David Ben-Gurion, born David Grün on 16 October 1886 in Płońsk, Congress Poland, was a key figure in the establishment of the State of Israel. He immigrated to Palestine in 1906 and adopted the name Ben-Gurion in 1909. His leadership of the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine began in 1935 when he became head of the Jewish Agency, a position he held until the establishment of Israel in 1948. Ben-Gurion was instrumental in the Zionist movement, advocating for a Jewish state and serving as the executive head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946.On 14 May 1948, Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of Israel and was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. He led the country during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, overseeing the unification of Jewish militias into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and achieving victory against the Arab League. Following the war, he served as Israel's first prime minister and minister of defense, focusing on building state institutions and absorbing Jewish immigrants. His foreign policy included improving relations with West Germany through reparations for the Holocaust.Ben-Gurion resigned as prime minister in 1954 but returned to the position in 1955 after the Lavon Affair. He supported military operations against Arab guerrilla attacks and was involved in the Suez Crisis in 1956, where Israel invaded Egypt alongside Britain and France. He stepped down from office in 1963 and retired from political life in 1970, moving to a modest home in Sde Boker, a kibbutz in the Negev desert.Born into a Polish Jewish family, Ben-Gurion's early education included attendance at various heders and a focus on Hebrew studies. He became politically active in Warsaw, joining the Social-Democratic Jewish Workers' Party, Poalei Zion, in 1905. His early years in Palestine were marked by labor and political organization, leading to his involvement in the founding of the Histadrut, the Zionist Labor Federation, in 1920.Throughout his political career, Ben-Gurion was a proponent of a Jewish state and supported various strategies for achieving this goal, including the partition of Palestine. He faced challenges during the Arab revolt from 1936 to 1939 and navigated complex relations with both Arab leaders and British authorities. His leadership style was characterized by a focus on decisive action and a commitment to the establishment of a Jewish homeland.Ben-Gurion's legacy includes significant contributions to the founding and development of Israel, as well as a complex relationship with Arab populations and the broader geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. He passed away on 1 December 1973, and his contributions to the state are commemorated in various institutions and locations across Israel.