Levi Eshkol

Levi Eshkol became prime minister after Ben-Gurion and led Israel during a period of economic development and rising security threats. He helped strengthen Israel’s military and diplomatic ties, especially with the United States. His leadership was calmer and more coalition-oriented than Ben-Gurion’s.

Eshkol is most remembered for leading Israel during the crisis before the Six-Day War of 1967. Under his government, Israel captured East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria/the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai, and the Golan Heights. From a Jewish perspective, the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control became one of the most emotional events in modern Jewish history.