Editing Levi Eshkol (section)

===Rise to national political career===
During the time of mass immigration to the State of Israel (1949–1950), Eshkol headed the Settlement Department in the [[Jewish Agency]], where he first proposed the idea of settling a good number of these immigrants upon newly founded agricultural farms, in order to solve their housing dilemma. He is noted as saying, "We didn't know exactly what to do with these Jews. Then we interjected from the counsels of our heart, and from the experience that we had amassed thus far, and said: A desolate country, a desolate people; these two things must cause one another to blossom. From this, the idea was born to launch an extensive agricultural settlement operation and absorb a large part of the immigrants."<ref>''Levi Eshkol, the Third Prime-Minister: A Selection of Documents Covering his Life'' [Heb. '''(לוי אשכול - ראש הממשלה השלישי : מבחר תעודות מפרקי חייו (1895-1969'''], ed. Y. Rosental, A. Lampron & H. Tzoref, Israel State Archives (publisher): Jerusalem 2002, chapter 6 - ''In the Jewish Agency, During the Years of Mass Immigration'' (Hebrew)</ref> Eshkol was elected to the [[Knesset]] in 1951 as a member of [[Mapai]] party. He served as [[Agriculture Minister of Israel|Minister of Agriculture]] until 1952.

In the [[1959 Israeli legislative election|1959 legislative election]], Eshkol coordinated Mapai's national campaign with the local party branches. He was also appointed as chairman of the party's committee on social affairs. As internal party tension was growing due to the [[Lavon Affair]], Eshkol was asked to serve as an arbitrator.

In 1961, Ben-Gurion asked to retire as prime minister and recommended Eshkol as his successor. However, Mapai made Ben-Gurion stay. Ben-Gurion continued to lead Mapai in the [[1961 Israeli legislative election|1961 legislative election]] but struggled to form a coalition and relied on Eshkol's negotiations with rival parties.