15 Facts About Aryeh Eliav

Aryeh "Lova" Eliav was an Israeli politician, author, intellectual and peace and social activist.

Aryeh Eliav served as a member of the Knesset for several factions in three spells between 1965 and 1992.

Aryeh Eliav studied history and sociology, gaining a BA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and worked as a teacher and sociologist.

Aryeh Eliav later served as a visiting professor in several American academic institutes, including two years at Harvard University and his two terms at Trinity College in the 1990s.

Aryeh Eliav later worked as an aide to Levi Eshkol on the topics of immigration, absorption and settlement.

Eliav married Tania Zvi, a Holocaust survivor from Kaunas, Lithuania, who was part of a group of refugees Eliav smuggled into Palestine as the commander of an illegal immigration ship in 1947.

Aryeh Eliav was first elected to the Knesset in the 1965 elections on the Alignment list, and was appointed Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.

Aryeh Eliav retained his seat in the 1969 elections, but was not given a ministerial portfolio.

Aryeh Eliav was instead appointed general secretary of the Labour Party, but resigned in 1971 over the party's refusal to recognise the existence of the Palestinian people.

However, the new party split up soon after its foundation, with Aryeh Eliav founding a new party, the Social-Democratic Faction together with Marcia Freedman.

The new party won only two seats, but a rotation agreement saw the seats shared by five people; Aryeh Eliav served the first term, before resigning from the Knesset in January 1979 to make way for Uri Avnery.

Aryeh Eliav served as the Head of Community until 2008.

Aryeh Eliav served one last Knesset term and in 1992 decided not to run for a new term.

Aryeh Eliav died in Tel Aviv on 30 May 2010 at the age of 89.

Aryeh Eliav helped to found the city of Arad in the Negev and promoted the development of Lakhish and Kiryat Gat.