Former Tel Aviv Mayor Shlomo "Chich" Lahat died early Wednesday at the age of 86, after being hospitalized at Sourasky Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon due to a severe infection. Lahat served four terms as mayor of Tel Aviv, from 1974 to 1993. Lahat is widely credited with modernizing the city and developing it into a cultural center and attractive tourist destination. A section of Tel Aviv's seaside boardwalk is named after him. Lahat was born in Germany in 1927. As a young boy, he moved with his family to British Mandate Palestine. He served in the Haganah and the Israel Defense Forces, and retired from the military in 1973 with the rank of major-general. Lahat then entered politics, joining the Liberal party, one of the parties that become part of the newly founded Likud party ahead of the December 1973 Knesset elections. Lahat became mayor in February 1974, and was re-elected three times, in 1978, 1983, and 1989. His tenure ended in November 1993.
