Arieh Levavi

Arieh Levavi (3 June 1912 – 1 February 2009), also known as Aryeh Lieb and Arieh Leibman, was the fourth Director General of Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1964–1967).

Early life

Levavi was born the youngest of three sons to a wealthy Russian Jewish family of good standing in the community and a lineage connected directly to the famous Rabbi the Vilna Gaon (הגאון מוילנה) in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1912. Levavi's mother fled with him and his brother to Danzig on the eve of the Russian revolution. Orphaned of both parents Levavi's education and were taken care of by his older brother Fima Leibman. He completed his studies in philosophy, mathematics and physics at the universities of Heidelberg and Danzig in 1930.Arieh Levavi – Curriculum Vitae
/ref> After graduating he emigrated from Germany to Palestine, where in 1932 he received his Master of Arts in Philosophy, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

He worked as a contributing writer for the daily newspaper Davar in Palestine, until he was sent to Germany on a mission on behalf of the HeHalutz Movement (1936–1938). When he came back to Palestine in 1938 he became involved in integrating and coordinating various Zionist and political movements until the formation of the state of Israel.

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs

After the formation of Israel he became the Head of Eastern Europe in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was the first secretary and then counselor at the Israeli embassy in Moscow (1948–1950). In 1952 he became the director of Israeli diplomacy for Eastern Europe. From 1954 to 1957 he was the elected Minister Plenipotentiary of Israel to the Yugoslav government.

Ambassador to Argentina

In 1958 he was appointed ambassador to Argentina. He served as the ambassador during the capture of Adolf Eichmann