Yigal Allon

MKs


Date of birth = Birth date|1918|10|10
Place of birth = Kfar Tavor, Mandate Palestine
Year of Aliyah =
Date of death = Death date and age|1980|02|29|1918|10|10
Knesset(s) = 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th
Party = Alignment
Former parties = Ahdut HaAvoda
Gov't roles = Interim Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Labour
Minister of Immigrant Absorption
Minister of Education and Culture
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Yigal Allon ( _he. יגאל אלון, born 10 October 1918, died 29 February 1980) was an Israeli politician, a commander of the Palmach, and a general in the IDF. He served as one of the leaders of Mapai and the Alignment (precursors of the Israeli Labor party), acting Prime Minister of Israel, as well as being a member of Knesset and government minister from the tenth through the seventeenth Knessets.

Early life and military career

Alon was born in Kfar Tavor, Palestine (now in Israel). In 1937 he graduated from Kadoorie Agricultural High School, and joined kibbutz Ginosar. His military activities began when he served as commander of a field unit of the Haganah, and then as a commander of a regiment during the Arab riots of 1936-39. In 1941 he became one of the founding members of the Palmach. That same year he took part in the British invasion of Lebanon and Syria. In 1943 he became the Deputy Commander of the organization, and served in this post until 1945, when he became Commander in Chief. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War he was promoted to Major Gen. in command of the Jerusalem corridor sector. [Sabtai Teveth "Ben Gurions Spy" Columbia University Press ISBN 0-231-10464-2 p 19] In 1950 he retired from active service. [ [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1990_1999/1998/7/Yigal+Allon.htm Yigal Allon] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

Political career

Knesset

After ending his military career, Allon embarked on a political career. He became a prominent leader in Ahdut HaAvoda, and was first elected to the Knesset in 1955, where he served until his death. He was a member of the Economic Affairs Committee, Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Education and Culture Committee, Joint Committee on the Motion for the Agenda Regarding Sports in Israel, and the Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee. [ [http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?id=682 Knesset Member, Yigal Allon] Knesset]

Government roles

He served as the Minister of Labour from 1961-67. In this role he worked to improve the state employment service, extend the road network, and fought to get legislation on labor relations passed. From 1967-69 he served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Immigrant Absorption. In 1967 he was a part of the group that planned the Six-Day War.

Allon served briefly as interim Prime Minister following the death of Levi Eshkol on 26 February 1969. He held office until 17 March 1969, when Golda Meir took over. He became the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Culture in Meir's government, and served in that post until 1974. In 1974 he was a part of the delegation to the Separation of Forces Agreement. He became the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1974, and held this post until 1977. [ [http://www.jafi.org.il/education/100/people/BIOS/allon.html Allon, Yigal (1918-1980)] Jewish Agency for Israel] [ [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Allon.html Yigal Allon] Jewish Virtual Library]

At the time of his sudden death in 1980, he was a candidate for the leadership of the Alignment, challenging the incumbent party head Shimon Peres.

Allon was the architect of the Allon Plan, a proposal to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank with a negotiated partition of territories. A major road in the West Bank, leading north-eastwards from Jerusalem, is named after him.

References