In 1918 he enlisted in the Jewish Legion of the British army and, within that
framework, returned to Israel. In 1919 he participated in the establishment of
the "Achdut Ha'avoda" party, and between 1921-1935 served as the Secretary
General of the Trade Union movement. In 1930 he participated in the
establishment of the "Mapai" party, and was its representative in the World
Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. From 1935-1948 he served as Chairman
of the Jewish Agency, and in 1946 assumed responsibility for matters relating to
the security of the Jewish community in Israel.
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Ben-Gurion led the struggle of the Zionist movement for the establishment of a
Jewish state in the land of Israel. In May 1948, he declared the independence of
the State of Israel and presided in his dual roles as acting Prime Minister and
Minister of Defense. He served in these posts from 1948-1953, and then again
from 1955-1963.
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In June 1963, Ben-Gurion resigned, and two years later the Mapai party split,
with Ben Gurion establishing "Rafi", which won 10 Knesset seats in the following
elections. In 1968, Rafi rejoined Mapai and Achdut Ha'avoda, to form the Israel
Labor Party, while Ben-Gurion formed a new party, "Hareshima Hamamlachtit",
which won four Knesset seats in the 1969 elections.
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In June 1970 Ben-Gurion retired from political life and returned to Sde Boker.
He passed away on December 1, 1973.
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