David Ben-Gurion (16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary
national founder of the State of Israel and the first
prime minister of the country. Born David Grün, he adopted the surname Ben-Gurion in 1909, and later rose to become the preeminent leader of the Jewish community in British-ruled
Mandatory Palestine from 1935 until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, which he led until 1963 with a short break between 1954 and 1955. This photograph of Ben-Gurion was taken in 1960 and is part of Israel's
National Photo Collection.
Photograph credit: Fritz Cohen
