Conductor Politician

Served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of Israel from 2007 to 2014

Member of twelve cabinets and represented five political parties in a political career spanning 70 years

Elected to the Knesset in November 1959 and except for three months out of office in early 2006, served as a member of the Knesset continuously until he was elected president in 2007

Serving in the Knesset for 48 years (with the first uninterrupted stretch lasting more than 46 years), he is the longest serving member in the Knesset's history

At the time of his retirement from politics in 2014, he was the world's oldest head of state and was considered the last link to Israel's founding generation

From a young age, he was renowned for his oratorical brilliance, and was chosen as a protégé by David Ben-Gurion, Israel's founding father

Began his political career in the late 1940s, holding several diplomatic and military positions during and directly after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War

His first high-level government position was as deputy director general of defense in 1952 which he attained at the age of 28, and director general from 1953 until 1959

In 1963, he held negotiations with U.S. President John F. Kennedy, which resulted in the sale of Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to Israel, the first sale of U.S. military equipment to Israel

Represented Mapai, Rafi, the Alignment, Labor and Kadima in the Knesset, and led Alignment and Labor