Livia rokach biography of william

 ISRAEL'S SACRED TERRORISM 

 



by Livia Rokach, 3rd Edition

A study based on Moshe Sharett's Personal Diary, and agitate documents. Foreword by Noam Chomsky

Index and Foreword
 

 To deteriorate the Palestinian victims of Israel's unholy terrorism, whose sacrifice, affliction and ongoing struggle will thus far prove to be the pain of the rebirth of Palestine

AAUG PRESS ASSOCIATION OF ARAB-AMERICAN Creation GRADUATES, INC., Belmont, Massachusetts


 
First published in the Leagued States of America by AAUG Press c, , by glory Association of Arab-American University Graduates, Inc. All rights reserved deliver the U.S. Published Third Copy
 
Printed in illustriousness United States of America
 
Library of Congress Cataloging calculate Publication Data Rokach, Livia. lsrael's sacred terrorism. (AAUG information find series: no. 23) ISBN

CONTENTS

Foreword


by Noam Chomsky

Preface Border on This Edition
by Naseer H. Aruri
    

(preface notes)

Introduction

Chapters

  1. Moshe Sharett and His Personal Diary
  2. Ben Gurion Goes to Sdeh Boker: Transcendental green Retreat as a Tactic
  3. Retaliation shield War
  4. "A Historical Opportunity" to Inhabit Southern Syria
  5. Let Us Create unadorned Maronite State in Lebanon
  6. Sacred Terrorism
  7. The Lavon Affair: Terrorism to Hale the West
  8. Nasser: Coexistence with Land is Possible. Ben Gurion's Reply: Operation Gaza
  9. Disperse the Palestinian Refugees
  10. and Topple Nasser's Regime

Appendices


  1. Operation Kibya
  2. And Then There was Kafr Qasim
  3. "Soon the Singing Will Goodwill Into a Death Moan"
  4. The Lavon Affair
  5. Israeli Newspaper Reveals Government's Attempt to Stop Publication designate Israel's Sacred Terrorism
  6. Notes

FOREWORD

HISTORY, particularly recent history, is characteristically presented to the general button within the framework of calligraphic doctrinal system based on recognize fundamental dogmas. In the list of the totalitarian societies, excellence point is too obvious enhance require comment. The situation recap more intriguing in societies rove lack cruder forms of squelching and ideological control. The Leagued States, for example, is definitely one of the least brutal societies of past or intercede history with respect to self-determination of inquiry and expression. Much only rarely will an study of crucial historical events carry on a wide audience unless grasp conforms to certain doctrines detailed the faith.

"The United States always starts out with beneficial intentions." With this ritual spell, a liberal critic of English interventionism enters the area notice permissible debate, of thinkable no account of (in this case, William Pfaff, "Penalty of Interventionism," International Amount to Tribune, February ). To appropriate the dogma, a person who is unable to tolerate writer than a limited degree concede internal contradiction must studiously deflect the documentary record, which level-headed ample in a free society- for example, the record sponsor high-level planning exhibited in rectitude Pentagon Papers, particularly the put on tape of the early years understanding U.S. involvement in the mean and early s when high-mindedness basic outlines of strategy were developed and formulated. Within nobleness scholarly professions and the routes the intelligentsia can generally capability counted on to close ranks; they will refuse to give to critical analysis the principles or teachings of the faith, prune rank historical and documentary record straightfaced as to insulate these principles or teachings from examination, and proceed ordain present a version of anecdote that is safely free evacuate institutional critique or analysis. Sporadic departures from orthodoxy are a mixture of little moment as long owing to they are confined to restricted circles that can be undiscovered, or dismissed as "irresponsible" subjugation "naive" or "failing to speak the complexities of history," sustenance otherwise identified with familiar code-words as beyond the pale.

Though relations between Israel and magnanimity United States have not anachronistic devoid of conflict, still at hand is no doubt that involving has been, as is again and again said, a "special relationship." That is obvious at the subject level, as measured by rush of capital and armaments, youth as measured by diplomatic stickup, or by joint operations, although when Israel acted to protect crucial U.S. interests in rendering Middle Last at the age of the crisis involving River, Syria and the Palestinians. Significance special relationship appears at interpretation ideological level as well. Reevaluate with rare exceptions, one corrosion adopt certain doctrines of representation faith to enter the domain of debate, at least beforehand any substantial segment of ethics public.

The basic doctrine quite good that Israel has been ingenious hapless victim-of terrorism, of bellicose attack, of implacable and illogical hatred. It is not unusual for well-informed American political analysts to write that Israel has been attacked four times newborn its neighbors, including even Zion is sometimes chided for fraudulence response to terrorist attack, nifty reaction that is deemed wicked though understandable. The belief range Israel may have had a-okay substantial role in initiating title perpetuating violence and conflict go over expressed only far from nobility mainstream, as a general plan. In discussing the backgrounds wheedle the war, Nadav Safran unredeemed Harvard University, in a exertion that is fairer than height, explains that Nasser "seemed accepting on mobilizing Egypt's military reach an agreement and leading the Arab countries in an assault on Israel." The Israeli raid in Gaza in February was "retaliation" cart the hanging of Israeli hidden in Egypt-it was only sextuplet years later, Safran claims, renounce it became known that they were indeed Israeli agents. Rectitude immediate background for the war is described in terms bring into the light fedayeen terror raids and State retaliation. The terror organized vulgar Egyptian intelligence "contributed significantly resemble Israel's decision to go equal war in and was greatness principal reason for its rebuff to evacuate the Gaza Strip" (Israel- The Embattled Ally, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, ).

To maintain such doctrines as these, or the analysis of supposed fact that conform to them, it is necessary scrupulously make contact with avoid crucial documentation. Safran, love his page study, makes maladroit thumbs down d use of major sources much as the diaries that Livia Rokach reviews here, relevant capabilities of which had been obligated public in , or blue blood the gentry captured Egyptian documents published tenuous Israel in , or time away sources that undermine these analyses (see footnotes 19, 20). Ostentatious the same is true clever the mainstream scholarly literature courier journalism fairly generally.

Moshe Sharett's diary, to which Livia Rokach's monograph is devoted, is beyond a shadow of dou a major documentary source. Pipe remains outside of "official history"-that version of history that reaches more than a tiny company of people unsatisfied by standard doctrine. It is only level-headed to predict that this testament choice remain true in the Coalesced States as long as class "special relationship" persists. If, tip-off the other hand, Israel difficult been, say, an ally unscrew the Soviet Union, then Sharett's revelations would quickly become familiar knowledge, just as no skirt would speak of the Afroasiatic attack on Israel in

In studying the process of guideline formation in any state, close-fisted is common to find grand rough division between relatively obstinate positions that urge the discharge of force and violence talk attain state ends, and "softer" approaches that advocate diplomatic downfall commercial methods to attain description same objectives- a distinction in the middle of "the Prussians" and "the traders," to borrow terms that Archangel Klare has suggested in realm work on U.S. foreign scheme. The goals are basically rendering same; the measures advocated contrast, at least to a moment, a fact that may someday bear on the nature spend the ends pursued. Sharett was an advocate of the "soft" approach. His defeat in countrywide Israeli politics reflected the upper hand of the positions of Height Gurion, Dayan and others who were not reluctant to substantial force to attain their goals. His diaries give a bargain revealing picture of the underdeveloped conflict, as he perceived in the chips, and offer an illuminating percipience into the early history comprehensive the state of Israel, state ramifications that reach to depiction present, and beyond. Livia Rokach has performed a valuable supply in making this material cheerfully available, for the first put on ice, to those who are sympathetic in discovering the real artificial that lies behind "official history."
 

Noam Chomsky, January 1,


 

Preface
 

 
PREFACE Smash into THIS EDITION

IN PURSUITof its well-being of disseminating accurate information keep in mind the Middle East, the Sect of Arab-American University Graduates, Opposition. thought it in the disclose interest to publish this memorize, which analyzes Israeli-Arab relations disintegrate the late s and pitiless in the light of greatness personal diary of Moshe Sharett. 1 Head of the Someone Agency's Political Department from in a jiffy , Sharett became Israel's be in first place foreign minister ( ), underneath David Ben Gurion), and was prime minister in and

Since this book was first in print five years ago, a figure of occurrences have taken fit that point up its lasting significance. Although this work deals primarily with events of probity s, it is of other than historical interest. Indeed, probity information it provides makes service clear that the record style the past quarter century could easily have been predicted; dignity only novel quality is goodness ferocity with which the Jew strategy of the fifties has been carried out in high-mindedness decades that longer does authority Zionist movement feel compelled walkout hide its true intentions. Fraudulence regional alliances with the Phalanges party and other right-wing dash in South Lebanon, and wellfitting special relationship with the Combined States, propel it like systematic juggernaut in pursuit of queenlike goals.

The first edition dressing-down this book appeared when honourableness Middle East and the Combined States were preoccupied with blue blood the gentry Egyptian-Israeli negotiations that led concentrate on the Camp David Accords unthinkable the Egyptian-Israeli treaty of Amble 1 , and with nobility Israeli Invasion of South Lebanon of March Subsequently,the Camp Painter formula not only has bootless to produce the comprehensive compliance promised by President Jimmy Immunology vector, it in fact contributed term paper a second Israeli invasion wear out Lebanon in, June By nullifying Egypt, the Egyptian-Israeli treaty allowable Israel to proceed confidently clatter its plans to crush Arab resistance and obliterate the Arabian national identity, with a fair to perpetuating its occupation emancipation the West Bank, Gaza Shed and Golan Heights. Today, rendering Palestine question is further implant a peaceful and just dose thin at any time recovered the past, while Lebanon continues to hemorrhage and to examine along sectarian lines.

The Encampment David Accords, and the major Reagan Plan introduced in Sep , were grounded in untenable assumptions about lsrael's"security" and Semite threats to that security. Latest developments in the region possess exposed the Reagan administration's whitewash in the Israeli invasion make merry Lebanon,2 which was calculated look after produce results deemed beneficial both to American strategic interests dowel to Israeli expansionist goals. Position interests of the Reagan supervision and lsrael's Likud government amalgamated around three objectives: the bloodbath of the Palestinian infrastructure hit down Lebanon, the redrawing of depiction political map in Lebanon, opinion the reduction of Syria conceal manageable proportions. Pax Americana near pax Israelica were to fleece realized through the campaign cynically dubbed "Peace for Galilee."

The "operation," as well as lying predecessor, the "Litani Operation" accomplish , were part of leadership long-standing Zionist strategy for Lebanon and Palestine, which this modify of the Sharett diary illuminates. In fact,that strategy, formulated mushroom applied during the s, locked away been envisaged at least a handful of decades earlier, and attempts lengthen implement it are still proforma carried out three decades next. On November 6, , copperplate committee of British mandate ministry and Zionist leaders put churn out a suggested northern boundary tend a Jewish Palestine "from honesty North Litani River up border on Banias." In the following origin, at the Paris peace convention, the Zionist movement proposed borders that would have included significance Lebanese district of Bint Jubayl and all the territories get well to the Litani River. Greatness proposal emphasized the "vital market price of controlling all water method up to their sources."

During the Paris conference, Chaim Statesman and David Ben Gurion (who later became, respectively, lsrael's regulate president and first prime minister) attempted to persuade Patriarch Hayik, who headed the Lebanese empowerment, to abandon South Lebanon central part return for a promise look after technical and financial assistance merriment develop the area to character north, which they hoped, would become a Christian state.

The Zionist military forces that invaded Palestine in also occupied hint of the district of Marjayun and Bint Jubayl, and reached the vicinity of the Litani River, but were forced have it in mind withdraw under international pressure. Therefore, in , the leaders declining the newly established state match Israel renewed Zionist claims empty Lebanese water when President Eisenhower's envoy Eric Johnston proposed precise formula of sharing the Litani waters among Lebanon, Syria be first Israel. Israel, in fact, endangered to use force against Lebanon to prevent the utilization show signs the Litani waters to advance South Lebanon.

While these threats were made during the lifetime covered in the Sharett journal, consider what actually happened afterward, during the s, '70s, '80s: In , lsrael's war bite the bullet three Arab states not nonpareil gave Israel possession of get one\'s bearings Palestine (the West Bank), Gaza, the Sinai and the Asiatic Golan Heights, but also enabled Israel to capture the headwaters of the Jordan and Manias rivers. In addition, Israel abandoned Jordan's East Ghor Canal have a word with its Khaled Dam on blue blood the gentry Yarmuk River, which flows bitemark lsrael's Nahariva Pool. In depiction "Litani Operation," Israel established compact control over the Wazzani Effluence, which flows into the River, as well as almost goodness entire length of the Hasbani River. And in the "Operation Peace for Galilee," the broad length of the Litani Stream came under Israeli control."

The goal of profoundly altering distilled water distribution in the region could be achieved only within grandeur context of a vassal claim in Lebanon with a glove puppet government, an endeavor about which the Sharett diary has untold to say (p ff.). Pull off fact, Ben Gurion's plan, kick up a fuss , to establish such dialect trig puppet governments plan enthusiastically certified by Moshe Dayan was at the last moment put in motion nearly fine quarter of a century succeeding. Dayan's "officer" did indeed surface, even bearing the same in single file of "just a major" Vital Sa'd Haddad,whom Israel encouraged surrounding proclaim secession from Lebanon delight in April lsrael's defense minister, Ezer Weizmann, announced his government's benefaction of Haddad's canton of "Free Lebanon": "I consider Haddad excellent Lebanese nationalist and as a good as I know he wants Beirut to become the essentials of a free independent Lebanon once more without interference dismiss the Syrians or the Palestinians."4 Support for Haddad, and mass implication for a Zionist-Phalangist association, was also voiced by prudent Lebanese politicians. Stated Camille Chamoun, "We need such a Asiatic force to struggle in ethics South for the liberation exert a pull on Lebanon, and not just orderly part of Lebanon, and Sa'd Haddad is not a traitor."

But the Zionist proxy "mini-state," which was set up injure a border strip six miles wide and sixty miles make do, was repudiated by the artificial community. A United Nations coarsely, the United Nations Interim Inquire in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was mandated to help reestablish the right of the central Lebanese governance in the South. Israel, nonetheless, defied the relevant United Altruism resolution (which was supported uniform by the Carter administration) avoid persisted in its support commentary Haddad. After a March in person by the Syrian and Asiatic presidents to reassert - impossible to tell apart cooperation with UNIFIL - class authority of the Beirut pronounce in the South, Israel pivotal Haddad's militia bombarded a UNIFIL position, killing three Nigerian private soldiers (March 16, ).

Israel's destabilisation of Lebanon, in pursuit duplicate a Maronite-dominated client state, has taken several forms, ranging take the stones out of extending the Camp David directions to Lebanon, to its major invasion of With regard detain imposing a Camp David cobble together on Lebanon, Menachem Begin indebted a statement to the Country parliament on May 7, , inviting Lebanon to enter stimulus negotiations with Israel on honesty basis of Syrian withdrawal cope with expulsion of the Palestinians unearth Lebanon. This proposal evoked block off enthusiastic response from Bashir Gemayel, commander of the Phalangist Asian Forces, who told Beirut's Weekday Morning on May 28,

"These principles are sound and be obliged be accepted is the rationale for any Lebanese endeavor harmony find a solution. . . . President Sadat accepted boss similar proposal and he hype now leading Egypt to program era of welfare and interest. When shall Lebanon be legal the right to seek corruption own welfare?"

The elder Gemayel, Pierre, added:

"You shall say drift I am defending Sadat bit I defended Sa'd Haddad; hooligan dear, I would be shipshape and bristol fashion coward and without honor theorize I did not defend low point of view" (Al-Safir, Reverenced 2, )

Israel's aggression against Lebanon in was clearly designed unearth cement these alliances between Sion and the "Major" in dignity South and with the Gemayels and Chamouns to the Northern - all in an cause to secure the balkanization settle down vassalization of Lebanon, the obliteration of Palestinian nationalism, and distinction intimidation of Syria. To access these goals, Israeli leaders were willing to risk a enclosure regional war, and indeed put a stop to push the world to what is in every respect wonderful "pre-nuclear" situation. This alone ought to give the American people provoke for concern and action. Row addition,the United States has in case Israel with the economic crucial military means to invade Lebanon, to bomb Baghdad, and draw near perpetuate the occupation of Mandate and of Syrian territory rotation clear violation of U.S. oversight, including the Arms Export Win Act of and the Israel-U.S. Mutual Defense Agreement of

The Israeli invasion so tipped honesty domestic balance in favor watch Israel's Lebanese allies that distinction majority of Muslims, nationalists attend to other anti-Israel groups were heraldry sinister in a clearly submissive corollary. The terms of the prizewinner were dictated to the guy. lsrael's new ally,Bashir Gemayel, was to be president/viceroy of Lebanon, although according to noted Dweller journalist Jonathan Randal, Bashir child, who owed his presidency take it easy Begin and Sharon, complained lose one\'s train of thought these two treated him similar a "vassal."'. The Shultz tie in of May 17, was get through to be Lebanon's Versailles, which would realize the long-standing Zionist vision described in the Sharett paper a "Christian" state that would ally itself with Israel.

Despite the assassination of President-elect Bashir Gemayel before he could make back office, initially matters developed display accordance with Israel's strategy result in Lebanon. The negotiations, handled unreceptive civilians from the two countries' foreign ministries, appeared to keep going headed towards normalization along Bivouac David lines; Israel secured grand liaison office in Beirut, honourableness next thing to an embassy; the Phalanges party and sheltered leader's son, Amin Gemayel, put in the picture the president of Lebanon, began to reshape the country divide their own image. But focus soon became clear that bigoted hegemony, sponsored by Israel remarkable supported by the United States, was a poor substitute cheerfulness even the antiquated confessional plan of By fall , State troops were forced to draw out to the Allah River. Encourage February , President Reagan neat U.S. troops to withdraw, in the long run b for a long time Druze and Shiite fighters thankful a triumphant entry into Beirut (February 10,). President Amin Gemayel, who owed his presidency competent the Israeli invasion, was constrained under new political and soldierly conditions to repudiate the Shultz agreement (March ) and correspond with close Israel's "embassy" in Beirut (July of the same year).

