The Prime Ministers: A Personal Perspective
Professor Meron Medzini didn’t just study the leaders who shaped the young State of Israel. He knew them, worked alongside them, and witnessed history from inside the Prime Minister’s Office. In this extraordinary four-part series, join one of Israel’s distinguished historians as he shares his personal recollections of David Ben-Gurion, Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, and Yitzhak Rabin, four leaders whose decisions helped define Israel’s first decades.
Drawing on his experiences in government, including serving as press secretary to Eshkol during the Six-Day War, Meir during the Yom Kippur War, and Rabin during his first term as prime minister, Professor Medzini will take us beyond the familiar historical accounts. In each session, we’ll explore one leader’s political rise, achievements, failures, and approach to decision-making, while hearing Medzini’s memories of their personalities, relationships, and interactions with those around them.
- David Ben-Gurion: The founding prime minister whose vision and force of personality helped turn the Zionist project into a state.
- Levi Eshkol: The leader who guided Israel through the momentous decisions surrounding the Six-Day War, observed firsthand by Medzini from within his government.
- Golda Meir: A defining figure in Israel’s political history whose leadership would be tested by the Yom Kippur War. Medzini’s connection to Meir was especially personal: his mother and Golda had been friends since childhood in Milwaukee.
- Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, diplomat, and prime minister, whose first term Medzini witnessed from inside the government decades before Rabin would return to lead Israel again.
This is history told by someone who was there. Together, we’ll revisit the choices that shaped a young nation while gaining a rare, personal perspective on the people who made them.
We strive to ensure access and meaningful participation by all. As such, this program will have closed captioning.
Professor Meron Medzini is a historian, educator, and longtime observer of Israeli political and diplomatic life. Born in Jerusalem in 1932, he studied in the United States, earning a BA from City College of New York, an MA from Georgetown University, and a PhD from Harvard University in 1964. Medzini’s career has placed him at the intersection of Israeli history, politics, diplomacy, and public affairs. After working in the Information Section of the Embassy of Israel in Washington, he joined the Israel Government Press Office in Jerusalem. He worked with David Ben-Gurion during his final year as prime minister and later served as spokesperson for Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, and Yitzhak Rabin. From 1978 to 1995, Medzini held senior positions with Keren Hayesod–United Israel Appeal, including directing its Division of English-Speaking Countries.
Medzini began teaching at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1964 and has taught at its Rothberg International School since 1973. His courses have focused on Israel, Zionism, Israeli politics, and foreign policy. He has also taught at Tel Aviv University and lectured at universities throughout the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, and China. The author of ten books and more than 100 scholarly articles, Medzini has written extensively on modern Israel and its political leadership. His works include
Golda Meir: A Political Biography, drawing on both historical scholarship and his close familiarity with Golda Meir and the political world in which she operated.
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