Argov, Shlomo

(1929-2003)

   Shlomo Argov was born in Jerusalem, the descendant of a family that had lived in Jerusalem for seven generations. As a young man and a member of the Palmah, he was wounded in the War of Independence (1948—49) in the battle for Safed. He received a B.A. in political science from Georgetown University in Washington, DC (1952), and an M.A. in international relations from the London School of Economics (1955). After several years in the prime minister's office under David Ben-Gurion, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1959. His first postings were to the Israeli embassies in Ghana and Nigeria. He later served in New York and Washington, as well as deputy director general for information, before being appointed ambassador to Mexico (1971-74) and the Netherlands (1977-79). In September 1979, he assumed his post as ambassador to Great Britain.

   On 3 June 1982, Ambassador Argov was shot and critically wounded by Palestinian terrorists from the Abu Nidal group outside London's Dorchester Hotel. The attempt was a primary cause of the 1982 War in Lebanon (Operation Peace for Galilee). Argov was hospitalized in Jerusalem for 21 years and remained permanently incapacitated until his death on 23 February 2003.