Mordechai Bentov

Mordechai Bentov was born in 1900 in Grodzisk Mazowiecki

Bentov was born Mordechai Gutgeld in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, near Warsaw, to Helena and Yosef Gutgeld. He attended a gymnasium in Warsaw and studied law for two years at the University of Warsaw. He was among the founders and leaders of Hashomer Hatzair in Poland.

He moved to the Land of Israel in 1920 and finished his law studies in Jerusalem. He helped found Kibbutz Artzi and was a member of Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek. He represented Hashomer Hatzair in the Histadrut and the Zionist movement, and edited the movement paper Al HaMishmar from 1943 to 1948.

In 1946 he wrote a memorandum supporting a binational state. He was a member of the People's Administration and took part in drafting the Declaration of Independence, which he signed on 14 May 1948. He then served as Minister of Labour and Construction in the provisional government.

He sat in the Knesset for Mapam from 1949 to 1965 and was Minister of Development from 1955 to 1961. Under Levi Eshkol he was Minister of Housing until 1969. He died at his home in Mishmar HaEmek in 1985 and was buried on the kibbutz.