17 Facts About Ezer Weizman

Ezer Weizman was born in Tel Aviv in the British Mandate of Palestine on 15 June 1924 to Yechiel and Yehudit Weizmann.

Ezer Weizman grew up in Acre and Haifa, and attended the Hebrew Reali School.

Ezer Weizman married Reuma Schwartz, sister of Ruth Dayan, wife of Moshe Dayan, and they had two children, Shaul and Michal.

Ezer Weizman enlisted in the British Army in 1942 during World War II and served as a truck driver in the Western Desert campaign in Egypt and Libya.

Ezer Weizman served with the RAF in Egypt and then India until 1945.

Ezer Weizman ended his service in the RAF as a sergeant pilot but did not obtain any operational experience.

Ezer Weizman was the commander of the Negev Air Squadron near Nir-Am.

Ezer Weizman joined the Israel Defense Forces and served as the Chief of Operations on the General Staff.

Ezer Weizman served as the commander of the Israeli Air Force between 1958 and 1966, and later served as deputy Chief of the General Staff.

Ezer Weizman served as Minister of Transportation in Levi Eshkol's national unity government until Gahal left the coalition in 1970.

Ezer Weizman quit Gahal in 1972, but returned in 1976, by which time it had become Likud.

Ezer Weizman considered establishing a new party with Moshe Dayan, which led to his ousting from Likud.

Between 1984 and 1990, Ezer Weizman was Minister for Arab Affairs and then Minister of Science and Technology.

Ezer Weizman assumed office as president on 13 May 1993.

In 1996, in an attempt to promote the peace process, Ezer Weizman invited Yasser Arafat for a private visit to his home in Caesarea.

Since the statute of limitations had expired Ezer Weizman was not prosecuted, but the controversy compelled him to resign.

Ezer Weizman died of respiratory failure at his home in Caesarea on 24 April 2005, at the age of 80.