A gift book with a handwritten address by David Ben-Gurion

David Ben-Gurion was an Israeli politician and statesman, the first Prime Minister of Israel (in 1948-1953 and 1955-1963). Ben-Gurion is one of the founding fathers of Israel, it was he who laid the foundation of the Jewish state, directly influencing the solution of key issues and the formation of the main institutions of the State.

On the title page of the book "Be'hilachon Israel", published in 1951, there is a handwritten inscription of Ben-Gurion in Hebrew, consisting of 21 words. Free translation: "To the grieving and proud parents, Pesiya and Eliezer Shapira, for the library in the name of their son Baruch, who consecrated the name of [God] when he gave his life in defense of his homeland. From David Ben-Gurion." This book, which has never been published in English, is accompanied by a full translation.

The first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, dedicated this copy of his book to the parents of an Israeli soldier named Baruch Asher Shapira (1923-1948), who was killed during the Israeli War of Independence (1947-1949). Baruch's parents, Pesia Shapira (1905-1980) and Eliezer Shapira (1900-1974), immigrated from Poland to British Palestine in the 1920s. Baruch was fatally shot in the stomach in April 1948 between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, during the defense of the city.