Ephraim Katzir, Israel's fourth president, dies at 93

The fourth president of Israel, Ephraim Katzir, died yesterday at the age of 93, at his home on Rehovot's Weizmann Street. Katzir was a world-renowned biochemist and physicist who served as Israel's president from 1973 to 1978.

Katzir (Ephraim Katchalski) was born in Kiev in May 1916. He immigrated to Palestine with his family at the age of 6.

He studied biochemistry at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, eventually receiving a Ph.D. and also teaching there. As a student Katzir was also a counselor in the Noar Haoved youth group and a member of the Haganah, the pre-state underground Jewish militia.

In 1939 Katzir completed the Haganah's first officers' course and became commander of the students' infantry brigade. He played an active role in the Haganah, helping to develop explosives and other weapons. In 1948, during Israel's War of Independence, Katzir was appointed commander of the Israel Defense Forces science corps.

In 1949 Katzir was hired as the founding head of the biophysics department of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot. Ten years later he was awarded the Israel Prize for natural sciences.

In 1966 he was the first Israeli elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. The same year he was appointed chief scientist of the IDF, a post he remained in until 1969.

Katzir began serving as president of Israel in May 1973. In November 1977 Katzir had the honor of welcoming his Egyptian counterpart, Anwar Sadat, in his historic visit to Jerusalem.

Katzir declined to serve a second term due to the illness of his wife. After the end of his term, in May 1978, he resumed his scientific career.