Abba Eban was an Israeli statesman who served as Israel's Foreign Minister from 1966 to 1974. He was also Deputy Prime Minister from 1974 to 1977 and a Knesset member from 1950 to 1974 and from 1988 to 1990. He was a major figure in the Labor Zionist movement and was known for his eloquent oratory in the United Nations. He was also a noted scholar of the Middle East and was the author of several books on the region.