Abba Eban was an Israeli diplomat and politician who served as Israel's Foreign Minister from 1966 to 1974. He was also Deputy Prime Minister from 1974 to 1977 and again from 1984 to 1986. He was a member of the Knesset from 1950 to 1974 and again from 1984 to 1988. He was a major figure in the development of Israel's foreign policy and was instrumental in the negotiations that led to the Camp David Accords in 1978. He was also a noted scholar and author, writing several books on the history of the Middle East.