Abba Eban was an Israeli politician, and diplomat. He was a man of great prominence in Israel’s political scene post World War-II. Though his original name was Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban, he later changed it to Abba Solomon Meir Eban. In a career that spanned several decades, Eban held the portfolios of Deputy Prime Minister, Education Minister, and Foreign Affairs Minister. He also served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States of America, and the United Nations. Eban made quite an impression with his oratory too. According to American diplomat Henry Kissinger, Abba was a great orator who had a really impressive style of speaking the English language. His sentences were often structured in a complex manner, challenging the listener’s intelligence. Eban was also a linguist, who had mastered 10 different languages, and had a good understanding of history. It’s perhaps because of these abilities that he was elected as the Vice President of the United Nations General Assembly, and offered various other diplomatic roles. Eban also authored nine books in a period of forty years.
Childhood and Adolescence
Abba Eban is a South African actress. He was born Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban and eventually changed his name to Aubrey Solomon Meir Eban. He and his parents immediately moved to the United Kingdom, where he continued his education. For a brief length of time, he also resided in Belfast, Ireland.
Weekend excursions to his grandfather’s house, where he learned Biblical literature and the Hebrew language, were one of the causes for Eban’s great literary skills.
St Olave’s Grammar School was where Abba finished his primary education. Later, he studied eastern languages and classics at Cambridge’s prestigious Queen’s College. He was the editor of a journal named ‘The Young Zionist’ during his time at university. The ideology of an organization named ‘The Federation of Zionist Youth’ was used to create the newspaper.
He volunteered his services to the British Army during World War II. As an intelligence officer, he was stationed in Jerusalem. His task entailed identifying volunteers and training them to be able to withstand a German invasion.
Abba Eban translated Tawfiq-Al-Arabic Hakim’s novel ‘Maze of Justice: Diary of a Country Prosecutor’ into English in 1947. The original was written in 1937, ten years before Abba contributed to the same project.
Abba began her career in 1947 as a Liaison Officer for the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine. Eban was successful in implementing ‘Resolution 181’ throughout his tenure. This resolution divided Palestine into two sections, one for Jews and one for Arabs.
In the year 1959, Eban left the United States and returned to his homeland of Israel. As a member of the left-wing political party ‘Mapai,’ he was elected to Israel’s parliament, commonly known as the ‘Knesset.’
He served as the Minister of Education and Culture under David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, between 1960 and 1963.
Between 1963 through 1966, Abba served as Prime Minister Levi Eshkol’s deputy. Between 1959 and 1966, Eban served as President of the famed Weizmann Institute of Science for a period of seven years.
From 1966 to 1974, Eban served as Israel’s foreign minister. The ‘Six Day War’ between Israel and Egypt took place during this time frame.
Eban was the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Israeli Parliament from 1984 until 1988. Due to internal Labour Party squabbles, his political career came to an end following this period.
Major Projects of Abba Eban
Eban had a lengthy history of working with the UN. During his time as a member of the United Nations General Assembly in 1947, he was instrumental in the passage of ‘Resolution 181.’ In the year 1952, he was elected as the assembly’s vice president.
From 1966 to 1974, he served as the Foreign Minister of Israel. One of the most memorable moments of his term was explaining his country’s position on the current situation between Israel and Egypt.
Abba also wrote several novels, including “Voice of Israel” (1957), “My People” (1969), “My Country” (1972), and “Abba Eban: An Autobiography” (1977). After a long hiatus, he returned in 1992 and 1998 to write ‘Personal Witness’ and ‘Diplomacy For The Next Century,’ respectively.
Achievements & Awards
In the year 2001, the Israeli government honored Abba Eban with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award.’
Following his death in 2005, the Israeli news website ‘Ynet’ sponsored a poll to determine the ‘200 Greatest Israelis of All Time.’ Eban was ranked 52nd on the list.
Personal History and Legacy
He married Susan Ambache in 1945 and they had one son and one daughter. Eli Eban, his son, is a well-known clarinetist who teaches at Indiana University.
At the age of 87, he died in 2002. His wife and two children were his only survivors.
Eban was frequently chastised in Israel’s political circles for failing to express his views on the country’s numerous problems. After his time in the cabinet, though, Eban became a more outspoken individual.
Abba Eban’s Net Worth
Abba is one of the wealthiest politicians and one of the most well-known. Abba Eban’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.