Yosef Tekoah, 66, Former Israeli Diplomat

NEW YORK - Yosef Tekoah, a Harvard-educated Israeli diplomat, died Sunday (April 14) of a heart attack at age 66.

As a member of Israel's first U.N. delegation, Mr. Tekoah was involved in negotiating cease-fire agreements with neighboring Arab countries after the Independence War of 1948.

He served as Israel's ambassador to the Soviet Union between 1962 and 1965, during the period when Moscow had diplomatic ties with Israel. Relations were ruptured during the 1967 Middle East war, but there has been talk of resuming them.

Mr. Tekoah was also Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. He served during a stormy period, 1968 to 1975, and is remembered for making tough speeches on the 1973 Middle East war.

He later was appointed president and chancellor of Ben-Gurion University in southern Israel. He spent the past few years raising money for the university in the United States.