Ezer Weizman

Ezer Weizman  listen  (Hebrew: עזר ויצמן‎; 15 June 1924 – 24 April 2005) was the seventh President of Israel, first elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1998. Before the presidency, Weizman was commander of the Israeli Air Force and Minister of Defense.

Early life

Weizman was born in Tel Aviv in the British Mandate of Palestine on 15 June 1924. His father, Yechiel, was an agronomist. Weizman was a nephew of Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann.

He grew up in Haifa, and attended the Hebrew Reali School. He married Reuma Schwartz, sister of Ruth Dayan, wife of Moshe Dayan, and they had two children, Shaul and Michal.

Weizman was a combat pilot. He received his training in the British Army in which he enlisted in 1942 during World War II. He served as a truck driver in the Western Desert campaigns in Egypt and Libya. In 1943, he joined the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and attended aviation school in Rhodesia. He served with the RAF in India in early 1944. Weizman ended his service in the RAF as a sergeant pilot.

Ezer

Ezer (Hebrew: עֵזֶר) is a communal settlement in central Israel. Located between Ashdod and Ashkelon near the Mediterranean coast, it falls under the jurisdiction of Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 985.

The village was founded in 1966 as a village centre for the surrounding moshavim. In 1990 it expanded and became a communal settlement. Ezer houses religious facilities such as a mikvah and a synagogue.