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Ezer Weizmann

Ezer Weizman

Ezer Weizman (born June 15, 1924 in Tel Aviv) was the seventh Israeli president (1993-2000). His predecessor was Chaim Herzog (1983-1993) and his successor was Moshe Katsav (2000- ).

Ezer Weizman is a nephew of Chaim Weizmann, Israel's first president.

Military career

Ezer Weizman was a combat pilot. He recieved his training by the British Army to which he joined on 1942 in order to help the British overcome the Nazis. During 1944-1946 he was a member of the Eztel (Irgun) and during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war he served as a pilot for the Hagganah. After the establishment of the state of Israel, Weizman joined the Israeli Defence Forces.

Weizman learned how to flight warplanes such as Czechoslovakian replicas of the Maserschmidts and the Supermarine Spitfire. He still owns an active warplane - the Black Spitfire - which is preserved in flight condition in the Israeli Air Force Museum in Hatzerim, Beer Sheva.

He served as the Israeli Air Force commander between 1958 to 1966 and later served as deputy of the General Chief of Staff. He earned high credit for his contribution to Israel's overwhelming victory in the Six Day War.

He retired from military service in 1969 after he understood he will not be appointed as General Chief of Staff.

Political career

After his retirement from the army he joined Gahal party ("Gush Herut Liberalim", later became the Likud) and served as Minister of Transportation in Levi Eshkol's national unity government until Gahal left the coalition in 1970. He lead Gahal-Herut up to 1972 and then left the party. He returned to Herut on 1976 and in 1977 served as Defence Minister in Menachem Begin's government. During his time, Israel launched Litani Operation against PLO terrorists in south Lebanon and initiated the development of the IAI Lavi fighter. Weizman was of the promotors of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty with Anwar Sadat. In this time he became dovish.

In 1980 he quit the government. He considered to establish a new party with Moshe Dayan and hence was kicked out from Herut. Between 1980-1984 Weizman turned to business.

In 1984 Weizman established a new party called "Yachad", which won 3 seats in the 11th Assembly of the Knesset. Weizman and Yachad joined a national unity government in which Shimon Peres and Itzhak Shamir served as prime ministers in rotation. In October, 1986, Weizman's Yachad joined the Israeli Labor Party after Mapam and Yossi Sarid left it.

Presidental term

He started his term on May 13, 1993. His political sayings earned him a lot of critics, but didn't damage his public support.

During Weizman's term, Israel suffered from terrorist attacks by Hizbullah and Hamas. Weizman visited all the bereaved families and victims of terror attacks. He attended hospitals and cheered the wounded.

In an attempt to chill out the peace process with the Palestinians, in 1996 Weizman invited Yasser Arafat to a private visit in his house in Caeseria. Weizman supported withdrawal from the Golan Heights in exchange for peace with Syria, and was criticized for that by the right wing parties.

At the end of 1999, newspapers published that Weizman received large amounts of money from businessmen, without reporting it to the proper authorities (the government legal adviser). The public criticism following this forced Weizman to resign from office.

Weizmam resignation took hold on July 13, 2000.

Personnal info

Married to Reuma Schawtz. Has 2 children: Saul and Michal. Saul was badly injured in the Suez Canal at the War of Attrition and in 1991 he was killed with his wife in a car accident. They were buried in Or Akiva.