ABSTRACT
Among Zionism’s founders David Ben Gurion, born in Plonsk, Poland, was unique. As Israel’s first Prime Minister and Minister of Defence he saw the dream of a Jewish state come to fulfilment. His formal education was limited, but he was an avid reader and a prolific writer. His speeches, essays, books and diaries were intended not only to strengthen his political position but also to remake Jewish consciousness. Political office gave him the opportunity to define Zionism’s immediate goals, but writing Zionist history relentlessly, day by day, provided the possibility of producing an eternal historical perspective.
