Suzy and Abba Eban

Suzy and Abba Eban

Suzy Eban was the elder sister of Aura Herzog, the wife of Chaim Herzog.

Eban was born in Egypt in 1921, to Leah and Simcha Ambasche, who served as a chief engineer at the Suez Canal. In her youth, she studied at the American University in Cairo and in the first years after the establishment of the state she lived in the United States following her husband’s diplomatic post.

Suzy (Shoshana) Eban was a leading public activist in the field of health. She was well known as the founding president of the “Israel Cancer Association”. Suzy has served as the president of the association for decades. One of her famous initiatives during that time is known as the “Knock on the Door Operation”, which is targeted for promoting public awareness and economic support for the fight against cancer.

Suzy’s husband,  Abba (Aubrey Solomon) Eban, is one of the most famous diplomats in Israel’s history.

Abba Eban was born in South Africa in 1915. His father died in his childhood and his mother was the secretary of main Zionist leader Nahum Sokolow.

From early age Eban was known as a gifted speaker who could lecture in multiple languages and was was involved in Zionist activity. After his service in the British Army, he joined the political department of the Jewish Agency. Abba Eban had a key role in the approval of Resolution 181 of the United Nations on November 29th, 1947 (Partition Plan).

After the establishment of the state of Israel, he was Israel’s first ambassador to the United Nations while serving also as Israel’s ambassador to the United States. In 1959 he returned to Israel and was elected as member of the Knesset by Mapai. Eban was also appointed that year as president of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

In 1960 he was appointed Minister of Education in David Ben-Gurion’s government and in 1963 he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in Levi Eshkol’s first Cabinet. In 1966 Eban was appointed to the position most associated with him: Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position in which he has served during the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War. As Foreign Minister Eban was Internationally high-appreciated and domestically valuable during meaningful days in the history of Israel and the Middle East. In Israel’s history he is regarded as “Diplomat Number One”.

In 1974 he left the government and continued to serve as a Knesset member, later serving as the chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee. Eban’s political career ended up in 1988, after nearly thirty years as member of the Israeli Parliament. Abba Eban was awarded the Israel Prize in 2001 for lifetime achievement and special contribution for Israel. Eban passed away in 2002.

In addition to the family connection, Suzy and Abba Eban were also closest friends to Aura and Chaim Herzog. Abba Eban was the one who suggested to his friend from the British Army, Chaim Herzog, to stop by and visit the Ambasche family home in Egypt on his way to Israel. This visit paved the way for the first meeting between Chaim and Aura Herzog.