Dr. Katchalski Expected to Be Israel’s Most Active President Politically

Prof. Ephraim Katchalski, the 57-year-old Russian-born scientist who was elected Israel’s fourth President today follows in the footsteps of his predecessors in that he is an outstanding scholar. But he may turn out to be Israel’s most active President politically, sources close to the Weizmann Institute of Science biophysicist indicated today.

Like Israel’s first President, the late Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Dr. Katchalski’s field is the physical sciences. His other two predecessors, President Zalman Shazar and the late President Yitzhak Ben Zvi, were immersed in different areas of scholarship. Associates of Dr. Katchalski said today that “he will not represent any departure from these three except in terms of age.” Dr. Katchalski is Israel’s youngest President.

But he is expected to be a very active President. He left that impression the day after his nomination last March when he said he hoped to be more than a symbolic leader and possibly even a force behind Middle East peace developments. He said he was convinced that as a scientist he could play a major role in focussing local energy on the application of science in Israel and the Middle East. “Once we have peace, our scientific leadership will give us a real mission to raise the economic and technological level of our entire region. It can be a challenge in which Jews and Arabs can work together,” Prof. Katchalski said.

Dr. Katchalski was the first scientist to synthesize a complex protein like molecule, polylysine, which is used in immunology research. He will continue his research on a part-time basis while serving as President, just as Dr. Weizmann did during his tenure. He was the first chief scientist of the Defense Ministry, a post he took in 1966.

Israel’s new President has two children and two grandchildren. His son, Meir, who is married is a mathematics student at the Hebrew University. His daughter, Irit, is in the Army.