Arieh Handler

Arieh Handler (May 27, 1915 – May 20, 2011) was a Zionist leader. He was most famous for the being one of the main founders of the Religious Zionist movement in the UK as well as being the last person alive to have been present at the declaration of the State of Israel.^[1][2]

Arieh Handler was born in Bohemia and grew up in Germany.^[3] In his early life, he was heavily involved in helping Jews escape from Germany in the years leading up to the Holocaust.^[2] In the 1930s, he came to Britain and was one of the founders of the British branch of the Religious Zionist youth movement Bnei Akiva. He was also for many years the President of the adult Religious Zionist organisation Mizrachi.^[3]

Shortly before the establishment of the State of Israel, Handler made Aliyah to Israel and became heavily involved in the Zionist movement in Israel, developing close friendships with many Zionist leaders including David Ben-Gurion. As a representative of the Religious Zionist movement, he attended many high-level secret meetings of the Zionist leadership in the lead-up to the establishment of the State of Israel.^[2] He was invited by David Ben-Gurion to attend the declaration of Israel’s independence in Tel Aviv. Until his death in May 2011, Arieh Handler was for many years the last person alive to have been present at the declaration of Israel’s independence.^[2][3]

Handler lived in London for many years afterward doing various jobs for the Israeli government and Israeli and Zionist institutions and was heavily involved in the building up of the Zionist movement in Britain. Whilst in Britain, Handler was also involved in the Labour Party and had close connections with Harold Wilson.^[4]

In 2006, Handler returned to Israel and lived until his death in the Kiryat Moshe neighbourhood of Jerusalem.

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