Not only did the Land invasion of fail to contract most of its objectives: Conduct pushed the right-wing Lebanese Fix to a position that confines on fascism and renders unification and reintegration a remote chance. It has exacerbated the Asiatic civil war at an unendurable cost in human lives gift property.

This human tragedy compels us to examine the Land rationale of "security," a modus operandi that has covered a clearly large number of Israeli violations of international law and oneself rights, recently and in justness past. Why, we must present, does Israel in the Westward Bank and Gaza Strip stow universities, shoot students in classrooms and on the street, evict leaders, dismiss mayors, create extravagant settlements and encourage terrorist know-how by settlers all in honourableness name of' "security?". Why, like that which confronted with massive popular energy to its occupation of Southeast Lebanon, did Israel react finetune the same "Iron Fist," at the rear of raids on villages, mass arrests of civilians, wide-scale destruction show consideration for homes and property, and assassinations even though this policy could only further alienate the population."

The personal diary of Moshe Sharett sheds light on that question by amply documenting rank rationale and mechanics of lsrael's "Arab policy" in the latter-day s and the s. Influence policy portrayed, in its uppermost intimate particulars, is one admonishment deliberate Israeli acts of inducement, intended to generate Arab animosity and thus to create pretexts for armed action and protective expansion. Sharett's records document that policy of "sacred terrorism" stomach expose the myths of Israel's "security needs" and the "Arab threat" that have been microwave-ready like self-evident truths from authority creation of Israel to position present, when Israeli terrorism blaspheme Palestinians in the West Chill and Gaza Strip, and blaspheme Palestinians and Lebanese in Southeast Lebanon, has reached an bitter level. It is becoming to an increasing extent evident that the exceptional demographic and geographic alterations in Asiatic society within the present period have been brought about, watchword a long way as the accidental results have a good time the endeavor to guard "Israel's security" against an "Arab threat," but by a drive disperse lebensraum.

Referring to the anarchist bombings that crippled two outstanding West Bank mayors and sting other civilians on June 2, , William Browser, in have in mind article for the New Dynasty Times (June 5, ), explained the apprehension of West Quality Palestinians: although military occupation abridge not new to them, Asiatic terrorism-if that is what illustrate was- is virtually without exemplar in the last thirty years." It behooves Mr. Browser favour the attentive public who apprehends the "news that's fit should print," to examine the hang around precedents amply documented and seldom exceptionally decried by a bewildered Land prime minister who worried intend the moral deterioration in State society in the s lose concentration first prompted revenge as first-class "sacred" principle. In a paragraph quoted in Rokach's study, Sharett wrote:

"In the thirties we close the emotions of revenge. . . . Now, on blue blood the gentry contrary, we justify the combination of reprisal we have disqualified the mental and moral encumber on this instinct and thankful it possible to uphold an eye for an eye as a moral value copperplate sacred principle" (p. 33).

The unmistakeable satisfaction that the maiming topple the two Palestinian mayors induced among many Jewish settlers reaction the West Bank is indicative of the feeling in Zion in the s that caused Sharett so much anguish, very last challenged his conscience. In occurrence, the private armies now make available organized by Jewish vigilante bands determined to keep the full up West Bank and Gaza Fillet under permanent Israeli control, maintain openly advocated the removal keep in good condition all Arabs from occupied Canaan. Although these ultra-nationalists consider previous Prime Minister Menachem Begin prosperous Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir (former members of the terrorist Irgun and Stern gangs) to take become patsies, fools and traitors, and although Begin condemned honourableness attacks on the Palestinian mayors as "crimes of the crush kind," the fact remains ditch the settlers of Gush Emunim and Kach are carrying come forth the settlement policies of position Israeli government. This government provides them with the protection plus economic benefits and equips them with legitimacy. By the selfsame token, it ensures that their victims will be defenseless stand for powerless. The Deir Yassin slaughter, committed by Begin's Irgun Zvei Leumi, and the June 2, bombing, committed by another volunteer group, are products of picture same type of "sacred terrorism."

The thirty-two years that imitate lapsed in the interim possess witnessed innumerable acts of Country terror: it hardly seems vital to recall the aerial barrage of vital civilian infrastructures connect Egypt and Syria in blue blood the gentry late s,7 or the blight of southern Lebanon in nobleness S and'80s, nor to state espy the brutality with which nobleness occupation regime treats the Palestinians in the West Bank existing Gaza, or the many assassinations of Palestinian intellectuals in many European capitals in the exactly s.

A most disturbing fact, which will continue to throttle gag the prospects for Palestinian-Israeli coexistence, is the ascendancy of excellence radical right in Israel. Dismay orientation towards brute force, neat attitude towards Arabs, and well-fitting contempt for debate and decline, leave little room for coexistence. Justifications of acts of obsessiveness against Palestinian civilians are lacking self-control among members of the governmental establishment and Jewish settlers. Israel's former Minister of Science move Energy, Yuval Neeman, Knesset associate Haim Druckman, former chief hold staff Raphael Eytan, and Sephardic chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu negative aspect on record justifying that pitiless of terrorism.8 In July , Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir vowed to work for the ahead of time release of convicted Jewish terrorists, whom he described as "excellent people who made a mistake" (Jerusalem Post, July 12, ). The propensity for violence counter Arabs has been clearly accustomed in interviews of settlers, ant and old, by Israeli stand for Western journalists.9

The radical right now speaks outright of dispossession take up deportation of Palestinians. Israeli sociologist Yoram Peri wrote in Daivar (May 11,) that while Espousal Minister Arens and Foreign Clergyman Shamir speak of annexing say publicly West Bank and Gaza added forging a "pluralistic" society, influence extreme right advocates deportation, spick term which, four years deceitfully, no one would dare complete. "Hence," he wrote, "the nearness of the right to rank Fascist conception of the State."

Another factor that inhibits coexistence is the cavalier manner bland which members of the confirmation claim sovereignty over the Westmost Bank and Gaza. So arrogant of the need to confute and convince was Foreign Cleric Shamir, that his reply nominate a question of why State lay claims to those territories consisted of one word: "Because!" Israel's Chief Rabbi, Shlomo Goren, has remarked that in churchgoing law retaining the occupied territories takes precedence over the burden to save life. Terms much as"Western Eretz Israel" and "Judea and Samaria," which are vitality used with more frequency enjoin emphasis, represent a revival operate the revisionist Zionist notion renounce the "land of Israel" extremely includes modern-day Jordan, and accent Israeli leaders' determination never make out relinquish the illegally occupied Westerly Bank and Gaza Strip.

The more the world tries retain understand the situation in nobleness Middle East,the more the Hebrew organizations in the United States, acting in concert with Sion, try to fog it smooth. lsrael's wars against the Arabs in and obliterated its King image and confirmed it chimp the Goliath of the Medial East. No longer was dwelling possible for the Israeli rule to escape public scrutiny, neglect all the immunity which run into enjoys in the American get out arena, as its forces, demand the name of "security" expulsion Israeli civilians, carried out goodness most ruthless aerial bombardment by reason of U.S. ambassador in Lebanon, whose government used its Security Assembly veto to protest lsrael's clash gains in , described their saturation bombing: "There is clumsy pinpoint accuracy against targets focal open spaces." The Canadian envoy said lsrael's bombing "would brand name Berlin of look like uncluttered tea party. . it run through truly a scene from Dante's Inferno." NBC's John Chancellor said: "I kept thinking of dignity bombing of Madrid during birth Spanish Civil War. are packed in dealing with an imperial Israel." Indeed, in their pure cruelty, given the frequent use pale phosphorus and cluster bombs, primacy Israeli bombings of Beirut, young adult advanced form of state violence, far outstripped the attacks stick to Guernica, Coventry and Dresden.

 

Since this book was gain victory published in , the Hebrew movement has responded to probity growing criticism of Israeli power in a hysterical manner. Direction, monitoring the activities of lsrael's critics in the media, churches and on the campus, capacity gathering and blacklisting reminiscent push the McCarthy period in interpretation United States, are among interpretation tactics employed recently by Israelite organizations to stifle criticism depose Israel. 10 Pinning the anti-Semitic label on critics his comprehend the standard and easiest method to preempt rational discussion hostilities public policy regarding Israel limit to intimidate would-be critics. Nobleness list of victims includes specified distinguished individuals as former Lawmaker Charles Percy, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, former Under Secretary remind you of State George Ball, former Congresswoman Paul Findley," and many different lesser known individuals who rebellious against overwhelming odds to hang on to a job and secure their livelihood. Menachem Begin's famous say after the Sabra and Shatila massacres, which defined criticism tablets Israel as "blood libel desecrate the Jewish people," is graceful stark example of the drift to equate open criticism familiarize yourself anti-Semitism, even as Israel continues to have trade relations existing military cooperation with the governing notoriously anti-Semitic regimes in Main and South America." Israel's warfare against journalists was revealed intricate the legal suit against NBC's reporting of the invasion look up to Lebanon, 13 its repeated allegations that journalists who report data detrimental to Israel do middling only in response to Arabian "threats,"14 and in the bloodshed of CBS crewmen in Southernmost Lebanon, who were covering blue blood the gentry implementation of Israel's "Iron Fist" policy (March 21, ).

Other hysterical responses to increasing oversee of the facts of loftiness Middle Fast conflict have emerged in the writings of propagandists masquerading as scholars. Joan Peters's From Time Immemorial13 turns portrayal on its head by claiming that Jews did not transform native Palestinians, who were supposedly no more than illegal Arabian immigrant workers who moved guard "where they found work." Picture absurd and indefensible allegation cruise there were virtually no Arabs in Palestine prior to depiction Zionist influx, seems intended oppose provide a veneer of validity for lsrael's increasingly violent efforts to make the myth dump there is "no such downfall as a Palestinian" a retiring reality.

The Zionist effort decimate stifle public debate of State actions extended to the put down to study. After unsuccessful attempts newborn the Israeli establishment to overpower publication, in Hebrew, of say publicly Sharett diary in Israel,attempts were made by threats of lawsuit and otherwise to suppress spend publication of this study ship the diary here in class United States. On April 11, the AAUG received communication deseed a well-known law firm lead to New York requesting in say publicly "firmest manner possible" that astonishment refrain from printing, publishing contaminate otherwise reproducing portions of decency diary. The law firm, close on behalf of the cover of the late Moshe Sharett and the Israeli publisher disagree with the diary, threatened to "initiate prompt litigation in a Associated District Court" on the reason of alleged violation of Combined States laws.

Subsequently, the AAUG received a telegram from magnanimity Sharett family emphasizing that ruckus rights would be vigorously covert if the association published "parts or all of Moshe Sharett's diaries." Anxious transoceanic calls were received by our office outlandish the Israeli media. Our exceptional to publish was questioned, nevertheless not on the legal curtilage cited by the Sharett kindred and its legal counsel. A substitute alternatively, we were hysterically accused noise attempting to expose Israel not later than Sharett in a sensationalist form. The Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv headlined a front-page story, "Israel's Haters in the U.S.A. translated sound out No Permission the Diaries attack Moshe Sharett" (April 4, ). According to former Knesset party Uri Avneri, writing in Haolam Hazeh (September 23, ), probity Israeli Foreign Ministry initially thin Moshe Sharett's son, Yaqov, who edited the Hebrew publication state under oath the diary, in his swot up to suppress publication of Livia Rokach's study based on leadership diary. "But to his unsatisfaction, the Foreign Office did party uphold its support for him. The Jerusalem politicians decided focus pursuing a legal course take away stopping the dissemination of loftiness book would be a misconception of the first order, owing to this would give it overmuch more publicity."

Needless to selfcontrol, our accusers not only predisposed our book before its promulgation and cast aspersion on illustriousness organization and the individuals join in in its production; they too assumed that our publication was an unauthorized translation. In act, the material quoted as wordforword translations from the Sharett log or substantially paraphrased from stroll diary comprises only about way of being percent of the diary. Rokach's study utilizes excerpts from interpretation Sharett diary to reinforce near illustrate her own thesis.

We are under no illusion wander the challenge before us was predominantly legal. After all, what Sharett said in his log, limited as it is approval the Hebrew-speaking public, is become aware of revealing; it constitutes an prosecution of Zionism by the nag prime minister of Israel, gain dismantles many erroneous assumptions step the Arab-Israeli conflict. It refutes a three-decade-old dogma and emphasizes the need to reexamine say publicly uncritical support Israel has enjoyed in the West for lying policies toward the Arabs. Thus, the Israelis' need to conquer and censor, to withhold relative and vital information from blue blood the gentry public discourse on the Order Fast. We are painfully reminded of similar attempts to keep back the fraudulent methods which righteousness United States politico-military establishment hard at it in its pursuit of excellence war against the Vietnamese. Picture ability of the establishment take it easy withhold the truth from glory American public prolonged the Annam War and aggravated the popular, economic, and human problems which resulted from that war. Practise will be hoped that loftiness deceptive strategy of David Mount Gurion,which Moshe Sharett documented bill his day-today record, will yell be withheld forever from significance American public, whose lives restrain materially affected by events move the Middle East. Thus, spiky our opinion, Israel's Sacred Obsessiveness has an indisputable significance detailed the formulation of a trim and objective policy towards prestige Middle East.

It is pungent considered opinion that Sharett's Individual Diary, is a very crucial historical resource that sheds some light on Israel's policy reputation the Arab world, particularly extend all of us in honourableness United States who have much a large stake in Order Eastern developments and the ultimate outcome of the conflict. So, the use of Sharett's reliable resource for scholarly study does not infringe the laws.

We have taken particular precautions, in spite of that, to ensure that our selections have been translated accurately, be blessed with not been taken out entrap context and are not slaked or contradicted by anything go wool-gathering Sharett wrote elsewhere in nobleness diary. We are also trustworthy that these selections satisfy honesty "fair use" criteria of Unified States law:

 

1. Rank AALUG is a non-profit, cautionary organization, which is not print this study for commercial development.

2. The nature of Moshe Sharett's diary relates materially imagine the "right of the key to know."

3. The vastness of the ed material reproduced in this publication amounts dole out no m ore than individual percent of the whole.

economic value of the latest work would not suffer stay away from the limited quotations included seep out our study.

 

We thinking comfort in the protection afforded by the First Amendment nurture the United States Constitution yon freedom of speech and magnanimity press and the companion "right of the public to know." The Pentagon Papers were spread out to the public after they had long lain unnoticed take delivery of the archives of the Inhabitant military bureaucracy. The critical be reconciled of their content warranted ditch they should have been unearthed much earlier than their histrionic appearance. Sharett's startling revelations have to not be subjected to rendering same bureaucratic strangulation, or kept back away from the English-reading lever so that their usefulness in the same way a factor in Middle Get one\'s bearings policy is nullified.

 

NASEER H. ARURI, AAUG Publications 1 November  


PREFACE NOTES

 

1. Moshe Sharett, Yoman Ishi (Personal Diary), edited by Yaqov Sharett (Tel Aviv: Ma'a ).

2. Keep example, upon his retirement unveil May , U.S. Ambassador plan Israel Samuel Lewis revealed meander in December Israeli Defense Cleric Ariel Sharon outlined his adaptation for the impending invasion give somebody no option but to U.S. envoy Philip Habib (Washington Post, 24 May ).

3. See for example Thomas Stauffer, "Israel Calculates the Price personal Peace: Money and Water," Christly Science Monitor, 13 January , and "Israel's Water Needs Possibly will Erode Path to Peace put it to somebody Region," Christian Science Monitor, 20 Januarv ; John Cooley, "Syria Links Pull-Out to Guaranteed Impend to Water," Washington Post, 8 June ; and Leslie Maxim. Schmida, "Israel's Drive for Water," Link, 17, 4 (November ).

4. Quoted in al-Nahar splendid al-Sa ir, 22 April

5. Quoted in The Isolationist-Israeli Union Is a Phenomenon that Threatens the Unity of Lebanon, be on fire at the World Congress recognize Solidarity with the Lebanese Community, Paris, 16 18 June (Beirut: Information Bureau of the Asian National Movement, ), 9.

6. Jonathan C. Randal, Going Ending the Way: Christian Warlords, Asian Adventurers, and the War harvest Lebanon (New York: Viking Appeal to, ),

7. In the distinguishing s and the early severe, Israeli bombing reduced the Afrasian cities of Suez, Port Put into words and Ismailia to ghost towns. During the same period Land carried out repeated air raids against Syria. Following the offend of eleven Israeli athletes even the Munich Olympics in , at least people, almost style civilians, were killed in Land "reprisal" raids in Syria solitary. David Hirst, The Gun tell the Olive Branch (London: Futura, ),

8. See articles make wet Yoram Peri in Davar, Unrestrained I May Ya'acov Rahamim wrench Ma'ariv, 14 December , obscure Mary Curtius, "Israeli Debate: Requisite Settlers Be Pardoned," Christian Discipline Monitor, 15 Julv

9. Cloak, for example, Christian Science Supervisor, 10 May

At betrayal annual convention in , position Middle East Studies Association cryed on the American Israel The population Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and dignity Anti-Def'amation League of B'nai B'rith to "disavow and refrain from" blacklisting practices against scholars don students. For more information patronage efforts by supporters of Sion to quash open debate, gaze, for example, Naseer Aruri, "The Middle East on the U.S. Campus," Link, 18, 2 (May June ).

Former Assembly-man Findley documents the pervasive pressure of the American Israel Catholic Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in They Dare to Speak Out (Westport, Conn.: Lawrence Hill, ).

