Yigal Allon, a major general in the Israeli Defense Forces and a career politician, served as Israel's acting Prime Minister for three weeks in 1969. Born in 1918 in Kfar Tavor, he bridged the transition from the pre-state military movements to the high-level governance of the young nation, holding various ministerial portfolios until his death in 1980.
Military Command
Allon joined the Haganah in 1931 and became a founding member of the Palmach in 1941. During the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, he led mobile units in the north. He later attained the rank of major general, commanding significant operations including those in the Galilee, Lod, and Ramla. As Head of the Southern Command, he oversaw operations reaching to Eilat before his retirement from active service in 1950.
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Entering the Knesset in 1955, Allon maintained a continuous legislative presence until his death. He served as Minister of Labor from 1961 to 1968, overseeing labor legislation and road infrastructure. His later cabinet roles included Minister of Immigrant Absorption and Deputy Prime Minister between 1968 and 1974. Following the death of Levi Eshkol in February 1969, he occupied the role of acting Prime Minister until the appointment of Golda Meir in March.
Strategic Doctrine and Later Career
Allon was a principal architect of the Ahdut HaAvoda party and played a central role in forming the Israeli Labor Party. In 1967, he developed the Allon Plan, a proposal concerning the post-war future of territories that influenced national settlement policy for a decade. Beyond his political duties, he engaged in international diplomacy, including participation in the 1975 Sinai Interim Agreement. He died of cardiac arrest in Afula in 1980 while campaigning for the leadership of the Labor Party.
Fast facts
- Born: 1918, Kfar Tavor
- Died: 1980, Afula
- Education: Kadoorie Agricultural High School, St Antony's College
- Military Rank: Major General
- Political Party: Israeli Labor Party
- Burial Site: Ginosar
Questions readers ask
What was the Allon Plan?
It was a proposal devised by Allon in 1967 that served as a guideline for Israeli settlement policy for approximately ten years.
Did Yigal Allon ever serve as Prime Minister?
He served briefly as acting Prime Minister of Israel from 26 February 1969 to 17 March 1969 following the death of Levi Eshkol.
Achievements
- Prime Minister of Israel (1969–1969)
- Knesset member (1955–1959)
- Knesset member (1959–1960)
- Deputy Prime Minister of Israel (1968–1974)
- Educated at St Antony's College and Kadoorie Agricultural High School
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