Abba Eban (1915–2002) was a statesman, linguist, and diplomat, known as “Israel’s No. 1 Diplomat” and regarded as a leading architect of Israel’s foreign policy in its early years. Born in Cape Town and raised in London, he studied languages at the University of Cambridge. During World War II, he served as an intelligence officer in the British Army, and afterward represented the Jewish Agency in New York, becoming a central voice in the diplomatic struggle for Israel’s establishment at the UN. After independence, he was appointed Israel’s first ambassador to both the UN and the United States, and became one of the country’s most eloquent and influential spokesmen. In the 1960s and 1970s he served as Minister of Education, Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister. His legacy remains a symbol of wise diplomacy, vision, and remarkable eloquence.