Noted for his defence of Israel's actions before the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations, former Foreign Minister of Israel, Abba Eban served with the Jewish Agency as a political information officer to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine in 1946. In 1947, he was the liaison officer with the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, as well as a member of the delegation to the General Assembly that played a critical role in the passage of United Nations General Assembly resolution 181(II)(A/RES/181(II)) to partition Palestine. Mr. Eban became the permanent representative of the new state of Israel upon its admittance to the United Nations in 1949. He held that post until 1959, as well as serving as ambassador to the United States. Mr. Eban became minister of education and culture under Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion from 1960 to 1963. From 1959 to 1966, he also served as president of the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 1964, he served as deputy prime minister and became Israel's Foreign Minister from 1966 to 1974.
Ambassador Eban gives his personal account of the adoption of the General Assembly resolution 181(II) in the interview conducted on 16 April 1990. The interview delves into the role of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, the first Special Committee of the United Nations and the attitude towards the different parties involved.