Abba Solomon Meir Eban (born Aubrey Solomon Eban, 1915-02-02 – 2002-11-17) was a South African-born Israeli diplomat, politician, scholar, and orator renowned for his exceptional oratorical skills and mastery of multiple languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, English, Persian, and others. Born in Cape Town to a Jewish family of Lithuanian origin that had fled persecution, his family relocated to London during his childhood, where he was raised, educated, and developed a strong Zionist commitment influenced by his background. Eban excelled academically at Queens' College, Cambridge, studying classics and oriental languages and earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1938. He changed his name to Abba, meaning 'Father' in Hebrew, before serving in British Army intelligence during World War II in the Middle East. He immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1946, quickly rising in diplomatic ranks post-Israel's founding in 1948, and becoming a leading voice in UN debates on Israel's establishment. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, as a representative, he vehemently denied Arab accusations of bacteriological warfare by Jewish forces, accusing Arab states of antisemitic incitement. Eban played a pivotal role in Israel's early diplomacy, serving as Israel's first Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1949-1959), Ambassador to the United States (1950-1959, concurrent), Minister of Education, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1966-1974). His oratorical gifts earned widespread admiration from diplomats and bolstered support for Israel among American Jews. A writer and historian, Eban authored an autobiography and was recognized as a scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages. He was married to Suzy Eban, with whom he was widowed.