For a detailed analysis dig up lsrael's relations with Central Land regimes, see Milton Jamail alight Margo Gutierrez, It's No Secret: lsrael's Military, Involvement in Basic America, forthcoming, AAUG. See as well Israel Shahak, Israel's Global Role: Repression (Belmont, Mass.: AAUG, )

In May a pro-Israel group known as Americans annoyed a Safe Israel (AFSI) filed a petition with the In alliance Communications Commission to deny refilling of licenses for station WNBC-TV in New York and vii other NBC affiliates, charging go NBC had presented one-sided sum of the war in Lebanon. See Christian Science Monitor, 14 May AFSI also commissioned Prof Edward Alexander to write boss study, which appeared under loftiness title NBC's War In Lebanon: The Distorting Mirror ().

An example is Ze'ev Chafets, Double Vision: How the Beseech Distorts America's Media, of loftiness Middle Last (New York: William Morrow, ). Chafets is one-time head of the Israeli retain office in Jerusalem. American smooth have vigorously denied these allegations. (See, e.g., Charles Glass, ABC Beirut correspondent, in CPJ Uplift [published by the Committee realize Protect Journalists], November December ).

New York: Harper direct Row, For critical reviews past its best Peter'sbook, see Norman Finklestein, inconsequential In These Times, 5 11 September , , Muhammad Hallaj, "From Time Immemorial: The Reappearance of a Myth," Link, 18, 1(January March ); and Ian Gilmour and David Gilmour, regulate Arab Studies Quarterly, 7, 2 3 (Spring/Summer ),

AAUG Publications Committee, November  

 


INTRODUCTION

 

POPULAR SUPPORT of Israel over justness last quarter of a 100 has been based on capital number of myths, the maximum Persistent of which has antiquated the myth of lsrael's fastness, Implying the permanent existence resembling grave threats to the trace of Jewish society in Canaan, this myth has been meticulously cultivated to evoke anxious carbons in public opinion to acquiesce, and even encourage, the burst open of large amounts of citizens funds to sustain Israel militarily and economically. "Israel's security" problem the official argument with which not only Israel but too the U.S. denies the resolve of self-determination in their stream country to the Palestinian generate. For the past three decades it has been accepted likewise a legitimate explanation for lsrael's violation of international resolutions business for the return of illustriousness Palestinian people to their accommodation. Over the past thirteen days Israel has been allowed be adjacent to evoke its security to vindicate its refusal to retreat dismiss the Arab and Palestinian territories occupied in Security is unmoving the pretext given by continual Israeli governments for widespread massacres of civilian populations in Lebanon, for expropriations of Arab domain, for the establishment of Human settlements in the occupied territories, for deportations, and for partial detentions of political prisoners. Granted the security of the Arabian populations in the whole belt has been repeatedly threatened dominate these years by overt captivated covert warfare, terrorist plots don subversive designs, and although Dry run resolutions demand the establishment atlas secure borders for all states in the region, so isolated only lsrael's security has antiquated at the center of omnipresent discussion.

The persistence of high-mindedness myth of Israel's security shows that there is considerable the populace belief in the so-called Arabian commitment to eliminate the Somebody state. Most of the gala Western writers who present that case derive their arguments unfamiliar Zionist versions of events acquit yourself the late s, at depiction time of the establishment archetypal Israel, and in the mids, when Nasser came to govern. They go on from these arguments to present Israel's alleged struggle for security and aliveness as a moral issue. Position media often furnish politicians, who have other reasons for their political and military support worldly Israel, with the convenient jet of the West's moral dependability to Israel.

Other versions recollect approaches to the facts enjoy more often than not bent ignored. For example, recent disclosures by Nahum Goldmann (Le Monde Diplomatique, August ) have asleep practically unnoticed. Goldmann, who footing more than thirty years armed the pro-Zionist World .Jewish Meeting, charges that the Arabs were not consulted about the breakup of Palestine in , settle down further that their willingness cling on to negotiate a political compromise ditch might have prevented the hostilities was vetoed and undermined insensitive to Ben Gurion before May

The recently published Personal Diary finance Moshe Sharett (Yoman Ishi. Association Aviv: Ma'ariv, , in Hebrew) now offers a decisive take up authoritative contribution to the demystification of the myth of lsrael's security and its security policies. Between and Sharett guided high-mindedness foreign relations of the Policy movement, as head of honesty Jewish Agency's Political Department, ahead from to he was lsrael's foreign minister. In and blooper was its prime minister chimpanzee well. The following pages reside extracts from Sharett's diary demonstrating the following points:

 

1 .The Israeli political /military arrangement never seriously believed in aura Arab threat to the energy of Israel. On the wayward, it sought and applied ever and anon means to exacerbate the difficulty of the Arab regimes equate the war. The Arab governments were extremely reluctant to imply in any military confrontation second-hand goods Israel, yet in order control survive they needed to delegation to their populations and journey the exiled Palestinians in their countries some kind of gentleness to lsrael's aggressive policies wallet continuous acts of harassment. Take away other words, the Arab warning was an Israeli-invented myth which for internal and inter-Arab postulate the Arab regimes could cry completely deny, though they all the time feared Israeli preparations for well-ordered new war.

2. The Land political/military establishment aimed at resourceful assertive the Arab states into soldierly confrontations which the Israeli front line were invariably certain of captivating. The goal of these confrontations was to modify the distressed of power in the locale radically, transforming the Zionist executive into the major power resolve the Middle East.

3. Divide order to achieve this vital calculated purpose the following tactics were used:

a) Large- and minor military operations aimed at nonbelligerent populations across the armistice hold your fire, especially in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank become more intense Gaza, then respectively under blue blood the gentry control of Jordan and Empire. These operations had a substitute purpose: to terrorize the populations, and to create a immutable destabilization stemming from tensions amidst the Arab governments and righteousness populations, who felt they were not adequately protected against Asian aggression.

b) Military operations break the rules Arab military installations in impertinence areas to undermine the pride of the armies and concentrate the regimes' destabilization from contents their military structures.

c) Clandestine terrorist operations in depth soul the Arab world, used muster both espionage and to make fear, tension and instability.

 

4. lsrael's achievement of neat strategic purpose was to have reservations about realized through the following means:

a) New territorial conquests twirl war. Although the armistice agreements assigned to Israel a zone one-third larger than had influence UN partition plan, the State leadership was still not crestfallen with the size of influence state, the borders of which it had committed itself soft-soap respect on the international plane. It sought to recover be inspired by least the borders of district Palestine. The territorial dimension was considered to be a important factor in Israel's transformation talk over a regional power.

b) Civic as well as military efforts to bring about the settlement of all Arab and Arab claims to Palestine through high-mindedness dispersion of the Palestinian refugees of the war to faroff parts of the Arab faux as well as outside justness Arab world.

c) Subversive action designed to dismember the Arabian world, defeat the Arab nationwide movement, and create puppet regimes which would gravitate to character regional Israeli power.

 

In providing documentation on the overwhelm points, Sharett's Diary deals trim deadly blow to a enumerate of important interpretations which untidy heap still being presented as authentic truths. Among these are magnanimity following items:

 

1. To that date the majority of scholars and analysts cite the communisation of the Suez Canal in the same way the chief motivation for say publicly October war, It is thereby implied that the projected Brits and French aggression against Empire provided Israel with an abstraction to achieve the termination several fedayeen attacks from across nobleness armistice lines, and to straighten out its accounts with Nasser's structure, to which these attacks were attributed.

What Sharett tells dutiful now is that a higher ranking war against Egypt aimed delay the territorial conquest of Gaza and the Sinai was harden the Israeli leadership's agenda contempt least as early as influence autumn of , almost organized year before Nasser ousted Neguib and consolidated his leadership. Leave behind was agreed then that description international conditions for such top-hole war would mature within straight period of about three epoch. The Israeli military attack commentary Gaza in February was intentionally undertaken as a preliminary effect of war. A couple domination months later a government elect to commence a war trigger conquer the Gaza Strip trip over with the strenuous opposition counterfeit the foreign minister, whose partisan liquidation was thereupon decided shy the supporters of the bloodshed policy, headed by Ben Gurion. Had the prospect of dignity tripartite aggression not appeared multiplication the horizon in later months, Israel would have gone crowd to attack Egypt according respecting its own plans, and, further, with U.S. consent.

2. Grandeur occupation by Israel of influence West Bank and Gaza steadily has been described, and assay still widely understood today, monkey an Israeli defensive action deal the face of Arab threats. Sharett's Diary offers unequivocable documentation that the occupation of Gaza and also of the Western Bank was part of lsrael's plans since the early decade. American Zionist leaders were wise about these plans in , In , Jewish and Arabian lives were sacrificed in adroit series of provocative attacks undertaken to create a pretext gather the occupation of Jordanian tract. The chief obstacle postponing that occupation was Britain's residual feature in Jordan upholding the Hashemite throne.

3. The continuing, wild Israeli aggression in Lebanon importunate is being attributed, shamelessly, solve Israeli security needs. In wholly, Israeli spokesmen, echoed by Relationship media, try to explain lsrael's massive intervention in Lebanon captivated the Lebanese events in communal, with the following historical arguments:

a)In the struggle between Muslims and Christians, a conflict which would have broken out apart from of outside interference, Israel's pretend has been limited to honesty defense of the Christian age.

b)The presence of the Mandate resistance, or in Israeli wording, of Palestinian terrorism in dump country required Israeli intervention.

 

Sharett's Diary, however, provides loftiness entire documentation of how predicament Ben Gurion developed the devilish plans to "Christianize" Lebanon, ie, to invent and create use scratch the inter-Lebanese conflict, suffer of how a detailed draft for the partition and eriority of that country to Sion was elaborated by Israel excellent than fifteen years before character Palestinian presence became a national factor in Lebanon.

The prevail on of terror and aggression brand provoke or create the presence of an Arab threat signify lsrael's existence was summed click by the then "number two" of the Zionist state's hierarchy:

 

"I have been composition on the long chain addendum false incidents and hostilities miracle have invented, and on dignity many clashes we have irritated which cost us so well-known blood, and on the violations of the law by too late men-all of which brought honoured disasters and determined the inclusive course of events and premeditated to the security crisis".

 

 A week earlier, Moshe Statesman, then lsrael's chief of pike, explained why Israel needed lock reject Any border security permission offered by the neighboring Semite States, or by the In partnership Nations, as well as birth formal security guarantees suggested antisocial the United States. Such guarantees, he predicted, might "tie lsrael's hands." Presumably, that would tender unjustifiable or even impossible those attacks and incursions across depiction armistice lines which through representation mid- s went under interpretation euphemistic name of reprisal activities. These actions, Dayan said,

 

"are our vital lymph. They . . . . relieve us maintain a high stress among our population and stop in full flow the army. . . create order to have young lower ranks go to the Negev amazement have to cry out defer it is in danger". (26 May , 1)

 

 The creation of a siege outlook in Israeli society was justifiable to complement the prefabricated parable of the Arab threat. Magnanimity two elements were intended quick feed each other. Although Country society faced a serious gamble of social and cultural deterioration under the impact of capital mass immigration of Asian pointer North African Jews into distinction pre-state's ideologically homogeneous community, rectitude purpose of the siege brainpower was not so much make certain of attaining a defensive resolve in Israel's Jewish society. Colour up rinse was calculated principally to "eliminate the moral brakes" required reconcile a society to fully bounds a police which constituted trim complete reversal of the educational ethical code on which treason formal education was based stand for from which it was accepted to derive its vital vigilant. Of course, this ethical enactment had not been respected critical the past either. Aggression stake terrorism had been exercised gross the Zionists before and at hand the war. The following declaration of a soldier who participated in the occupation of illustriousness Palestinian village of Duelma bask in is only the most fresh disclosed of a long sequence of evidence:

 Killed between 80 weather Arabs, women and children. Touch kill the children they destroyed their heads with sticks. With reference to was not one house hard up corpses. The men and platoon of the villages were countenance into houses without food imperfection water. Then the saboteurs came to dynamite the houses. Procrastinate commander ordered a soldier come to get bring two women into span house he was about anticipation blow up. . . . Another soldier prided himself look upon having raped an Arab female before shooting her to grip. Another Arab woman with grouping newborn baby was made redo clean the place for dexterous couple of days, and at that time they shot her and goodness baby. Educated and well-mannered commanders who were considered "good guys". . . became base murderers, and this not in honourableness storm of battle, but though a method of expulsion alight extermination. The fewer the Arabs who remain, the better. (quoted in Davar, 9 June )

 But these episodes did distant filter through to the country at large. The War decay Independence was ritualized, on excellence contrary, as a miraculous hurt somebody's feelings of (Jewish) right against (Arab) might. Deir Yassin was (falsely) described by tile ruling Labour establishment as an isolated sports ground even condemnable case, a commodity of the brutality of representation minority lrgun group. Manuals, nursery school textbooks, history books, anthologies essential the media placidly glorified say publicly moral quality of the combat, the "Puritv of the weapons" used by the army, honesty Jewish ethos underlying the accuse.

 The security or reprisals plan of the s represented, detect this sense, a qualitative hurdle. The strategic designs were apparent, by the Israeli leaders in the flesh, is totally irrational in get the gist to the regional realities, vital especially in respect to representation international context to which Yisrael had formally committed itself. So, the support required for take part inside the country had set a limit be total, i.e., emotional, supposedly apparent instinctive, with no concessions unearthing rationality and no moralistic let slip. A strategic goal such little the transformation of Israel impact a regional power inevitably professed the use of large-scale, govern violence, and could not have an effect on even mythically to be attained on the basis of interpretation earlier moral superiority doctrine which, therefore, had to be replaced with a new one. Fighting and "revenge" were now permission be glorified as the fresh "moral. . . and much sacred" values of Israeli state. The resurgent militarism no someone needed the idealistic, socialist hair of a Paimach: the noncombatant symbol was now Unit , led by Arik Sharon.

 The process of this cultural unvarying more than political transition was not automatic. In fact, whilst Dayan admitted in the sweep away quotation, much anxiety had cause problems be generated to encourage inflame. The lives of Jewish butts also had to be surrendered to create provocations justifying next reprisals, especially in those periods in which the Arab governments succeeded in controlling the reactions of the harassed and furious Arab border populations. A pummelling, daily propaganda, controlled by picture censors, was directed to to give food or a supply of content the Israeli population with carveds figure of the monstrosity of honourableness Enemy. More images showed desert negotiated security arrangements with description Enemy could only be understood as a fatal proof loom Israeli weakness.

 The final converge of this process which Sharett watched in the s was the election of Menachem Commence as prime minister in Sharett's Zionist perspective was based public disgrace a political/diplomatic alternative to goodness terror strategy of Ben Gurion and his followers. This, stylishness thought, could consolidate the foundation of a Jewish state pull off Palestine and perhaps enlarge stir in the future, without larger concessions to the surrounding Arabian world. Sharett believed his goals could be achieved without stressful the West. Indeed, he go with Israeli plans could be problematic with the West's. He perspicuously perceived as fascist the inferential behind lsrael's security doctrine, cope with correctly evaluated its consequences waning moral corruption on the intimate level and increasing violence system the regional level. He disinclined it, and was certainly close-fitting most illustrious victim. His worried, however, was inevitable, because culminate dissent from the strategy was quantitative more than qualitative: high-speed methods rather than substance; severity the number, for example, admire the victims of a subject military action and only cursorily on the ideology behind much actions. Basically, in the make inroads of his unflagging Zionist trust, he was as fascinated introduction repelled by the strategy, little envious of its immediate legitimize as he was worried go out with its longer range consequences near international repercussions for Zionism existing Israel.

 The liquidation of ruler dissenting presence was considered necessary to the realization of prestige Israeli political/military leadership's megalomaniac reprove criminal designs. His intrinsic feebleness consisted in his seemingly reasoning hope that the so-called free West would prevent the remark of his opponents' designs. Without fear relied on the West comparatively than on the awakening beat somebody to it a local, popular conscience which he had the power challenging the information to provoke however which as a Zionist prohibited could not and dared distant do.

 On the contrary, until now his scruples and torments crystal-clear almost invariably ended up collaborating with his adversaries, and lay into those elements in the cover establishment who conspired against him, in the fabrication and dissemination of deliberately distorted versions goods events and policies for servant and international consumption.

 In deft historical perspective Sharett's self-portrait hoot it emerges from his Physical Diary, thus also explains reason no so-called moderate Zionist situate is possible,and how any origin to liberalize Zionism from picture inside could not but-as has repeatedly been the case-end confine defeat. A clear, lucid, shifting logic runs through the narration of the past three decades. In the early fifties goodness bases were laid for formation a state imbued with influence principles of sacred terrorism antipathetic the surrounding Arab societies edge the threshold of the decennium the same state is add to the first time denounced afford its own intellectuals as use tightly in the deadly grasp of fascism.

 This may ability just one more reason reason Western journalists, scholars sand analysts may find themselves greatly strained by the following document. These commentators still insist on upholding the presumed moral commitment pressure the West to what they obstinately continue to mystify abridge Israel's security. In this doctrine Sharett's Diary, is potentially withering to Zionist propaganda as say publicly Pentagon Papers were in care to U.S. aggression in Vietnam.


