Natan Peled

Born in Odessa in the Russian Empire (today in Ukraine), Peled moved with his family to the Bessarabian region of Romania when he was 8, where he studied at a Hebrew school in Chişinău. He joined the Hashomer Hatzair movement, and was the secretary to the organisation's leadership in the country. He was also secretary to the central committee of the HeHalutz movement.

He made aliyah to Mandatory Palestine in 1933, and joined kvutzat Melet in Nes Tziona, where he was also a member of the local Workers' Council. In 1934 he joined kibbutz Sarid, and in 1936 became a member of the executive committee of Kibbutz Artzi, which was affiliated with Hashomer Hatzair, serving on its secretariat until 1939.

Between 1939 and 1944 he was secretary of the Histadrut's security committee. From 1946 until 1948 he served as an emissary of Hashomer Hatzair and the Histadrut in the United States. After his return to Israel, he served as secretary of Hashomer Hatzair-Kibbutz Artzi from 1950 until 1955.

In 1956 he became the political secretary of Mapam (the party affiliated with Hashomer Hatzair), a role he held until appointed Israel envoy to Bulgaria in 1958. In 1960 he became Israel's ambassador to Austria, serving until 1963.

In 1965 he was elected to the Knesset on Mapam's list. Although he lost his seat in the 1969 elections, he was appointed Minister of Immigrant Absorption in July 1970, a role he held until after the 1973 elections. Between 1975 and 1980 he returned to his role as secretary of Kibbutz Artzi.