Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, was someone who dedicated his entire life to establishing a home for his people in Palestine. He was destined to live through two wars, lose his son, but become the one who will lead his people in the new Israel.
Young years
Chaim Weizmann was born on 1874-27-11 in the village of Motyli near Pinsk (modern Belarus). His father worked as an official in an office that was engaged in timber rafting. The family had six more daughters and two sons.
Children were brought up in an atmosphere of Jewish traditions, but with elements of enlightenment. At first, Khaim was brought up in a cheder, after which he continued his studies at a real school, which he graduated in 1892.
The young man received further education in Germany and Switzerland. With a doctorate, he becomes a teacher, first at the University of Geneva, and later Manchester.
The beginning of a political career
During his studies, Chaim Weizmann joined the Zionist circle. Its representatives were inspired by the ideas of T. Herzl. Weizmann began to come up with the idea of building a university for Jews, which was supposed tobecome the spiritual center of Zionism.
At the same time, Chaim Weizmann was an opponent of the so-called Uganda plan, which was supposed to create a temporary Jewish national center away from historical lands.
After settling in Manchester, he develops pro-British views. Here he marries Vera Hatsman, who was a university student. By 1910, the teacher receives British citizenship and meets Lord Balfour. Chaim convinces his close friend (the future British Foreign Secretary) that it is necessary to create a Jewish national home in the Land of Israel.
During World War I
With the beginning of the war, the Zionist circle took a neutral position. Although some of its representatives, such as Vladimir Zhabotinsky, decided to form the Jewish Legion as part of the British army. He was supposed to liberate Palestine from the rule of the Turks.
Zhabotinsky's plans were supported by Chaim Weizmann. It was he who organized the meeting with Lord Kitchener, who served as British Secretary of War.
During the war, Weizmann was able to provide a significant service to the British Army. The military needed acetone, which was used to make smokeless powder. Prior to this, acetone was imported from the United States, but everything changed with the presence of German submarines in the Atlantic Ocean in 1915. The chemist was able to expand the production of acetone on the island. At first, starch from grain was used to create it, but this began to affect the supply of grain crops to the domestic market. Therefore it wasit was decided to use horse chestnut fruits, which had no nutritional value. Even schoolchildren took part in the chestnut picking.
Thanks to this, Weizmann acquired important connections among the ruling circles of Britain. He was able to get the British authorities to show interest in Zionism. As a result, the Balfour Declaration was signed in 1917. The document was the beginning of the restoration of the Jewish center in Palestine.
With the advent of the Balfour Declaration, the politician became extremely popular in Zionist circles. In 1918 he became head of the Zionist Commission, which was sent to Palestine by the British government. The commission was to assess the prospects for a possible settlement and further development of the Jews. The subsequent life of Weizmann was closely connected with the creation of the hearth of his people in Palestine.
During World War II
Before the start of the World War, Chaim Weizmann, whose biography is associated with the creation of Israel, began to lose popularity in Zionist circles. The reason for this was the creation by Britain of the White Paper, which was contrary to the principles of the Balfour Declaration.
In the early days of the war, a political scientist made an official statement to the British government. It said that the Jews would be on the side of Britain and wanted to fight for democracy.
During the war, Weizmann works on the production of high-octane fuel, artificial rubber. He encouraged Jews to serve in the British army. During the war years, there were abouttwenty-seven thousand volunteers, including the son of Weizmann, who died in 1942.
The Creation of Israel
Despite the fact that the post-war Zionist Organization did not re-elect Weizmann to the post of chairman of the World Zionist Organization, he did not abandon the attempt to create a Jewish state.
Thanks to his efforts in 1947, the UN decided to partition Palestine. A few days after the foundation of the state, the future president of Israel was able to obtain from the head of the United States (Truman) the consent to provide a loan on favorable terms to the Jewish state in the amount of one hundred million dollars.
The politician was elected head of the Provisional Council of the new state in 1948, and in 1949 - the first president. By that time he was seventy-four years old. Due to age and illness, it was difficult for him to engage in public affairs. His residence was a private house in Rehovot. Weizmann was re-elected for a second term in 1951.
The President of Israel died on 1952-09-11 as a result of a long illness.
Interesting facts
According to the will, Weizmann was buried in the garden of his own house, which is located on the territory of the research institute in Rehovot. Since 1949, the institute began to bear his name.
The first president published his own autobiography in 1949. She was published in England under the title "Finding the Way".
Chaim Weizmann (citations confirm this) was a smart and reasonable politician. He knew howconvey your idea to the interlocutor. The most striking statements: “We had Jerusalem when there were still swamps on the site of London”, “Perhaps we are the sons of merchants, but we are the grandsons of the prophets.”
Weizmann's brother's nephew (Ezer) became the seventh president of Israel. He ruled the country from 1993-2000.