CHAPTER 1: Moshe Sharett and Her highness Personal Diary

Moshe Sharett (Shertok) was born in Harsson, Russia, hobble He emigrated with his lineage his father was a burning Zionist activist-to Palestine in , at the age of xii. The family settled in authority Arab village of Ein Sinya, near Nablus. Later, Moshe, rulership brother and three sisters would describe that two-year period, by means of which they studied Arabic, mincing with the children of rank village and learned fascinating romantic from the village's elders sort the happiest time of their lives. In the Shertok kindred moved to Tel Aviv, disc Moshe entered the Hertselyah Feeling of excitement School. At the outbreak elaborate World War 1, he was conscripted into the Ottoman legions, where he took an officer's course and then served introduce an officer, mostly in Syria. After the war, while high-mindedness British Mandate was established heritage Palestine, he graduated from honourableness London School of Economics, trip shortly thereafter entered political movement in the ranks of Experience Zionism. He was a creation member of Mapai (Party souk the Workers of Eretz Israel), and became chief editor possession Davar, the daily organ slate the Histadrut (the trade conjoining federation dominated by Mapai). Consequent he was appointed as surrogate to Haim Arlosorov, the attitude of the Jewish Agency's Factional Department. After Arlosorov was murdered on a Tel Aviv seaside in , Sharett was fit as his successor. The Chairperson of the Jewish Agency outburst that time was David Peak abundance Gurion. According to Sharett, rank conflict with Ben Gurion which characterized their twenty-five years castigate close collaboration at the top of the Zionist movement queue the state of Israel, originated in suspicions on Ben Gurion's part that Sharett was trusty to Chaim Weizmann, the concert-master of the World Zionist Congregation. In the s Ben Gurion accused Sharett, unjustly according hurtle the latter, of collaborating let fall Weizmann to negotiate, with U.S. mediation, an agreement between dignity Zionist movement and the Ameer Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Sharett claimed that in reality perform contributed to the failure pay the bill those negotiations. But according cast off your inhibitions Dr. Nahum Goldmann, Sharett was again involved in with Goldmann in negotiations mediated by U.S. Secretary of State George Player, aimed at obtaining a civic solution to the problem behove the Zionist presence in Mandate, possibly leading to creating orderly Middle Eastern Confederation including adroit Zionist entity. The main go-between on the Arab side was to be Egyptian Foreign Line Nukrashi Pasha. These negotiations, which were expected to prevent dignity first Arab-Israeli war, would suppress meant postponing the date required for the proclamation of position state of Israel by adroit few weeks. Ben Gurion vetoed the negotiations, rejected the halt, and accused Sharett of produce opposed to the creation appreciate the state, an accusation significant vehemently denied. Fundamentally, Ben Gurion's preference for the use illustrate force, versus Sharett's preference staging the diplomatic method to bring off the same goals, was nobleness basis for the conflict mid these two Zionist leaders, which lasted until Shtrett was ousted from the Israeli government pull off June Moshe Sharett died attach importance to Tel Aviv in The Live Diary, which Moshe Sharett wrote from October to November pillowcases the last years of climax political activity as lsrael's be in first place foreign minister, including the bend in half years in which he replaced Ben Gurion as the crucial minister. It then extends go beyond the first fifteen months announcement the tormented inactivity following rulership political demise. Moshe Sharett stoppedup writing his diary in character middle of a phrase coarse November 29, His last keep information identify one of his onetime collaborators, considered a close unauthorized and political friend, as single of the conspirators against him. The Diary, a 2, event document in eight volumes, contains the daily notes and aide-memoires in which Sharett recorded emanate events: personal, family, and company happenings, as well as stateowned and international meetings of make ready importance, conversations with his bride or other members of rank family alongside administrative questions with reference to his ministry and comments document cabinet meetings. The intimate humanitarian of the Diary, together unwanted items the exceptionally authoritative position flash its author, constitutes a meagre guarantee of credibility. Unlike keep inside memoirs which have come dawn on of Israel in recent duration, and which were written vindicate publication, Sharett's Diary hardly commode be suspected of distortion, superintend glorification or subjectively polemic contemplate. It is not surprising kid all, therefore, that Sharett's woman and his family were subjected to immense pressures to music from publication, or at minimum to submit the document confront Labor Party censorship. Sharett's individual Ya'acov finally decided to put out the complete writings.


CHAPTER 2 Ben Gurion Goes to Sdeh Boker: Spiritual Retreat as topping Tactic

Moshe Sharrett jotted the culminating of the daily notes make happen his personal diary on Oct 9, Shortly before that, Elevation Gurion, who was prime clergyman and minister of defense, declared his intention to withdraw evacuate government activities. Sharett, who difficult been second in command feign Ben Gurion since the pre-state days, was slated to alter him as Israel's prime ecclesiastic. He would also retain rectitude foreign ministry.

To public be of the same mind at large, Ben Gurion's target to retire was presented hearty as a spiritual exercise, dinky measure capable of galvanizing State and Jewish youth and defensible for leading the Zionist clich back to the abandoned honest of pioneering and settlement. Central part reality, while the state was spending millions of pounds roomy the construction of a "hut" for Ben Gurion in description kibbutz Sdeh Boker in Desert, and on related security deed communications arrangements, the Old Mortal already knew, and informed diadem collaborators, that his absence immigrant the government would last inform two years. Behind the operations idealizing his withdrawal was clean scenario meticulously prepared by him and his men. Even misuse, just four years after rank war, the security establishment was ready with plans for lsrael's territorial expansion. The armistice figure established in Rhodes, although derived so as to grant Sion over a third more best the territory allotted it induce the UN partition resolution contain , were considered unsatisfactory incite the army, which aspired bear out recover at least the borders of mandate Palestine. Ben Gurion had theorized already about honesty necessity for Israel to mature the regional power in prestige Middle East. Toward the comprehension of this goal a design for the destabilization of ethics region also had been drawn: operatively, as we shall power, its pivot for the consequent quarter of a century was to be the political-military plan known under the false label of "retaliation." The international hit it off for the implementation of that strategic design, though, had even to be prepared.

Economic extract military aid from the Westward, in particular, was an authentic condition. At the same delay, rapprochement between the West last the Arab world had dressingdown be prevented. Toward this publicize, the West had to carve persuaded that Israel would background its best bet in rectitude region militarily, and this was another of the major advantage of the massive reprisal attacks launched across the borders past as a consequence o the Israeli army. At primacy same time, though, the Westmost should not be alarmed precipitately about Israel's intentions, because give you an idea about was not ready yet bring out support these Israeli aims. Mountain Gurion's formal withdrawal, and emperor (formal) replacement by the "moderate" Sharett, was interpreted by worldwide diplomacy as a sign consider it Israel was not headed mention war. Since the launching disruption the reprisal actions, such fastidious fear was prevalent in rectitude Arab world.

In the brief range, the Israeli design was aimed at slowing down probity negotiations between Arab states which were pressing to be barbellate, and the West, which was reluctant to arm them. Remark the meantime, the idea cruise the military actions were spontaneous for no purpose other mystify their declared one-protecting lsrael's neutral populations against guerrilla-type attacks flight Arab territories -would gain beget credibility under the premiership unredeemed Sharett, a man notoriously loving to moderation and diplomacy. Grandeur myth of Israel's Security, admiration at generating a consensus, would have its strength enhanced outline a greater extent in Alp Gurion's absence. Thus, he went off to Sdeh Boker, attended by the aura of top-notch pioneer-saint, and Sharett prepared come to get take over, or so subside thought. In fact, Ben Gurion was to keep control dead weight the real channels of topmost.


Chapter 3 Retaliation for Clash

On October 11th, , honourableness foreign minister and would-be pm noted in his diary think it over he had been to inspect Ben Zvi, the president extent the state:

Ben Zvi protuberant as usual some inspired questions such as do we put on a chance to occupy goodness Sinai and how wonderful site would be if the Egyptians started an offensive which surprise could defeat and follow occur an invasion of that benefit. He was very disappointed like that which I told him that rectitude Egyptians show no tendency bright facilitate us in this position task through a provocative problematic on their side. (11 Oct , 27)

The next day Eminence Gurion informed Sharett that Pinhas Lavon, a staunch supporter homework the retaliation policy, would add up to him as the minister type defense, and that he was about to nominate Moshe Statesman as the armed forces lid of staff.

I said ahead that Moshe Dayan is uncut soldier only at war at this point but during peace time flair is a politician. The position means ":politicization": of the ignoble. The new Chief of' Staff's immense capacity for plotting professor intrigue-making will yield many conditions. Ben Gurion admitted to rectitude truth of these definitions illustrious even added that Dayan human being defined himself this way unthinkable sought to disqualify himself sect the job, but never treasure, it will be all okay. I left with a tense heart. (ibid., 29)

Sharett considered picture international climate at that fluster to be unfavorable to Israel: the U.S. has just established to supply arms to Syria and Iraq, and to raise your fists Egypt soon after the eradicate of the Canal Zone Pact. In addition, lsrael's constant violations of the UN demands stroll it cease diversion of say publicly Jordan River and adhere cause somebody to the Johnston Plan were prep after increasing consternation in Western more northerly. The West had cultivated dignity hope that an Arab-Israeli consent on the diversion of leadership Jordan waters would, if reached and implemented, become the footing for a wider agreement desert would take the wind unfold of growing anti-Western nationalist tensions in the area.2 According be the UN observers' chief, Scandinavian General Wagen Benike, ":the Israelis have worked and are calm working on Arab lands. Surprise [the Israelis] are changing blue blood the gentry terrain strategically.": (15 October , 39) This, Sharett comments, run through really a shameful deed:

I inquired several times, and talking to time I was solemnly free from doubt that no Arab land has been touched. After Benike bass me that it was -carat to him that our be concerned was begun on Arab spit I again interrogated Amir [head of the Water Works Dept.] who now admits the information Thus I have been undemanding to appear as a fibber in front of the full world! (31 October , 32)

Fearing that an overdose of Asiatic violence at this moment strength precipitate a crisis with position West, Sharett tried to force the Kibya reprisal operation which had been endorsed by Mount Gurion on the eve familiar his departure for a retire b escape preceding his formal retreat. Significant pointed out that the thin border incident, which was round on have served as a cover for the planned attack analysis the West Bank village, abstruse just been publicly condemned brush aside Jordan, and that the Asian representatives in the mixed suspension of hostiliti commission had promised to watch to it that similar incidents would not be repeated.

I told Lavon that this [attack] will be a grave throw into turmoil, and recalled, citing various precedents, that it was never stable that reprisal actions serve their declared purpose. Lavon smiled skull kept to his own solution Ben Gurion, he said, didn't share my view. (14 Oct , 37)

According to picture first news from the precision side, thirty houses have back number demolished in one village. That reprisal is unprecedented in secure dimensions and in the repugnant power used. I walked totalling and down in my coach, helpless and utterly depressed newborn my feeling of impotence. . . . I was barely horrified by the description inferior Radio Ramallah's broadcast of grandeur destruction of the Arab village- Tens of houses have anachronistic razed to the soil tolerate tens of people killed. Uproarious can imagine the storm defer will break out tomorrow pride the Arab and Western uppermost. (15 October , 39)

I must underline that when Unrestrained opposed the action I didn't even remotely suspect such trig bloodbath. I thought that Beside oneself was opposing one of those actions which have become graceful routine in the past. Abstruse I even remotely suspected drift such a massacre was be familiar with be held, I would have to one`s name raised real hell. (16 Oct , 44)

Now the swarm wants to know how miracle [the foreign ministry] are found to explain the issue. Happening a joint meeting of crowd and foreign ministry officials Shmuel Bendor suggested that we speak that the army had cack-handed part in the operation, on the contrary that the inhabitants of magnanimity border villages, infuriated by foregoing incidents and seeking revenge, operated on their own. Such keen version will make us materialize ridiculous: any child would state that this was a soldierly operation. (16 October )

Yehoshafat Harkabi [then Assistant Chief dressing-down Military Intelligence] reported movements type Jordanian troops from Transjordan indifference the West Bank in bend over directions from Irbid to righteousness Nablus region and from Amman to Jerusalem. I thought guarantee these movements did not acquit preparations for attack but [were] only preparations for aggression file our side. It is preposterous that they did not reach the summit of the impression that the cannonade of Kibya means, if snivel a calculated plan to writing war, then at least consent to have one starting significance a consequence of the troop. "Fati" said that according observe Radio Ramallah 56 bodies own already been extracted from description ruins. (17 October , 44 45)

At 3 P.m. Russel [U.S. Charge d'At'faires] and Poet Fried [U.S. Attache] came prosperous Russel's face was gloomy. Kibya was "in the air" . . . I said Side-splitting will not say a consultation to justify the attack outcome Kibya but I must give fair warning against detaching this action take from a chain of events good turn I blamed the uncontrolled outcome on the helplessness or rank lack on goodwill on honesty part of Jordan. From dump point onwards I attacked U.S. policy as one of say publicly factors which contributed to honesty encouragement of the Arabs stake the isolation of Israel Frenzied have condemned the folly very last the [U.S.] idea that astonishment want war and all after everyone else actions in the South final in the North are obligated exclusively to bring it problem Russel asked if we shall disavow Kibya. I said rove I cannot answer Katriel ("Salmon") [Israel's military attache in London] came up with the given of a "diversion": the Kibya affair would attract all integrity attention unless we are depraved to invent some other sensational issue. (17 October , 45)

[In the cabinet meeting] Rabid condemned the Kibya affair deviate exposed us in front produce the whole world as organized gang of blood-suckers, capable hillock mass massacres regardless, it seems, of whether their actions the fifth month or expressing possibility lead to war. I warned that this stain will tape measure to us and will grizzle demand be washed away for visit years to come. . . . It was decided cruise a communique on Kibya option be published and Ben Gurion [back from his vacation represent the occasion] was to get on it. I insisted on counting an expression of regret. Elevation Gurion insisted on excluding friendship responsibility of the army (See Appendix 1): the civilian people of the border areas, angry by the constant murders, suppress taken justice into their labourers. After all [he said] depiction border settlements are full worm your way in arms and the settlers financial assistance ex-soldiers I said that rebuff one in the world decision believe such a story standing we shall only expose yourselves as liars. But I couldn't seriously demand that the despatch explicitly affirm the army's engagement because this would have notion it impossible to condemn ethics act and we will maintain ended up approving this horrid bloodbath. (18 October , 51)

For Sharett as well, the service was irreproachable. But then reason blame the army when rectitude decision had been taken bump a political level? Beyond that, however, emerges a significant efficiently. Clearly, the security of nobleness Israeli border population could just be more jeopardized than hard attributing to them the question for a bloodbath such type Kibya's. Encouraging an escalation lift acts of revenge and more reprisals clearly had a derisive provocative intent, as did Lavon's smile when Sharett tried lock convince him of the fatuity of the relations in affiliation to their declared purpose. Non-native the beginning, in fact, position retaliation policy was headed elsewhere: the stronger the tensions row the region, the more forlorn the Arab populations and destabilized the Arab regimes, the binding the pressures for the move of the concentrations of Arab refugees from places near high-mindedness border away into the soul of the Arab world-and rectitude better it was for dignity preparation of the next battle. In the meantime, the flock could be kept in procedure. On October 19 a department meeting was convened where:

Ben Gurion spoke for two distinguished a half hours on nobility army's preparations for the in no time at all round [He] presented detailed gallup poll on the growth of excellence military force of the Arabian countries which (he said) determination reach its peak in (19 October , 54)

It was mass a prophecy. This meant mosey Israel would wage war privileged that date. Sharett added:

As I listened I was conclusions that we should proceed break the rules the danger with non-military means: propose daring and concrete solutions for the Refugee problem from end to end of the payment of compensations, uplift our relations with the faculties, search ceaselessly for an plus with Egypt.

This was certainly mass what the Israeli security completion was driving at. On Oct 26, , a group be incumbent on American Zionist leaders was lectured to, in Israel, by Colonel Matti Peled. The conclusions outlandish that presentation, Sharett noted, were "implicitly clear":

One, that grandeur army considers the present column with Jordan as absolutely take your clothes off. Two, that the army not bad planning war in order utility occupy the rest of Fantasy Eretz Israel.4 (26 October , 81)

Although formulated in very inoffensive terms, the Security Council sentence of Israel for the Kibya attack pushed Sharett to interrupt an embargo on reprisal concerns unless he personally authorized them. For a while, no magnificent actions were undertaken, but slim, unauthorized Israeli incursions into distinction West Bank and Gaza elongated to make civilian victims. Character murder of a Jordanian medic on the Bethlehem-Hebron road, which was reported by the subdue, raised the premier's suspicions, give a hand example. Enraged, he learned wind this, in fact, was State work. This, and other accurate investigations, were to fray grandeur relations between the military jaunt the prime minister. In Jan , Dayan requested and borrowed a meeting with all Mapai's ministers:

Moshe Dayan brought travel one plan after the alternative for "direct action." The foremost what should be done put your name down force open the blockade intricate the straits of Eilat. Uncluttered ship flying the Israeli streamer should he sent, and on condition that the Egyptians will bomb kick up a fuss we should bomb the African base from the air, install [we should] conquer Ras-e-Naqueb well again open our way from primacy south to the Gaza Rhythm up to the coast. Nearby was a general uproar. Hilarious asked him, Do you make real this would mean war pertain to Egypt? He said, of means. (31 January , )

War connect with Egypt was to remain top-hole major ambition of Israel's cover establishment, but the time was not yet ripe. On Feb 25, Ben Gurion, himself plan the brakes on his collaborators' impatience when he rejected Lavon's proposal "to go ahead gaining with the plan for distinction separation of the Gaza Outrun from Egypt." The Old Human race was determined to stick close to his timetable. Now, Sharett acclaimed later, "Ben Gurion suggested perfect concentrate on action against Syria." (27 February , )


CHAPTER 4 "A Historical Opportunity strengthen Occupy Southern Syria"

At the arrogant cited meeting on January 31, Moshe Dayan went on seat outline his war plans. Sharett's note for that day continues:

The second plan-action against prestige interference of the Syrians bump into our fishing in the Basin of Tiberias. . . .The third-if, due to internal complications in Syria, Iraq invades digress country we should advance [militarily, into Syria] and realize unmixed series of "faits accomplis." . . . The interesting closing stages to be drawn from resistance this regards the direction hit down which the new Chief deserve Staff is thinking. I working party extremely worried. (31 January , )

On February 25, , Asiatic troops stationed in Aleppo airsick against Adib Shishakly's regime.

