PRIME MINISTER DAVID BEN-GURION (ISRAEL) - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 05/19/1954 - HFSID 29469

DAVID BEN-GURION
Rare signed, handwritten letter to an American in 1954
Rare ALS: "D.Ben-Gurion" in English, 1 page, 4½x7¼. Sde Boker, Israel, 1954 May 19. To Mark E. Brown, Glover Mfg. Co., Norwalk, Connecticut. In full: "Many thanks for the delightful 'I am 70 today'. Although I am not 70 yet, but I hope to reach it in 2½ years. Warmest regards." Ben-Gurion was born in Russia (now Poland) on October 16, 1886. Torn by Ben-Gurion from his notebook, page is imprinted at upper left number "26". Ben-Gurion, who proclaimed Israel's independence on May 14, 1948, was its first leader as Chairman of the Provisional State Council from May 14th to May 17, 1948, when he became Prime Minister and Chaim Weizmann became President. Ben-Gurion served from 1948-1953 and 1955-1963. He had joined Kibbutz Sde Boker in the Negev in 1953 and made his home there. After he resigned as Prime Minister citing "personal reasons", Ben-Gurion remained active politically, with a rivalry developing between him and his successor, Levi Eshkol. In 1965, his Mapai Party split, with Ben-Gurion establishing Rafi (List of Israeli Workers), which won ten Knesset seats in the following election. In 1968, Rafi rejoined Mapai and Ahdut Ha'avoda, to form the Israeli Labor Party, while Ben-Gurion formed a new party, Hareshima Hamamlachtit (The State List), which won four Knesset seats in the 1969 elections. In June 1970, Ben-Gurion retired from political life and returned to Sde Boker where he died at the age of 87 in 1973. Paper clip rust stain in upper margin touches "B" of "Boker". Tattered right edge where removed from notebook. Slightly creased, minor stains.