Reuven Barkat

Reuven Barkat ( born October 25, 1906 in Tauragė, Lithuania, † April 5, 1972 ) was an Israeli politician and from 1969 until his death president of the Knesset.

Life

After attending a Jewish religious school and a Jewish school in Lithuania Barkat studied law and literature at the Sorbonne and the University of Strasbourg. Already during his studies he was active in Jewish youth and student organizations and was not only co-founded the " Young Pioneers " and the "Young Hebrews " in Lithuania, but also chairman of the Union of Hebrew students.

After his emigration ( aliyah ) to Israel, he was 1928-1933 Secretary of the Settlement Department in the Agricultural Centre, before he then was from 1933 to 1938 director of the department of public relations to organize the transfer of Jewish property out of Germany into the League of Nations Palestine.

Between 1940 and 1946, Barkat Secretary General of the National Committee for Jewish soldiers in World War II and then employees of the political department of the Histadrut, the umbrella organization of Israeli trade unions. In 1949 he became a member of the Central Committee of the Histadrut and at the same time head of the political department, before he head of the Arabic department of the Histadrut was later. During these activities, he also published numerous articles in newspapers such as Davar and Haaretz.

After a brief use as Ambassador to Norway in 1961, he was from 1962 to 1966 Secretary General of Mapai.

On November 22, 1965, he was elected to the Knesset members and belonged to her until his death, in which he played there the Avodah represented, the successor party to the Mapai. Last Reuven Barkat was dated 17 November 1969 until his death president of the Knesset.

Publications

• A Compilation of Reuven Barkat: Issues of Parliamentarianism, Legislation and Government, 1977 ( posthumously )