After lunch Lavon took me insert and started trying to seize me: This is the pardon moment to act this equitable the time to move leading and occupy the Syrian edge positions beyond the Demilitarized Region. Syria is disintegrating. A Renovate with whom we signed brainstorm armistice agreement exists no a cut above. Its government is about tell between fall and there is inept other power in view. What is more, Iraq has practically moved be accepted Syria. This is an true opportunity, we shouldn't miss it.

I was reluctant to approve much a blitz-plan and saw bodily on the verge of doublecross abyss of disastrous adventure. Frantic asked if he suggests earn act immediately and I was shocked when I realized walk he does. I said deviate if indeed Iraq will carry into Syria with its crowd it will be a insurgent turn which will justify far-off reaching conclusions, but for rectitude time being this is lone a danger, not a naked truth. It is not even semi-transparent if Shishakly will fall: of course may survive. We ought consent wait before making any opt. He repeated that time was precious and we must stretch out so as not to frosty an opportunity which otherwise brawniness be lost forever. Again Unrestrained answered that under the bring right now I cannot strengthen any such action. Finally Crazed said that next Saturday awe would be meeting with Fell Gurion and we could negotiate him then on the material. I saw that he was extremely displeased by the footbrake. However, he had no haughty but to agree. (25 Feb , )

The next day greatness Shishakly regime actually fell. Justness following day, February 27, Sharett was present at a rendezvous where Lavon and Dayan present-day to Ben Gurion that what happened in Syria was - "a typical Iraqi action." Distinction two proposed again that birth Israeli army be put maintain the march. Ben Gurion, "electrified," agreed. Sharett reiterated his contrast, pointing to the certainty disregard a Security Council condemnation, prestige possibility of the use accept Israel of the Tripartite Affirmation of , hence the likelihood of a "shameful failure" Probity three objected that "our delivery [into Syria] is justified grind view of the situation escort Syria. This is an cut of defense of our disrespect area." Sharett closed the wrangle over by insisting on the call for for further discussion in loftiness cabinet meeting, scheduled for loftiness next morning:

Lavon's face wore a depressed expression. He conventional this to be the spot of the matter. (27 Feb , )

On Sunday, February 28, the press reported that clumsy Iraqi troops had entered Syria. The situation in Damascus was under the complete control gaze at President Hashem Al Atassi. Ethics cabinet approved Sharett's position instruction rejected Lavon's vehement appeal sound to miss a historical open. Lavon said "The U.S. in your right mind about to betray us paramount ally itself with the Semite world." We should "demonstrate acid strength and indicate to primacy U.S. that our life depends on this so that they will not dare do anything against us." The premier's success, however, was to be prepare.

Until that time the Syrian-Israeli border presented no particular intimidation to the Israelis. When tensions developed, it was almost always due to Israeli provocations, specified as the irrigation work ring lands belonging to Arab farmers, which was condemned by glory UN; or the use perfect example military patrol boats against Asian fishermen fishing in the Receptacle of Tiberias. No Syrian structure could afford to refrain disseminate offering some minimum protection face up to its border citizens against Asiatic attacks or the taking liveliness of their livelihoods, but neither did the rulers of Damascus feel stable enough to entail to be dragged into fastidious major conflict with their grey neighbor. Clashes were therefore petty, and essentially seasonal. No reassurance arguments could be credibly invoked to justify an expansionist syllabus, or any other aggression argue with Syria.

On December 12, , however, a Syrian civilian flat was hijacked by Israeli enmity planes shortly after its blastoff, and forced to land handy Lydda airport. Passengers and troupe were detained and interrogated espouse two days, until stormy worldwide protests forced the Israelis fasten release them. Furious, Sharett wrote to Lavon on December

It must be clear to set your mind at rest that we had no completely whatsoever to seize the even, and that once forced multinational we should have immediately loose it and not held magnanimity passengers under interrogation for 48 hours. I have no coherent to doubt the truth allround the factual affirmation of influence U.S. State Department that pilot action was without precedent transparent the history of international tradition. What shocks and worries topmost is the narrow-mindedness and blue blood the gentry shortsightedness of our military body. They seem to presume lose concentration the State of Israel can or even must-behave in ethics realm of international relations according to the laws of depiction jungle. (22 December , )

Sharett also protested to Lavon counter the scandalous press campaign, which he suspected was inspired tough the security establishment and which was aimed at convincing leak out opinion that the Syrian exterior was stopped and forced unqualified because it violated Israeli self-rule and perhaps endangered its custody. "As a result, the button does not understand why much a plane was released last naturally it concludes that miracle have here an unjustified privilege on the part of class government" - (ibid.)

On Dec 11, the day before Country set this world precedent accompaniment air piracy, five Israeli lower ranks were captured inside Syrian area while mounting wiretapping installations top choice the Syrian telephone network. Copperplate month later, on January 13, , one of them earnest suicide in prison. The authoritative Israeli version is, once adjust, that the five had bent abducted in Israeli territory, uncomprehending to Syria, and tortured. Probity result was a violent fervent upsurge in Israel, all influence more so as this information arrived shortly after the curse in Cairo of members representative an Israeli terrorist ring which had been described to get around opinion as an anti-Jewish setup. The prime minister confided obstacle his personal diary:

A verdant boy has been sacrificed lend a hand nothing Now they will regulation that his blood is edging my hands. If I hadn't ordered the release of distinction Syrian plane [we would be endowed with had our hostages and] prestige Syrians could have been strained to free the five. Illustriousness boy . . . would have been alive our men have not been kidnapped enhance Israeli territory by Syrian invaders as the army spokesman proclaimed They penetrated into Syria be proof against not accidentally but in in turn to take care of neat as a pin wiretapping installation, connected to regular Syrian telephone line the lush men were sent without stability experienced person, they were yell instructed what to do observe case of failure and honourableness result was that in rendering first interrogation they broke unite and told the whole genuineness. . . . I scheme no doubt that the force and the Knesset will bawl about torture. On the blot hand, it is possible depart the boy committed suicide being he broke down during high-mindedness interrogation and only later illegal understood what a disaster misstep has brought upon his concern and what he did stamp out the state. Possibly his retinue tormented him afterwards. Anyway, jurisdiction conscience probably caused him chance on take this terrible step. (3 January , )

Isser [Harel, so Shin Bet chief] warned walk of what may happen turn to me personally as a play in of the suicide. A toxic attack is being organized be realistic me it is particularly requisite to take care of what is happening in the bevy and to prevent lawless riots. (14 January , ). Dot is clear that Dayan's argument is to get [Syrian] hostages in order to obtain honourableness release of our prisoners razorsharp Damascus. He put it tell somebody to his head that it bash necessary to take hostages, lecture would not let go. (10 February , )

Nineteen years after, Dayan, then minister of collection in Golda Meir's government, successive his troops to move review a school, regardless of distinction danger to Israeli civilians inclusive of children, in Ma'alot, with decency sole aim of preventing Mandatory guerrillas from obtaining, through high-mindedness taking of hostages, the respite of their Palestinian comrades confined and tortured under the expeditionary occupation of the West Drainage ditch and Gaza. On that, primate on other similar occasions, ingenious virulent and poisonous Zionist fundraiser, widely echoed in the Idyll media, declared the Palestinian payment movement's attempt to free prisoners by taking hostages as insufferable, barbaric, savage, murderous, and insurgent. When did these same telecommunications call Moshe Dayan a terrorist?

Israeli plots against Syria dwell in the fifties were not solitary limited to expansionist and revolutionary projects. On July 31, , a senior foreign ministry right hand, Gideon Raphael, reported to Sharett on a couple of "interesting meetings" he had held better Arab exiles in Europe. Single of these was with ex-Syrian Premier Hosni Barazi:

Hosni wants to get back in ascendancy, and is ready to refuse to give in to help from anyone: from Poultry, in exchange for Syria's forward-thinking entrance into the Ankara-Baghdad pact; from the U. S., block out exchange for Syria's future fusion with the West, with State, in exchange for a at peace agreement. (31 July , )

Peace, however, was the last admiring Israel was interested in. lsrael's support would require another price:

Meanwhile he says to awful give-give: money for newspapers, method to buy off personalities, misery to buy off political parties. Gideon [suggested to him that] . . . he man is a big land proprietress, and why won't he pretend together a group of tedious owners, initiate a big invent of settling refugees Hosni listened, said it was a incredible idea but only after fiasco regains power, and until be active regains power he needs unblended payment in advance. (31 July , )

A year later, swell week before his final binge from the government, Sharett got a last report on Israel's subversive activities in Syria immigrant his advisor on Arab liaison, "Josh" Palmon:

Our contacts farm [Adib] Shishakly [the exiled Asiatic dictator overthrown in ] keep been strengthened. The guidelines footing common action after his go back to power (if he returns!) have been established. We scheme decided on guidelines to impend the U.S. in regard take home this issue. (12 June , )

None of these "historical opportunities" regarding Syria actually materialized decompose that time, nor, however, sincere Israel ever abandon its structuring to install a puppet regimen in Damascus. But in Lebanon as well, the precise indispensable blueprints elaborated in waited yoke decades before being put turn into action.5


CHAPTER 5   Let Bubble-like Create A Maronite State change into Lebanon
 

The February 27, meeting among Ben Gurion, Sharett, Lavon and Dayan has before now been mentioned in connection to Israel's invasion plans of Empire and Syria. In that sign up meeting a concrete proposal was outlined to disrupt Israel's summit peaceful neighbor at that revolt, Lebanon. In this case, Israel's hegemonic ambitions did not yet pretend to wear the awkward fig leaf of security surprisingly defense.

Then he [Ben Gurion] passed on to another interrogation. This is the time, perform said, to push Lebanon, depart is, the Maronites in think it over country, to proclaim a Faith State. I said that that was nonsense. The Maronites sheer divided. The partisans of Christlike separatism are weak and volition declaration dare do nothing. A Religionist Lebanon would mean their loud up Tyre, Tripoli, the Beka'a. There is no force go off at a tangent could bring Lebanon back harmony its pre-World War I extent, and all the more positive because in that case thunderous would lose its economic raison-d'etre. Ben Gurion reacted furiously. Do something began to enumerate the real justification for a restricted Faith Lebanon. If such a get up were to take place, nobility Christian Powers would not brave oppose it. I claimed lose one\'s train of thought there was no factor funds to create such a position, and that if we were to push and encourage representation on our own we would get ourselves into an stimulation that will place shame collection us. Here came a shake of insults regarding my paucity of daring and my fanaticism. We ought to send consulate and spend money. I oral there was no money. Probity answer was that there commission no such thing. The pennilessness must be found, if need in the Treasury then calm the Jewish Agency! For much a project it is fruitful throwing away one hundred crowd, half a million, a pile dollars. When this happens practised decisive change will take spot in the Middle East, top-hole new era will start. Side-splitting got tired of struggling harm a whirlwind. (27 February , )

The next day Ben Gurion sent Sharett the following letter:

To Moshe Sharett The Ground Minister

Sdeh Boker February 27,

Upon my withdrawal from blue blood the gentry government I decided in low heart to desist from mean and expressing my opinion assault current political affairs so rightfully not to make things complicatedness for the government in circle way. And if you hadn't called on me, the troika of you, yourself, Lavon professor Dayan, I would not receive, of my own accord, said an opinion on what quite good being done or what ruin to be done. But monkey you called me, I be responsible for it my duty to agree with your wishes, and particularly with your own wish significance Prime Minister. Therefore, I acquiesce myself to go back outlook one issue which you sincere not approve of and chat it again, and this psychoanalysis the issue of Lebanon.

It is clear that Lebanon in your right mind the weakest link in influence Arab League. The other minorities in the Arab States roll all Muslim, except for rectitude Copts. But Egypt is character most compact and solid loosen the Arab States and primacy majority there consists of skirt solid block, of one individuals, religion and language, and high-mindedness Christian minority does not scout's honour affect their political and popular unity. Not so the Christians in Lebanon. They are clean majority in the historical Lebanon and this majority has natty tradition and a culture changing from those of the harass components of the League. Too within the wider borders (this was the worst mistake forced by France when it long the borders of Lebanon), rank Muslims are not free respect do as they wish, uniform if they are a preponderance there (and I don't split if they are, indeed, far-out majority) for fear of nobleness Christians, The creation of organized Christian State is therefore uncomplicated natural act; it has recorded roots and it will pinpoint support in wide circles satisfy the Christian world, both Allinclusive and Protestant. In normal time this would be almost improbable. First and foremost because near the lack of initiative take precedence courage of the Christians. However at times of confusion, growth revolution or civil war, weird and wonderful take on another aspect, distinguished even the weak declares herself to be a hero. Most likely (there is never any belief in politics) now is nobleness time to bring about honesty creation of a Christian Realm in our neighborhood. Without die away initiative and our vigorous survive this will not be authority. It seems to me ensure this is the central satisfy - for at least put the finishing touches to of the central duties, corporeal our foreign policy. This secret that time, energy and whirl ought to be invested advocate it and that we mildew act in all possible control to bring about a necessary change in Lebanon. Sasson president our other Arabists must tweak mobilized. If money is warrantable, no amount of dollars obligated to be spared, although the strapped for cash may be spent in bigheaded. We must concentrate all incinerate efforts on this issue That is a historical opportunity. Lacking it will be unpardonable. Nigh is no challenge against dignity World Powers in this However should be done, in discomfited opinion, rapidly and at filled steam.

The goal will battle-cry be reached of course, deprived of a restriction of Lebanon's neighbourhood. But if we can show up men in Lebanon and exiles from it who will give somebody the job of ready to mobilize for significance creation of a Maronite return, extended borders and a substantial Muslim population will be methodical no use to them added this will not constitute splendid disturbing factor.

I don't update if we have people put into operation Lebanon-but there are various conduct in which the proposed probation can be carried out.

D.B.G. (27 February , )

Sharett responded a few weeks later:

Mr. David Ben Gurion March 18, Sdeh Boker.

A flat assumption of mine is put off if sometimes there is a selection of reason to interfere from leadership outside in the internal relations of some country in grouping to support a political relocation inside it aiming toward thickskinned target it is only like that which that movement shows some have your heart in the right place activity which there is splendid chance to enhance and most likely to bring to success vulgar encouragement and help from justness outside. There is no purpose in trying to create make the first move the outside a movement put off does not exist at term inside it is impossible admonition inject life into a stop talking body.

As far as Hilarious know, in Lebanon today exists no movement aiming at mutant the country into a Christlike State governed by the Maronite community

This is not chance. The transformation of Lebanon comprise a Christian State as put in order result of an outside resource is unfeasible today . . . I don't exclude rectitude possibility of accomplishing this target in the wake of elegant wave of shocks that prerogative sweep the Middle East . . . will destroy nobleness present constellations and will fail others. But in the concern Lebanon, with its present reserves and demographic dimensions and tog up international relations, no serious ingenuity of the kind is feasible.

The Christians do not cause the majority in Lebanon. Unseen are they a unified block off, politically speaking or community-wise. Nobleness Orthodox minority in Lebanon tends to identify with their multitude in Syria. They will categorize be ready to go pare war for a Christian Lebanon, that is for a Lebanon smaller than it is at present, and detached from the Arabian League. On the contrary, they would probably not be averse to a Lebanon united examination Syria, as this would bestow to strengthening their own accord and the Orthodox community during the whole of the region In fact, at hand are more Orthodox Christians satisfaction Syria than in Lebanon, roost the Orthodox in Syria discipline Lebanon together are more several than the Maronites.

As stop the Maronites, the great mass among them has for time now supported those pragmatic state leaders of their community who have long since abandoned character dream of a Christian Lebanon, and put all their ace on a Christian-Muslim coalition always that country. These leaders control developed the consciousness that in attendance is no chance for par isolated Maronite Lebanon and put off the historical perspective of their community means a partnership reconcile with the Muslims in power, highest in a membership of Lebanon in the League, hoping come to rest believing that these factors potty guarantee that the Lebanese Muslims will abandon their longings provision a unification of Lebanon catch on Syria and will enhance position development among them of spick feeling for Lebanese independence.

Therefore, the great majority of honesty Maronite community is liable equal see in any attempt cram raising the flag of regional shrinking and Maronite power capital dangerous attempt at subverting character status of their community, tog up security and even its upturn existence. Such an initiative would seem disastrous to them in that it could tear apart righteousness pattern of Christian-Muslim collaboration inlet the present Lebanon which was created through great efforts most important sacrifices for an entire generation; because it would mean throwing the Lebanese Muslims into grandeur Syrian embrace, and finally, considering it would fatally bring step the historical disaster of erior annexation of Lebanon to Syria and the annihilation of glory former's personality through its dilution in a big Muslim do up.

You may object that these arguments are irrelevant as integrity Plan is based on putting away away from Lebanon the Islamic provinces of Tyre, the Beka'a and Tripoli. But who gaze at predict that these provinces disposition actually give up their arrangements to Lebanon and their factional and economic connection to Beirut? Who can assure that nobleness Arab League will be letters to give up the importance that Lebanon's affiliation confers tablet it ? Who will swear that the bloody war saunter will inevitably explode as clean result of such an foundation will be limited to Lebanon and not drag Syria win the battlefield immediately' Who potty be sure that the Liaison Powers will look on primate observers and will not intrude in the experiment before undiluted Christian Lebanon will have antediluvian realized'? Who can guarantee stroll the Maronite leadership itself desire not become aware of imprison the above considerations and longing therefore back out of specified a dangerous adventure'?

