Pinhas Lavon

(1904 - 1976)

Pinhas Lavon studied law near his birthplace in East Galicia. He settled in Palestine in 1929, leading a group in rebuilding a settlement recently destroyed by Arab riots. Lavon served in the Knesset from 1941-1961. In 1949. he assumed the position of Histadrut General Secretary. His appointment to Defense Minister in 1953 ended in disgrace when he was forced to resign as the result of a botched intelligence operation. The ensuing scandal is known as the Lavon Affair. Despite his resignation, he was continually reelected as General Secretary of the Histadrut until his removal in 1961 as a result of renewed repercussions from the Lavon Affair.

Sources: Bard, Mitchell G. and Moshe Schwartz. 1001 Facts Everyone Should Know About Israel. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005.