into the ‘kibbutz’) and established a Jewish self-defence group called ‘Hashomer’ (‘The Watchmen’).

During WWI, Ben-Gurion was deported by the Ottoman Empire and campaigned for Zionism in the United States. He then fought for the British Army in Palestine as part of the newly formed Jewish Legion. Rising through the ranks