page_title: Mordechai Bentov
section_title: Political career
hierarchical_section_title: Mordechai Bentov / Biography / Political career
caption_attribution_description: עברית: ירושלים - מ. בנטוב, שר העבודה הראשון של מדינת ישראל
context_page_description: Mordechai Bentov was an Israeli journalist and politician, and was one of the signatories of the Israeli declaration of independence.
context_section_description: On 14 May 1948 Bentov was one of the 37 people to sign Israel's declaration of independence, and was appointed Minister of Labour and Construction in the provisional government. In 1949 he was elected to the first Knesset as a member of Mapam. He was re-elected in 1951 and 1955, after which he was appointed Minister of Development, a post he held until 1961.
  Although he lost his seat in the 1965 elections, he was appointed Minister of Housing by Levi Eshkol, remaining in the position until 1969.
  He died at his home in Mishmar HaEmek on January 18, 1985 and was buried on the kibbutz. His sister Shulamit Bat-Dori died the following month and was also buried on Mishmar HaEmek.
caption: Mordechai Bentov 1947
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