ABSTRACT
David Ben-Gurion resigned from the premiership in 1953 and joined Kibbutz Sede-Boker in the Negev. In doing so, he ended 18 years at the center of the political scene in Mandatory Palestine and the State of Israel. In 1935, he was elected to the most important position in the Yishuv in the Mandatory period, Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency (and the Zionist Executive). His career peaked with the declaration of the establishment of a Jewish State in Mandatory Palestine, when he became the new state’s first Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. In his first five years as Prime Minister (1948-1953) vital decisions were made in the spheres of defense, immigrant absorption, the economy, education, and foreign policy. This was the time when the foundations were laid and the character of the young state was determined for many years to come. The period was beset by frequent crises and difficulties rising from the process of forming stable coalitions and the existence of two general election systems.
