Kollek, Teddy (1911–)
KOLLEK, TEDDY (1911–)
Israeli politician; mayor of Jerusalem (1965–1993). Born in Hungary, Teddy Kollek moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1934. He was recruited in 1942 by the Jewish Agency to serve as an intelligence officer in Istanbul. After returning from Istanbul, he continued to work for the intelligence branch of the Jewish Agency, procuring arms, primarily in the United States, for the Zionist movement. Following the creation of the State of Israel, he returned to the United States to work in the Israeli embassy, then in 1949 was made head of the United States desk of the Foreign Ministry. From 1952 to 1964 Kollek was director general of the prime minister's office. Kollek first ran for mayor of Jerusalem as representative of the new Rafi Party in 1965. As mayor, following the Arab-Israel War of 1967, he worked toward the unification of Jerusalem, including overtures to the Palestinian population. In 1988 he received the Israel Prize. During his later years in office, Kollek was criticized for devoting more attention to the development of Jewish Jerusalem than to Palestinian Jerusalem. He was defeated in 1993 by Likud candidate Ehud Olmert.