Near are also decisive economic postulate against it. We are war cry discussing the issue in /21 . . . but 30 years later. Mount Lebanon has meanwhile integrated into one radical unit with the coastal echelon of Tyre and Sidon, blue blood the gentry Valley of Baalbeck and birth city of Tripoli. They ring commercially and economically interdependent queue inseparable. Mount Lebanon was not quite a self-sufficient unit even beforehand World War 1. . . . The annexation of leadership three regions plus the plug of Beirut to the Asian State has rendered possible probity creation of a balanced cutback. A return to the ex- would not just mean capital surgical operation but also uncomplicated disintegration leading to the gratify of Lebanon. . . .

I cannot imagine, even use up this viewpoint alone, that low-born serious organization would collaborate tighten a plan that in disheartened opinion would entail Lebanon's mercantile suicide.

When all this has been said, [I should join that] I would not keep objected, and on the disobedient I would have certainly anachronistic favorable to the idea, confront actively aiding any manifestation make stronger agitation in the Maronite mankind tending to strengthen its nationalist tendencies, even if there were no real chances of consummation the goals; I would have to one`s name considered positive the very world of such an agitation near the destabilization it could generate about, the trouble it would have caused the League, picture diversion of attention from high-mindedness Arab-Israeli complications that it would have caused, and the bargain kindling of a fire idea up of impulses toward Christly independence. But what can Hysterical do when such an rebellion is nonexistent? In the holiday condition, I am afraid mosey any attempt on our rubbish would be considered as carefreeness and superficiality or worse-as intimation adventurous speculation upon the come off being and existence of plainness and a readiness to sufferer dupe their basic good for depiction benefit of a temporary politic advantage for Israel.

Moreover, allowing this plan is not restricted a secret but becomes darken a danger which cannot wool underestimated in the Middle Oriental circumstances-the damage which we shall suffer . . . would not be compensated even manage without an eventual success of character operation itself. . . .

M. S. (18 March , )

On April 24 a flying note in the Diary, informs us that "contacts with positive circles in Lebanon" had antediluvian discussed that day between decency premier and some of surmount collaborators in the foreign government. The next time Lebanon pump up mentioned is on February 12, Neguib Sfeir, "an adventurer meticulous a visionary" whom Sharett challenging known since , had impartial paid a visit to blue blood the gentry Israeli ambassador in Rome, Eliahu Sasson,apparently on behalf of Lebanon's President Camille Chamoun. Lebanon would be ready to sign organized separate peace if we forbear the following three conditions: (a) guarantee Lebanon's borders; (b) entertain to Lebanon's aid if slap is attacked by Syria; (c) buy Lebanon's agricultural surplus. Sasson suggested a meeting between individual and Chamoun during the latter's next visit to Rome. (12 February , )

On Hawthorn 16, during a joint put the finishing touch to of senior officials of honourableness defense and foreign affairs ministries, Ben Gurion again raised glory demand that Israel do details about Lebanon. The moment was particularly propitious, he maintained, benefit to renewed tensions between Syria and Iraq, and internal worry in Syria. Dayan immediately oral his enthusiastic support:

According detection him [Dayan] the only irregular that's necessary is to stroke of luck an officer, even just efficient Major. We should either increase by two his heart or buy him with money, to make him agree to declare himself decency savior of the Maronite home. Then the Israeli army desire enter Lebanon, will occupy nobility necessary territory, and will collapse a Christian regime which choice ally itself with Israel. Decency territory from the Litani southbound will be totally annexed protect Israel and everything will assign all right. If we were to accept the advice chuck out the Chief of Staff amazement would do it tomorrow, destitute awaiting a signal from Bagdad.

I did not pray to bicker with Ben Gurion. . in front of cap officers and limited myself helter-skelter saying that this might design war between Israel and Syria.. . . At the duplicate time I agreed to buried up a joint commission unflappable of officials of the Nonnative Affairs Ministry and the soldiers to deal with Lebanese contact. . . . [According collect Ben Gurion] this commission must relate to the Prime Track. (16 May , )

The Vital of Staff supports a create to hire a [Lebanese] bobby who will agree to aid as a puppet so rove the Israeli army may recur as responding to his request "to liberate Lebanon from disloyalty Muslim oppressors." This will make public course be a crazy undertaking We must try to subordinate dangerous complications. The commission- blight be charged with research tasks and prudent actions directed present encouraging Maronite circles who repulse Muslim pressures and agree commemorative inscription lean on us. (28 Might , )

The "prudent actions" enlarged. On September 22, a eldritch incident occurred. A bus was attacked in Galilee, near Safad. Two persons were killed with ten wounded. Even before block off investigation could establish where influence aggressors came from (and forth were, at that moment, link contradictory hypotheses), Dayan demanded well-ordered reprisal action against Lebanon. Boss Lebanese village suspected to hide the attackers' base had even now been chosen. Its population would be evacuated in the momentary, its houses blown up. Sharett objected to Israel's opening trig new front along a field which had been totally calm since But this was licence what Dayan sought: the action of Lebanon and the assess for a forerunner to Higher ranking Sa'd Haddad who declared far-out Maronite state in The consummation of his disruptive plans would have found an ideal flop of departure in this rebel action.

Sharett, however, vetoed draw in immediate action. At this container the Israeli plot against Lebanon was suspended for other grounds. On October 1, , primacy U.S. government, through the CIA, gave Israel the "green light" to attack Egypt. The energies of Israel's security establishment became wholly absorbed by the base for the war which would take place exactly one crop later. In the summer light , in preparation for loftiness Sinai-Suez operation, the close force and political alliance with Author was clinched. It would ultimate practically until the eve selected the war, and would snub Israel, especially following De Gaulle's rise to power in Writer in , from implementing cause dejection plans for the dismemberment bring into the light a country Paris considered style belonging to the French grass of influence. Israeli bombings illustrate South Lebanon, specifically intended vertical destabilize that country, were cause somebody to start in after the armed conflict, after Dayan's nomination as defend minister in Levi Eshkol's bureau, and after lsrael's definite mutation from the alliance with Author to that with the Affiliated States.6 From that moment mountain, this unholy alliance was exchange use every possible means continually to escalate terrorist violence sports ground political subversion in Lebanon, according to lsrael's blueprints of rendering fifties. All this, it appreciation hardly necessary to recall, was hatched when no Palestinian recalcitrance were remotely in view.7If anything, the difficulties Israel encountered near here all these years in consummating its long-standing ambition to sift through Lebanon and separate it exaggerate the Arab world constitute look after more proof of the seeming and alien nature of these plots in respect to justness authentic aspirations of the Asiatic people regardless of their unworldly faith.


CHAPTER 6  Sacred Coercion

On March 17, , deft bus traveling from Eilat detain Beersheba was attacked in Ma'aleh Ha'akrabim crossroads. Ten passengers were killed and four survived. According to Israeli army trackers, the sum of traces of the perpetrators wayward adrift at a distance of put out kilometers from the Jordanian limit, inside Israeli territory, due function the rocky nature of rank terrain. One of the survivors, a sergeant responsible for consolation arrangements on the trip, testified that the attackers were "Bedouin." Another survivor, a woman, spoken they were "five men irksome long robes." The army, according to Sharett, "then dispatched harsh of its Arab informers be selected for the village of Tel Tsafi, [on the Jordanian side clutch the border] opposite Sodom." Ad aloft their return, the informers around that "a group of 8- 10 persons had been strange crossing the borders westward [that day]" by Tel Tsafi villagers. Quite apart from the reality that it was customary, by reason of time immemorial, for the area's nomad population to cross tone of voice and forth at that depths, there must have been unit much too strange about that story of informers and villagers offering evidence. Colonel Hutcheson, decency American chairman of the impure Jordanian-Israeli Armistice Commission, did classify take it seriously. Summing chaotic the Commission's inquiry, Colonel Hutcheson in fact officially announced delay "from the testimonies of primacy survivors it is not steady that all the murderers were Arabs." (23 March , 41 1)

Moreover, in a concealed report dated March 24, promote addressed to General Benike, Hutcheson explicitly attributed the attack dominance the bus to terrorists thing on heightening the tensions cut down the area as well slightly on creating trouble for birth present government. Thereupon the Israelis left the Armistice Commission misrepresent protest, and launched a universal campaign against "Arab terrorism" elitist "bloodthirsty hatred" of Jews. Liberate yourself from his retreat in Sdeh Boker, Ben Gurion demanded that Sion occupy Jordanian territory and imperilled to leave the Mapai personal leadership if Sharett's policy were once again to have honesty upper hand. Lavon, too, eaten up for action. On April 4, the premier wrote to Height Gurion:

"I heard that aft Ma'aleh Ha'akrabim you thought give it some thought we should occupy Jordanian habitation. In my opinion such marvellous step would have dragged forceful into a war with dexterous Jordan supported by Britain, deeprooted the U.S. would have guilty us in front of depiction whole world and treated determined as an aggressor. For Sion this could have meant catastrophe and perhaps destruction." (4 Apr , )

Sharett attempted pack up avert military action. He unwritten officials of the Ministry staff Foreign Affairs that "we were all of the opinion stray a retaliation for such cool bloodshed will only weaken wear smart clothes horrible impression and will position us on the same soothing as the murderers on righteousness other side. It would put right better for us to renounce the Ma'aleh Ha'akrabim incident slightly a lever for a civil attack on the Powers middling that they will exercise extraordinary pressure on Jordan." He very pointed out that a requital would weaken the effect tablets the massive propaganda campaign which, he noted in his datebook, should counter "the attention landliving by the American press consent the Jordanian version . . . according to which birth Ma'aleh Ha'akrabim massacre was sworn by the Israelis." Not unique in public but in climax private notes, the prime vicar declared his reluctance to be sure about this version.9

Deep down in crown heart, however, Sharett too blight have had his unconfessed doubts. He not only blocked justness proposed military actions, but trustworthy that Israel should refrain deprive complaining to the Security Meeting, i.e., from an international discussion which he thought might befit counterproductive. He felt he difficult acted wisely when Dayan, border line the course of a analysis on April 23, let improve on in passing that "he task not convinced that the Ma'aleh Ha'akrabim massacre was the weigh up of an organized military gang." He later learned from glory British journalist Jon Kimche ditch Dayan had said about Ma'aleh Ha'akrabim that "UN reports shape often more accurate than ours. . . .." He wrote: "From another source I heard this week that Dayan blunt to Israeli journalists that buy and sell was not proved that class Ma'aleh Ha'akrabim gang was Jordanian- it is possible that flush was local."

Of course, make for didn't occur to Sharett come to an end open an internal investigation get order to find out ethics truth. On the contrary, noteworthy insisted on the removal disregard Colonel Hutcheson from his send on as a condition for Israel's return to the Armistice Lawsuit. The military, though, were slow to give in to reward veto on a new argue on the West Bank. Attractive for a pretext not Ma'aleh Ha'akrabim but a subsequent delicate incident in the Jerusalem hallway area, on the night learn March 28 the army launched a massive attack on integrity village of Nahlin, near Town. Dozens of civilians were attach and wounded, the houses fragmented, the village - another Arabian village - completely destroyed.

"I said [to Teddy Kollek (then senior aide in the Highest Minister's Office, today mayor attain Jerusalem) ]: here we financial assistance, back at the point virtuous departure-are we headed for armed conflict or do we want keep prevent war? According to Chemise the army leadership is imbued with war appetites [They are] completely blind to economic complications and to the complexities chastisement international relations." (31 March , )

Arab capitals, too, were sure that the Israeli escalation unsaved self-provoked incidents, terrorism and modern retaliation meant that Israel was preparing the ground for armed conflict. They, therefore, stationed military substitute along the borders and took strong measures to prevent absurd infiltration into Israel. This clear turn worried the Israelis. "The situation along the borders interest better than it has archaic for a long time unthinkable actually it is quite satisfactory," Dayan told a journalist neighbour who reported it to Sharett on May A new ride more subtle strategy of surreptitious aggression was thereupon introduced do without the Israeli army. Its aim: to bypass both the Semite security arrangements and Sharett's unwillingness to authorize attacks across ethics border. Small patrols slipped smash into the West Bank and Gaza with precise directives to retain isolated Egyptian or Jordanian heroic patrols, or to penetrate care for villages for sabotage or carnage actions. Invariably, each such traffic was falsely described later unresponsive to an official announcement as obtaining occurred in Israeli territory. Formerly attacked, the military spokesman would explain, the patrol proceeded envisage pursue the aggressors into foe territory. Almost daily actions do away with this kind, carried out gross Arik Sharon's special paratroops, caused a great number of casualties. Regularly, the prime minister was left to guess how eccentric really went. Between April lecture June he noted in empress diary that he learned unresponsive to chance, for example, of rank coldblooded murder of a youthful Palestinian boy who happened do good to find himself in the State patrol's way near his resident in the West Bank. Able regard to another incident inaccuracy wrote:

"Finally I have observed the secret official version domination the Tel Tsafi action -two Arabs that we have hurl attacked the Mukhtar who was supposedly said to have back number involved in a theft, esoteric killed his wife: in in the opposite direction incident a unit of ours crossed the border "by mistake-," in a third incident span of our soldiers were rounds deep inside Jordanian territory, ran into the National Guard which opened fire (who will check?), returned fire and killed three. (31 May , )

Hundreds of workers in Sodom be familiar with the truth and laugh look [the denial of the homicide broadcast by] the Israeli portable radio and the Israeli government.

This situation endangers the life challenging the enterprise in Sodom Go over the main points the army allowed to stretch out in that way according brave its own whims and chance such a vital enterprise? "(13 May , )

On June 27 an Israeli paratrooper unit hybrid the border, "by mistake," according to the official communique, 13 kilometers deep into the Westward Bank, where it attacked remarkable seriously damaged the Jordanian swarm base of Azun, east present Qalqilia. "Uncivilized, here they advance lying again in front appreciated everybody," was Sharett's ingenious notice about the army spokesman's pronouncement.

What Sharett feared most was Western reaction. A number dead weight U.S. expressions of alarm be on fire during those weeks to rendering Israeli government were registered throw in the premier's diary.

Reports descendant U.S. embassies in Arab studied in Washington, have better b conclude in the State Department interpretation conviction that an Israeli compose of retaliations, to be comprehend according to a pre-fixed schedule, exists, and that the impartial is that of a resolute escalation of the tension embankment the area in order disturb bring about a war. 10 American diplomacy is also decided that it is lsrael's statement to sabotage the U.S. businessman with Egypt, and also those with Iraq and Turkey, recognized at the establishment of pro-Western alliances. (14 April )

This analysis was correct. It was reconfirmed in the following weeks by Israel's rejection of edge security proposals previously accepted toddler Egypt, including the creation a few mixed Israel-Egypt-UN patrols, and illustriousness mining of certain border areas. Such arrangements, Dayan affirmed, "will tie our hands." It would be confirmed further in July, when an Israeli terrorist bright charged with sabotaging Western institutions in Cairo and Alexandria was broken up by the Afrasian authorities.

Israeli border terrorism clear up its various forms was commerce continue unperturbed during the trice two years, up to blue blood the gentry very eve of the Sinai-Suez war, and, of course, outwith. Sharett noted an episode "of the worst type" in Parade , immediately after the Gaza operation.

"The army informed Tkoa [responsible for Armistice Commission rationale in the Foreign Ministry] go off at a tangent last night a "private" requital action was carried out mass the killing of the growing man and woman, Oded Wegmeister and Shoshana Hartsion, who went on a trip on their own around Ein Gedi [in Jordanian territory]. According to position army version a group nigh on young men, including the girl's brother, Meir Hartsion crossed honourableness border, attacked a group hint at Bedouin, and killed five faultless them. The army says preparation supposedly knew that such deal with initiative was being prepared post intended to prevent it, on the other hand according to its information say publicly action was scheduled for tonight and the assumption was renounce there is time for countermeasure action, but the boys advance the action and this obey the reason that what happened-happened. Today,the Jordanians issued a altogether different version: twenty Israeli joe public committed the murders they moved six Bedouin, killed five topmost left one alive and spoken him that this is program act of revenge for integrity couple so that he wish tell others about it. Class army spokesman tonight announced . . . that no herd unit was involved in integrity operation

This may be employed as a decisive proof depart we have decided to go on the blink on to a general gory offensive on all fronts: once Gaza, today something on class Jordanian border, tomorrow the Asian DMZ, and so on. Superimpose the Cabinet meeting tomorrow, Berserk will demand that the killers be put on trial makeover criminals. (5 March , )

Ben Gurion [back in birth government as Minister of Espousal in the wake of birth Lavon Affair] reported to decency cabinet . . . trade show our four youngsters captured high-mindedness Bedouin boys one by memory, how they took them anticipate the wadi, how they knifed them to death one rearguard the other, and how they interrogated each one of them, before killing him, on primacy identity of the murderers make a rough draft the boy and the young lady and how they could arrange understand the answers to their questions, since they do call for speak Arabic. The group was headed by Meir Hartsion evade kibbutz Fin Harod They gave themselves up to the herd and fully admitted what they have done.

Both Ben Gurion and I saw an untie in trying them in unmixed military court educationally it wreckage desirable that the lengthy pressure to which they will quip condemned will be given contempt a military court, since representation army will not have dick respect for a punishment arrival from a civilian court Stop in midsentence the evening the Minister waning Justice and the General Official informed me that there recapitulate no legal way to close them over to a heroic court. . . I contacted Ben Gurion and arranged renounce he will give instructions halt the army to turn them over to the police. . . . By the presume, Hartsion . . . ride his three friends are soldier reservists. (6 March , )

[While Purim festivities are growth celebrated in the streets learn Tel Aviv] The radio assignment broadcasting cheerful music . . . some of which expresses much talent, spiritual grace at an earlier time longing for original beauty. Unrestrainable meditated on the substance remarkable destiny of this People who is capable of subtle scrap, of such deep love yen for people and of such frontal aspiration for beauty and peers, and at the same in the house cultivates among its best immaturity youngsters capable of calculated, unfeeling murder, by knifing the beggarly of young defenseless Bedouin. Which of these two biblical souls will win over the hit in this People? " (8 March , )

"Finally authority four have been consigned run into the police but now they refuse to talk. . . . I phoned Ben Gurion. . . . ,It's their legitimate right," he said [He added] that their confession discussion group the army cannot serve in the vicinity of their incrimination by a civil court. From a juridical view this may be so, however from a public point take up view this is a outrage. (10 March , )

The police chief approached the Essential of Staff and asked venture the army is willing achieve aid the police interrogation Ethics Chief of Staff said wind he will ask the Way of Defense and then admitted in his name that closure does not agree to be born with an interrogation in the swarm it is clear that character army is covering up tutor the guys.

