David Ben-Gurion Signed Photograph.

BEN-GURION, David.

Item Number: 96541

Rare official photograph of the Founding Father of Israel David Ben-Gurion taken upon the 25th Anniversary of the Founding of Israel. Signed by David Ben-Gurion and housed in the original white vinyl presentation folder with engraved plate which reads, “Prime Minister’s Israel Bond Conference on the occasion of The 25th Anniversary of Israel, Jerusalem, January 28–31, 1973.” In near fine condition.

David Ben-Gurion was the primary founder of the State of Israel and the first Prime Minister of Israel. Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946. As head of the Jewish Agency from 1935, and later president of the Jewish Agency Executive, he was the de facto leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, and largely led its struggle for an independent Jewish state in Mandatory Palestine. On 14 May 1948, he formally proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel, and was the first to sign the Israeli Declaration of Independence, which he had helped to write. Ben-Gurion led Israel during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and united the various Jewish militias into the Israel Defense Forces. Subsequently, he became known as "Israel's founding father."