|
Ezer Weizman[A´zur vIt´smAn] Pronunciation Key, 1924–, Israeli military officer and politician, president of Israel (1993–), b. Tel Aviv. A nephew of Chaim Weizmann, he helped found the Israeli air force, serving in it from 1948 to 1966 and rising to the rank of major general and commanding officer. He left the military to enter politics, serving as minister of transport (1969–70), defense (1977–80), communications (1984–88), and science (1988–92). A Likud party member, Weizman became disenchanted with the policies of Menachem Begin and joined the Labor party in the mid-1980s. He was elected president in 1993 and reelected in 1998. The former hard-liner became a leading spokesman for peace with Israel's Arab neighbors and negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization. He resigned under pressure in July, 2000, after he was criticized for (but not charged with) financial misdealings.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2009, Columbia
University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
|
