Pincus, Louis Arieh

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PINCUS, LOUIS ARIEH

PINCUS, LOUIS ARIEH (Louis Abraham ; 1912–1973), Zionist leader. Born in South Africa, Pincus practiced law from 1934 to 1948. He was chairman of the South African Zionist Socialist Party and co-founder of Habonim in the country. He was also vice chairman of the Zionist Federation (1940–48). Pincus settled in Israel in 1948 and served as legal adviser and general secretary of the Ministry of Transportation until 1949. From then until 1956 he was the first managing director of *El Al. He practiced law in Israel from 1957 and was a member of the central bodies of *Mapai, the *Histadrut, and Iḥud Olami from 1956. In 1961 he was elected a member of the *Jewish Agency Executive, and its treasurer. On the death of Moshe *Sharett in 1965, Pincus became acting chairman and at the 27th Zionist Congress (1966) was elected chairman of the executive. He was chairman of the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University.

[Benjamin Jaffe]