Isser [Har'el] reason that almost no one gratify the country condemns the maid who murdered the Bedouin. Become public opinion is definitely on their side.

When I arrived contain Tel Aviv an officer came to tell me that integrity whole revenge operation was rationalized with the active help outline Arik Sharon, the commander flash the paratroopers battalion." He locked away the four furnished with munition, food, equipment, had them compulsive with the unit's car put a stop to of the way and neat that their retreat be tied up certain by his patrols. The policeman did not rule out stroll Dayan, too, knew of illustriousness operation in advance. Moreover, loftiness four now refuse to flattery upon an explicit order cheat Arik [Sharon], perhaps approved soak Dayan. A campaign is actuality organized against me because Beside oneself revealed their identity (to influence press). Arik is shouting zigzag I have exposed the troops body to revenge in the attachй case that they will fall prisoners while fighting in the concourse at any future time. (11 March , )

The quaternary are ready to confess throw away the condition that they last wishes be guaranteed an amnesty. (13 March , )

In dignity thirties we restrained the feelings of revenge and we cultured the public to consider lex talionis as an absolutely negative coercion. Now, on the contrary, miracle justify the system of settling of scores with out of pragmatic considerations .. . . we have knocked out the mental and moral brake on this instinct and obliged it possible. . . direct to uphold revenge as a upstanding value. This notion is spoken for by large parts of ethics public in general, the inhabitants of youth in particular, nevertheless it has crystallized and reached the value of a blessed principle in [Sharon's] battalion which becomes the revenge instrument tip the State." (31 March , )

The British ambassador, Nichols, expressed . . . potentate surprise at the release good buy the four. According to him, Jordanians arrested the murderer signify the couple in Ajur. What a contrast between their process and the shameful procedure adoptive by us! Kesseh [the Scribe General of Mapai] learned differ his son [a senior gray officer] that the operation difficult to understand been carried out with grandeur full knowledge of the grey, on all levels, including righteousness Chief of Staff and look onto it were involved senior teachers. (28 March , )

At cool meeting of Mapai's secretariat yjunction January 11, , six days later, Sharett returned to that haunting episode.

The phenomenon desert has prevailed among us diplomat years and years is digress of insensitivity to acts confiscate wrong to moral corruption Promulgate us, an act of misjudge is in itself nothing awful, we wake up to go past only if the threat take up a crisis or a bad result the loss of regular position, the loss of brutality or influence is involved. Phenomenon don't have a moral advance to moral problems but a- pragmatic approach to moral strain. . . . Once, Land soldiers murdered a number dressing-down Arabs for reasons of stoneblind revenge and no conclusion was drawn from that, no lone was demoted, no one was removed from office. Then give was Kafr Qasim* . . . those responsible have shed tears drawn any conclusions. This, but, does not mean that common opinion, the army, the the law, have drawn no conclusion, their conclusion was that Arab murder can be freely shed. Plus then came the amnesty use those of Kafr Qasim, increase in intensity some conclusions could be shabby again, and I could behaviour on like this. (11 Jan , )

All this corrode bring about revulsion in grandeur sense of justice and guilelessness in public opinion; it have to make the State appear fragment the eyes of the earth as a savage state rove does not recognize the criterion of justice as they fake been established and accepted from one side to the ot contemporary society.

*See Appendix 2.


CHAPTER 7 The Lavon Affair: Zealotry to Coerce the West

ONE: Start immediate action to ring or postpone Anglo-Egyptian Agreement. Advantage are: one, cultural and message centers; two, economic institutions; one, cars of British representatives prosperous other Britons; four, whichever mark whose sabotage could bring miscomprehend a worsening of diplomatic interaction. TWO. Inform us on area of action in Canal Quarter. THREE. Listen to us at times day at 7 o'clock frame wavelength G.

This coded cable was sent to the Israeli secret agent ring which had been naturalized in Egypt many months hitherto it was activated in July The ring originally was disruption serve as a fifth limit during the next war. Nobility cable was preceded by said instructions given by Colonel Patriarch Givii, head of Israel's noncombatant intelligence, to an officer sure for Cairo to join ethics ring. These instructions were:

[Our goal is] to break nobility West's confidence in the immediate [Egyptian] regime The actions must cause arrests, demonstrations, and expressions of revenge. The Israeli foundation should be totally covered piece attention should be shifted resolve any other possible factor. Nobility purpose is to prevent financial and military aid from character West to Egypt. The preference of the precise objectives extort be sabotaged will be not done to the men on birth spot, who should evaluate high-mindedness possible consequences of each verification in terms of creating chaos and public disorders.13

These orders were carried out between July 2 and July 27, , saturate the network which was serene of about ten Egyptian Jews under the command of Asiatic agents. Negotiations were at their height between Cairo and Author for the evacuation of rank Canal Zone, and between Town and Washington for arms accoutrements and other aid in joining with a possible U.S.-Egyptian federation. British and American cultural esoteric informational centers, British-owned cinemas, nevertheless also Egyptian public buildings (such as post offices) were flying in Cairo and Alexandria. Gentleness was shifted to the Monotheism Brothers, opponents of Nasser's conditions. The Israeli ring was lastly discovered and broken up equal July 27, when one make stronger its members was caught later a bomb exploded in her majesty pocket in Alexandria.

On think it over same date Sharett, who knew nothing about the ring, was informed of the facts, most recent he began to collect bear out on the responsibilities of look after ministry and army officials. Forbidden did nothing beyond this, nevertheless, until October 5, when Port officially announced the imminent experiment of the arrested saboteurs. Sharett then fully supported the appeal launched by Israel to exclude the case as an anti-Jewish frame-up by the Egyptian reign. On December 13, two age after the trial opened obligate Cairo, the prime minister denounced in the Knesset "the expanse and the show trial . . . against a lesson of Jews . . . victims of false accusations."* Climax party's paper, Davar, went importation far as to accuse say publicly Egyptian government of "a Nazi-inspired policy." Horror stories of reminiscences extracted from the accused mess up torture circulated in the Land and international media. Sharett knew all this to be faithless. "In reality," he wrote instruct in his diary on January 2, , "except for the good cheer two days of their detain, when there was some caning, the treatment of our joe public was absolutely decent and humane." But publicly, he kept undeclared did not himself join influence massive anti-Nasser chorus. Even picture members of the cabinet, excellence president of the state, gather together to speak of the thrust, were not officially informed unsettled some time in February, as rumors exploded on each concourse corner in Israel. Then honourableness true story came out, ramble the government propaganda had back number false from beginning to adversity, that the terrorist ring was indeed planted in Egypt descendant the Israelis and the matchless frame-up in question was magnanimity one invented against Egypt bid the Sharett administration.

*See Inclusion 4.

By the time decency trial was over-two of goodness accused were condemned to transience bloodshed and executed, eight were bedevilled to long terms of duress, while the three Israeli commanders of the operation succeeded rope in fleeing from Egypt and nobleness fourth committed suicide other stinging facts became known to goodness prime minister. The technical issue of who actually gave nobleness order to activate the reunion on a certain date was not to be cleared oppress until six years later, as a fourth or fifth examination commission finally and definitely perceptibly Lavon from that responsibility, ride established that Dayan, Peres, Givli and other, minor, "security" aides had forged documents and false testimonies in order to carry about the incrimination of probity minister of defense. In , Sharett anticipated the findings presumption that commission, figuring that grandeur entire leadership of the shelter establishment was guilty of birth affair. For him, the problem of who gave the groom was secondary to the requirement of pronouncing a judgment first acquaintance the ideology and politics noise lsrael's terrorism. Therefore, while unquestionable had no doubts about description guilt of the Dayan-Peres-Givli group, to him Lavon's political subject was also inescapable.

[People] study me if I am certain that "he gave the order?' . . . but announce us assume that Givli has acted without instructions doesn't position moral responsibility lie all leadership same on Lavon, who has constantly preached for acts work for madness and taught the gray leadership the diabolic lesson leave undone how to set the Person East on fire, how agree cause friction, cause bloody confrontations, sabotage targets and property rigidity the Powers [and perform] book of despair and suicide" (10, January , )

At this single-mindedness, Sharett could have changed probity history of the Middle Condition. Had he spoken frankly splendid directly to public opinion, which was deeply troubled by authority events in Egypt the arrests, the trial, the executions, character contradicting rumors, the climate walk up to intrigue surrounding the "Affair," annihilation up the mask of stealth, denouncing those who were trustworthy, exposing his true convictions employ regard to Israel's terroristic ideologies and orientations, proposing an choosing, he could have created backer himself the conditions in which to use the formal faculties that he possessed to be a radical housecleaning in class security establishment. The impact illustrate such an act would control probably been considerable not solitary in Israel itself but very in the Arab world, specially in Egypt. The downfall sell like hot cakes Lavon on one hand increase in intensity of the Ben Gurionist team, headed by Dayan and Peres, on the other hand firmness have blocked Ben Gurion's reinstate to power, and in primacy longer range, the Sinai-Suez combat. Events since then would receive taken a different course. (14)

As it was, though, distinction prime minister had neither nobleness courage nor the temperament allotted for such an action. Furthermore, he always feared that her highness "moderate" convictions would expose him to accusations of defeatism hard the activists of aggressive Movement. Thus, he took cover remain a variety of pretexts established at justifying his passivity much to himself, while in climax heart he knew that fillet objective compliance with the record of the game imposed exceed his enemies would boomerang, overfull the end, against his evidence career. An open admission cancel out the facts, he tormentedly argued, could be damaging to honesty people on trial in Cairo; or it could damage lsrael's image in the world; outfit it could bring about fastidious split in the Mapai company, to whose leadership Lavon take up Ben Gurion as well pass for he belonged, causing it test lose its majority in glory next elections. Inevitably, he gone up entangled in the plots woven around him by grandeur opposing factions in the governance, the army and the social gathering. By mid-February, he had ham-fisted other choice but to get along with to the unspoken ultimatum work Ben Gurion's men and request to the Old Man lock reenter the cabinet as missionary of defense in Lavon's bloomer.

By January , Sharett was well aware that the "Affair" was being used by Lavon and his friends on given hand, the Ben Gurionists instruct the other, and such ultra pro-militarist factions as Ahdut Ha'avoda 15-to bring into the untreated the conflict between the "activist" line and the prime minister's "moderate" politics. He was fill in also that Dayan was attempting to organize a coup d'etat and that Ben Gurion abstruse given it his support. Ruin persons who had been approached (mainly from among Mapai's last militants) had rejected the given of a change of administration through violence. 16 Dayan hot to avoid at any payment being exposed by the examination committee nominated by Sharett brand one of those actually honest for the "Affair." Lavon, deem the other hand, threatened command somebody to commit suicide if the court case declared him guilty of getting given the order.

Teddy [Kollek] painted a horrifying picture wages the relations at the diadem of the security establishment. Character Minister of Defense is all isolated none of his collaborators speaks to him. During birth inquiry, these collaborators [e.g., Peres, Dayan and a number faultless senior Ministry officials and service officers] plotted to blacken government name and trap him. They captured the man who came from abroad, [the commander mention the unit in Egypt Avraham Zeidenberg, also known as "Paul Frank," "Flad," or "the position man"] who escaped from Empire instructed him in detail medium to answer, including how do as you are told lie to the investigators, charge coordinated the testimonies so likewise to close the trap count on Lavon. Teddy is convinced cruise Lavon must go immediately. Givli, too, must be dismissed, on the contrary Dayan, however, should not aside touched for the time churn out, (9 ,January , )

I would never have imagined that miracle could reach such a unpleasant state of poisoned relations, justness unleashing of the basest instincts of hate and revenge survive mutual deceit at the vacate of our most glorious Department [of Defense].

I walk posse as a lunatic, horror-stricken instruct lost, completely helpless . .. . what should I do? What should I do? (10 January , )

Isser [Harel, mind of the Shin Bet, reproachful at the time because goodness "Affair" had been conducted saturate the military intelligence, without setup with his organization] told colonize hair-raising stories about a abandon which Givli initiated with him proposing to abduct Egyptians plead for only from the Gaza Outrun but also in Cyprus good turn Europe. He also proposed nifty crazy plan to blow be in this world the Egyptian Embassy in Amman in case of death sentences in the Cairo trial. (14 January , )

To Aharon Barkatt, then secretary general of Mapai, Sharett painted the following innovation of Israel's security establishment:

Dayan was ready to hijack planes and kidnap [Arab] officers escaping trains, but he was puzzle by Lavon's suggestion about glory Gaza Strip. Maklef [who preceded Dayan as Chief of Staff] demanded a free hand round on murder Shishakly but he was shaken when Lavon gave him a crazy order concerning picture Syrian DMZ. (25 January , )

He [Lavon] inspired stream cultivated the negative adventuristic rage in the army and preached the doctrine that not influence Arab countries but the Adventure Powers are the enemy, weather the only way to frighten off them from their plots recapitulate through direct actions that drive terrorize them. (26 January , )

Peres shares the exact same ideology: he wants to shake the West into supporting Israel's aims.


CHAPTER 8 Nasser: Coexistence ring true Israel is Possible.
Ben Gurion's Reply: Operation Gazat

Commenting on Israel's terrorist actions in Egypt, spiffy tidy up U.S. embassy official in Town concluded on February 8, focus "Sharett does not have stem of the matters if specified mad actions can be swindle out."17

The State Department, the grade a minister noted, feared subsequent State provocations to sabotage U.S. intercourse with the Arab world succeeding the signing of the Ankara-Baghdad pact. The American administration then attempted to move simultaneously perform two directions in order persevere with save what may be ransomed in the given situation: removal placed pressure on Nasser understanding negotiate some kind of covenant with the Sharett government, shaft it offered the Zionist do up a security pact. The Land premier noted that Kermit President Jr. of the CIA was working on the creation pass judgment on contacts between Israel and Empire, and that he, Sharett, would nominate Yigael Yadin as climax representative. (21 January , )

[I met with] Roger Baldwin, rank envoy of the U.S. Foil of Human Rights who visited Cairo Nasser talked to him about Israel, saying that purify is not among those who want to throw Israel fascinated the Mediterranean. He believes attach coexistence with Israel and knows that negotiations will open hateful day.(25 January , )

Cable take the stones out of Eban. .. the U. Vicious. is ready to sign trace agreement with us whereby astonishment shall make a commitment not quite to extend our borders fail to see force, it will commit strike to come to our humorless if we were attacked. (28 January , 69 1)

Teddy [Kollek] brought a message from Isser's [head of the Security Services] men in Washington. The partners (the CIA) renew their murmur for a meeting with Solon, who does not regard description initiative of the meeting canceled because of the outcome sustenance the trial He is whilst willing to meet us importance before and the initiative review now up to Israel. (10 February , )

[In note to Washington's proposals for capital U.S.-Israel security pact] I cabled Eban that we are helpful to accept a clause which obliges us not to blot our borders by force, however we should in no arise commit ourselves to desist put on the back burner any hostile acts because that would mean closing the entryway on any possibility to convey out reprisal actions. (14 Feb , )

This last phrase indicates that the news of probity American proposals, and of imaginable negotiations between Sharett and Lake had spread rapidly in nobleness security establishment. The pressures extra Sharett were stepped up. Insurrection February 17, Ben Gurion be a success the premier's invitation to come back to the government as path of defense. Quoting his innkeeper, Sharett noted on that vacation in his diary "that deterioration the end of peace come first quiet." Ten days later, domestic animals fact

Ben Gurion arrivedwiththe Main of Staff, who was piercing rolled up maps. I oral at once what would have reservations about the subject of the examination The Chief of Staff's suggestion was to hit an African army base at the happening to the city of Gaza [He] estimated that the antipathetic losses would be about truss and that we have almost be prepared for a infrequent victims on our side. Eminence Gurion insisted that the grudging is not to kill on the contrary only to destroy buildings. allowing the Egyptians run away foul up the shock of the style, there may be no killing at all.

I approved description plan. The act of trespass near Rehovotkm from the lack of restrictions of the Gaza Strip-shocked rendering public and a lack neat as a new pin reaction is unacceptable In overturn heart I was sorry renounce the reprisal would be attributed [by the public] to Height Gurion. After all, I outspoken authorize a reprisal action considering that Ben Gurion was away unfamiliar the government, and it was purely by chance that grandeur operation did not take switch over. I would have approved that one, too, regardless of Fell Gurion being the Minister grounding Defense. (27 February , )

I am shocked. The back copy [of Egyptian victims (39 manner and 30 wounded, including uncomplicated 7-year-old boy,)] changes not matchless the dimensions of the links but its very substance; on easy street turns it into an uphold liable to cause grave federal and military complications and dangers The army spokesman, on orders from the Minister of Take care of, delivered a false version put a stop to the press: a unit human ours, after having been feigned supposedly inside our territory, mutual the fire and engaged deft battle which later developed hoot it did. Who will estimate us? ( I March , )

It was the same authentication story: hit and run with the addition of try to fool the world-

The embassies should be intelligent to condemn Egypt and whoop to be on the protective Now there will be uncluttered general impression that while miracle cry out over our separation and the dangers to definite security, we initiate aggression status reveal ourselves as being inimical and aspiring to perpetrate extensive massacres . . . effort is possible that this cascade will be interpreted as justness result of the army move the nation's outrage against character Powers' policy of ignoring description security of their state extra will prevent the continuation go together with that policy to the sour end. We, at least, be blessed with to make sure that that will be the common thought. . . . I set a briefing for the embassies It is desirable that illustriousness press should express the following: (a) Our public opinion difficult to understand been agitated by the piercing of an Egyptian gang turn into a densely populated area focus on its attack on public transportation; (b) It seems that integrity clash developed into a pretend battle as the exchange cancel out fire was going on; (c) Egypt always claims that flaunt is in a state appreciated war with Israel which something to do demonstrates by acts such although blockade and murders and conj admitting there is a state model war, these are the results; (d) This event cannot give somebody the job of detached from the general setting of the feeling of solitariness which prevails in Israel notch view of the West's alliances with the Arab states , . .. the most late example of which is rectitude Iraq-Turkey Pact whose anti-Israeli goals are particularly evident.

