October 25 1885 – February 26 1969 Dates of office: June 26 1963 – February 26 1969

Levi Skolnik (Eshkol) was born on October 25, 1895 in Oratovo in the Kiev District of Russia. He studied at the Jewish Gymnasium in Vilnius, where he joined the Young Zionists' Movement. In 1914, at the age of 18, he immigrated to the Land of Israel, and was an agricultural worker and guard. From 1918 to 1920, he served in the Hebrew Regiment of the British Army, and later joined the group which established Deganya Bet, and was a kibbutz member for many years. He also served as a delegate in the elected assembly of the Jews of the Land of Israel and Zionist Congresses, and served on some of the Committees as Chairman of the Committee for Settlement Affairs. He filled central positions in the General Workers Federation and the Eretz Yisrael Workers Party. His principal activity was managing investment and financial institutions of the Federation, and in the field of security, where he filled senior positions in the Hagana and during the War of Independence.

Levi Eshkol was among the initiators of the 'Mekorot' water company in 1937, and headed it until 1952. His concentrated his efforts on the construction of the National Water Conduit, which was opened in 1964 during his term as Prime Minister. Between 1948 and 1963 he was a member of the Jewish Agency, and headed its Agricultural Settlement Department. From 1949 to 1952, he served as the Agency's treasurer. With the establishment of the State, he was one of the leading figures in the Ministry of Defense. In October 1951, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Development, and from 1952 to 1963, served as Minister of Finance. When David Ben-Gurion resigned on June 26, 1963, Levi Eshkol was appointed Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

In 1964, in a conciliatory gesture towards the 'Herut' movement, Eshkol issued orders to bring the remains of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, head of the Revisionist Movement, to Israel, for burial in an official government ceremony in the section for Great Men of the Nation at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. That same year Levi Eshkol made the first official Prime-Ministerial visit to Washington, and in 1966 he visited six African countries. In his term as Prime Minister, full diplomatic relations were established with West Germany (1965), thus bringing an end to a process initiated by David Ben-Gurion with the signing of the reparations agreement in 1952. These diplomatic relations ensured that Germany, due to its moral obligation, would provide military aid to Israel. Levi Eshkol acted to improve relations with the Soviet Union and was successful in stopping Syrian and Lebanese attempts to divert water from the Jordan River in the years 1964-1966. As a master of internal diplomacy, he succeeded in establishing the 'Ma'arach' - an alliance between the 'Mapai' and the 'Ahdut Ha'Avoda' parties in the Government and the General Federation, thereby leading his party to victory in 1965.

On the eve of the Six Day War (1967), Levi Eshkol established the first National Unity Government in the history of Israel, which included opposition leader Menahem Begin. In addition, Eshkol appointed Moshe Dayan as Minister of Defense. The Six Day War between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan culminated in Israel's great victory. After the war Eshkol worked to strengthen U.S. support for Israel, as the United States had become the primary supplier of security and military equipment for Israel. At the same time, he attempted to hold discussions with Palestinian leaders in the territories in order to bring peace to the area.

Levi Eshkol died while serving as Prime Minister on February 26, 1969.

His speeches and articles were published in three volumes: The Settlements (1959), The Path Up (1966), A Covenant with the Land (1969)