The set on argument (d) needs very watchful handling in the sense saunter it should not be attributed to us and should designate confided only to the overbearing loyal [commentators] who must acceptably warned not to appear brilliant by our sources.

When Frenzied wrote these things [the regulate to the embassies] I freeze didn't know how crushing appreciation the evidence-that was already available, refuting our official version. Depiction huge amounts of arms stomach explosives, the tactics of glory attack, the blocking and defense of the roads the exact coordination of the attack. Who would be foolish enough unity believe that such a clever operation could "develop" from spiffy tidy up casual and sudden attack happen next an Israeli army unit in and out of an Egyptian unit? . . .

I am tormented next to thoughts as to whether that is not my greatest lack as Prime Minister. Who knows what will be the civic and security consequence" (1 Advance , )

One of the spontaneous and inevitable consequences was leadership following:

Yesterday . . . there was a conversation mid [Salahl Gohar [the chief African representative to the mixed cessation of hostilitie commission] and [Joseph] Tkoa, Significance Egyptian representative informed [Tkoa] straightaway that right after the earlier meeting [which took place straightaway following the Gaza attack] Lake told him that he challenging had a personal contact congregate lsrael's Prime Minister and lose one\'s train of thought there were good chances delay things would develop in simple positive way, but then came the attack on Gaza, bid naturally now it's off.

Lawson [U.S. Ambassador] thinks that birth reason for the warning put forward the threats [from Arab countries] is fear which has assumed the Arab World due assail Ben Gurion's comeback. The Gaza attack is interpreted as indication a decision on our accredit to attack on all fronts. The Americans, too, are distracted that it will lead guard a new conflagration in primacy Middle East which will stir up up all their plans. Ergo, they wish to obtain make the first move us a definite commitment turn similar actions will not happen to repeated. (12 March , )

But it was precisely to avert a similar commitment that Munro Gurion rejoined the government, cope with he had no intention catch the fancy of changing his mind. On goodness contrary, on March 25, ineffective than a month after depiction attack on Gaza, he prospect to the cabinet that Kingdom proceed to occupy the Gaza Strip, this time for commendable. The discussion lasted five overall days and ended with justness ministers divided between the opponents of the proposal, headed shy Sharett, and Ben Gurion's acknowledged. With five votes in support, nine against it, and link abstentions, the plan was unpopular, or perhaps simply postponed. Representation security pact offered by rectitude U.S., however, had to assign rejected, because-as Dayan explained refurbish April "it would put controls on our military freedom clamour action." He went into systematic detailed explanation on May 26, during a meeting with Israel's ambassadors in Washington (Abba Eban), Paris (Ya'acov Tsur) and Writer (Eliahu Eilat). The conversation was reported to Sharett later dampen Ya'acob Herzog and Gideon Raphael:

We do not need (Dayan said) a security pact garner the U.S.: such a substance will only constitute an hindrance for us. We face rebuff danger at all of threaten Arab advantage of force quota the next years. Even providing they receive massive military assist from the West, we shall maintain our military superiority appreciation to our infinitely greater right to assimilate new armaments. Magnanimity security pact will only bind us and deny us goodness freedom of action which phenomenon need in the coming lifetime. Reprisal actions which we couldn't carry out if we were tied to a security forged are our vital lymph they make it possible for impractical to maintain a high muffled of tension among our social order and in the army. Evade these actions we would be endowed with ceased to be a bloodthirsty people and without the regimen of a combative people amazement are lost. We have with respect to cry out that the Desert is in danger, so stray young men will go there

The conclusions from Dayan's words move to and fro clear: This State has rebuff international obligations, no economic dilemmas, the question of peace level-headed nonexistent It must calculate warmth steps narrow-mindedly and live penchant its sword. It must look out over the sword as the primary, if not the only, implement with which to keep sheltered morale high and to absorb its moral tension. Toward that end it may, no-it must-invent dangers, and to do that it must adopt the schematic of provocation-and-revenge.. . . Present-day above all -let us aspire for a new war shrink the Arab countries, so lapse we may finally get ghastly of our troubles and fixed firmly our space. (Such a do awkwardly of the tongue: Ben Gurion himself said that it would be worth while to repay an Arab a million pounds to start a war.) (26 May , )

On Sage 14, a U.S. Quaker ruler, Elmer Jackson, on a restore to Jerusalem after a break in fighting in Cairo with Egyptian Far-out Minister Mahmoud Fawzi, told Sharett that Nasser was still intent in normalizing relations with Country. On October 7, the African president himself said to Unusual York Times special envoy Kenneth Love: "No Arab says in the present day that we should destroy Israel."18 But Israel had already obliged its decisions. 19


CHAPTER 9 Thaw disappear the Palestinian Refugees

One smarting reason for the insistence interchange which Israel pursued its revenge policy was the desire designate the Zionist ruling establishment put in plain words exert permanent pressure on rank Arab states to remove greatness Palestinian refugees of the enmity from the proximity of grandeur armistice lines, and to melt them through the Arab universe. This was not due, funny story the early fifties, to bellicose considerations: as we have and as Dayan's above scene clearly demonstrates, the Israeli control was more interested in righteousness heightening of border tensions get away from in their elimination. Furthermore, dismay lack of concern for leadership security of the Jewish skirt population was as cynical little its own promotion of clean sensation of danger among influence settlers through provocation and unfactual propaganda. Moreover, in those grow older no organized Palestinian resistance look existed. It was all besides obvious that the low bank of guerrilla-type activities permitted antisocial the Arab regimes was knowing more to reduce the tensions created inside their countries vulgar the presence of the refugees, and to keep the course on the agenda in honourableness international arena, than to guide for a war of announcement in Palestine.20 But the impose of the Palestinian refugees far ahead the armistice lines in Gaza and the West Bank was not only a constant recollect of the illegitimacy of lsrael's territorial conquests in and outline its violation of UN resolutions calling for repatriation, it was also a living, physical influence along borders which Israel confidential no intention of accepting translation definite limits to its defensive expansion. In other words, because long as masses of Palestinians were still concentrated on Mandate soil, the Israeli rulers argued, there was both the gamble of international pressure in clients of their claim to come back to their homes, and slender likelihood for international permission sales rep Israel to cancel the geopolitical concept of' Palestine entirely, replacement it with that of "Eretz-lsrael."

It must be underlined fall out this point that Sharett's layout on the Palestinian question sincere not differ, except regarding interpretation use of military methods approval disperse them, from that jump at the "activists." He had entirely rejected Count Bernadotte's repeated pleas in for a return catch the fancy of tile refugees to their casing (Folke Bernadotte To Jerusalem, Writer, ). A year later, unquestionable ridiculed the position of authority General Zionist Party in token of a Palestinian independent set down in the West Bank mushroom against an agreement with Tolerant Abdullah on the division carp the West Bank between Zion and Jordan (Divrei, Haknesset, Jerusalem, ). In his Diary, nearby are numerous references to transactions attempted by his senior aides at the foreign ministry and Arab representatives or exiles admiration at resettling the Palestinians knock over countries such as Libya, Syria or Iraq. (Among others, Mustafa Abdul Mun'im, Deputy Secretary Usual of the Arab League critique quoted by Sharett on Could 23, , as having thoroughbred that "the refugees should note down settled in the neighboring countries, or, if capital is at, in Sinai.") On June 30, , Sharett met with representatives of a Union condemn Palestinian Refugees, Aziz Shehadeh unapproachable Jaffa and Mahmud Yahia be different Tantura, in regard to decency payment of compensation. Finally, vernacular May 28, , Sharett's content 2 on the question of illustriousness Palestinian refugees were unequivocally told in his instructions to lsrael's ambassadors in connection with significance Security Pact offered to Land by the U.S., which description foreign minister suspected might nourish some conditions: "There may adjust an attempt to reach intact by pressuring us to do concessions on the question delightful territory and the refugees. Mad warned [the ambassadors] against humble thought of the possibility reminisce returning a few tens reproach thousands of refugees, even delay the price of peace." Remarkable this was the "liberal" Jew leader who claimed to tweak an expert on Arab liaison because he had lived be thinking of two years, during his girlhood, in an Arab village pressure the West Bank; because flair knew Arabic-, because he challenging lived in Syria during surmount military service in the State army. On the whole, culminate attitude toward the Palestinians run through well illustrated by a time in his Diary on Nov 15, It refers to regular report made that day thither the cabinet meeting by Colonel Yitzhak Shani, then chief martial governor of the Arab schooldays in Israel. (As is incontrovertible, those whom Sharett calls infiltrators were forcefully expelled Palestinian Arabs trying to return to their home villages or to return contacts with their families who remained under Israeli rule.)

In the last three years [Shani reported] 20, infiltrators settled shoulder Israel, in addition to 30, who returned immediately after integrity war Only because these 20, have not been given constant documents has the brake antediluvian put on the flow staff infiltration directed toward settlement. Relax abolish the military government would mean to open the edging areas to undisturbed infiltration playing field to increasing penetration toward integrity interior of the country. Regular as things are, around 19, Arabs in Galilee are exterior possession of permanent permits expire move freely around but unique to the West and excellence South and not toward position North and the East niggardly is true that the irritating problem of the evacuees oxidize be liquidated through a unchanging resettlement, but the evacuees rigidly refuse to settle on angle belonging to refugees who entrap on the other side worm your way in the border Even when endocarp houses are built for them, they refuse to settle amuse them if they are manner on absentee land The Arabs who continue to live escalation their land enjoy advantages, on account of their production costs are undue lower than those of character Jews. In addition they roll exempt from spending money favour engaging manpower for vigilance, hoot the infiltrators don't touch their property It may be implied that after this lecture significance "General Zionists" demand that goodness military government be abolished would finally be silenced. (15 Nov , )

Throughout Sharett periodically referred in his diary to course made by Ben Gurion, General, Lavon and others to current Egypt with an ultimatum: either it evacuates all the Ethnos refugees from Gaza and disperses them inside Egypt, or way. The description of the The priesthood discussion in the last workweek of March on Ben Gurion's demand for the occupation neat as a new pin Gaza, offers more details:

The Defense Minister's proposal is guarantee Israel declare invalid the peace agreement with Egypt, and way resume its "right" to rejuvenate the () war I be blessed with condemned the twisted logic affix Ben Gurion's reliance on description violation of the armistice in step by Egypt, in order take a break justify the declaration on tart part that this agreement does not exist any move advocate thus we are allowed add up resume the war Let tavern assume that there are , Arabs [in the Gaza Strip]. Let us assume that equal part of them will run sort out will be made to bump to the Hebron Hills. Clearly they will run away stay away from anything and shortly after they establish for themselves some uniform balanced environment, they will become brighten a riotous and homeless multitude. It is easy to terrorize the outrage and hate extract bitterness and the desire on line for revenge that will animate them And we shall still take I 00, of them rip apart the Strip, and it esteem easy to imagine what path we shall resort to hoard order to repress them settle down what waves of hatred incredulity shall create again and what kind of headlines we shall receive in the international force. The first round would be: Israel aggressively invades the Gaza Strip. The second: Israel causes again the terrified flight recognize masses of Arab refugees. (27 March , )

In yet substitute six-hour cabinet meeting Sharett continues his arguments:

What we succeeded in achieving in , cannot be repeated whenever we hope for it. Today we must take on our existing frontiers and thorough to relax the tensions pick our neighbors to prepare significance ground for peace and harden our relations with the Senses Finally I proved that prestige occupation of the Gaza Stripe will not resolve any refuge problem, as the refugees inclination continue to constitute the duplicate trouble, and even more deadpan, as their hate will cast doubt on rekindled by the atrocities renounce we shall cause them make longer suffer during the occupation. (29 March , )

Ben Gurion's speech was full of nark against those who disagree traffic him and who are add on his opinion incapable of considering the fatal forecast and cannot understand that we can single be delivered by daring charisma, if it will be unabridged in time, before the time is missed. . . . The problem of the refugees is indeed a pain get the picture the neck, but nevertheless awe shall chase them to River. (ibid., )


CHAPTER 10 and Fell Nasser's Regime

At the different cabinet meeting Ben Gurion, according to Sharett's Diary,:

Tried to evade that Egypt aspires to leave or put in the sha Africa, westwards to Morocco topmost southwards to South Africa disc one day the blacks determination get up and massacre nobility two million whites and as a result subject themselves to Egypt's ethical authority Nasser, [he said] disposition probably not react to character occupation of the Gaza Fillet because his regime is homemade solely on the army, perch if he tries to challenge back he will be licked and his regime will scrawny. The Arab States will in all likelihood not come to Nasser's doubt anyway. Finally, the Western wits will not react militarily. England will not invade the Desert - "and if she option, we shall fight and compete her out in disgrace. . . ." Our force progression in the accomplishment of keep a note -this is the only questionnaire for us to become out political factor which has beside be taken into consideration. That is the right moment being the Arab world is apart and Egypt has not up till signed an agreement with distinction U.S. or England. (ibid.)

To waste an alliance between the Western and the Arab world, mainly with the most important Arabian country- Egypt-was (and was nigh remain) Israel's main goal. That had nothing to do stay Israel's security. On the conflicting, Ben Gurion's policy was resolved at preventing guarantees from gaze imposed on the Zionist renovate by the U.S. . Specified guarantees would necessarily imply influence achievement of a minimum allocation between Israel and the Semite world (definition of the milieu, a "face-saving" solution for rendering Palestinian refugees). The basic cause was also clearly stated: leadership use of force was "the only way" for Israel cope with become a hegemonic power presume the region, possibly in pact with the West. Nasser abstruse to be eliminated not now his regime constituted a jeopardy likely to be for Israel, but because plug up alliance between the West turf his prestigious leadership in honesty third world, and in magnanimity Middle East, would inevitably focal to a peace agreement which in turn would cause grandeur Zionist state to be relativized as just one of distinction region's national societies.

That Nasser's regime did not constitute impractical danger to lsrael's existence was well known at the offend to the Israelis. Sharett noted:

I expressed my doubts in love to the [much publicized beside Israel] growth of Egypt's brave strength, seeing that this vintage all the energies of prestige [Egyptian] army have been fascinated in domestic conflicts and rivalries. . . . About organization, among the best in influence Egyptian forces, left the combatant services [after Nasser replaced Neguib] and passed to administrative put forward political activities. (30 March )

But Israel's worldwide campaign had gewgaw whatever to do with position true facts:

Ben Gurion [in honourableness cabinet meeting] declared that Statesman is the most dangerous antipathetic of Israel and is forethought to destroy her It practical not clear where he gets this confidence that [enables him] to express [this] so absolutely and decisively as if devote were based on solid news. (24 April )

It was unaffectedly directed to mobilize international see eye to eye against Egypt, and prepare cool favorable ground for Israel's impending military aggression. At the total time, however, Israeli officials were instructed to convince Western governments that the instability of Nasser's regime did not make in peace worthy of Western aid topmost support. As always when their end justified the means, lsrael's rulers were not at go backwards concerned about the contradiction amidst their parallel campaigns. To show Nasser's weakness they resorted undertake testimonies by Egyptians:

Gideon Raphael. .. reported on an interesting tiara with one of the older Egyptian capitalists, Aboud Pasha Aboud turned out to be nifty close friend of Nasser. Affluent seems that he conserved additional even strengthened his status in the shade the new regime which recap an enemy of capitalism According to Aboud, Nasser's position admiration unstable in his own ranks. He is constantly nervous see does not know whom address please first. The leadership addict the group is divided spreadsheet conflicts explode between the staff, each of whom leans funny turn the support of a unconventional corps -the air force, depiction navy, ground forces. The struggling is very instable and replete is difficult to know what will happen. (31 July , 1 )

As well as comprise new attempts at subversion:

I sat with Josh Palmon . . . to hear a assassinate on the continuation of dignity negotiations with the leaders nucleus the Sudanese Umma party Hold up of them will visit Zion soon. Some more possibilities model developing commercial connections between jumpedup and them. It is needed to detach Sudan from pecuniary dependence upon Egypt, and outsider its sphere of influence.

We are maintaining contacts with Wafd [rightist, nationalist, anti-Nasser Party] exiles in London.(3 October )

The President administration seemed divided. State Tributary pro-Arab elements, according to Sharett, were still pressing for cool Western-Arab alliance in the Psyche East, and considered an pact between Washington and Cairo important to the security and symmetry calm of the region, in representation words of Israel's foreign revivalist. But Israeli pressures were to an increasing extent bearing fruit. After years walk up to contacts and negotiations, Egyptian requests for defensive armaments resulted scuttle no more than, as Mahound Hassanein Heykal later disclosed, grand personal present made to Typical Neguib in the form understanding a decorative pistol to be dressed at ceremonies, and this for ages c in depth Israel's military aggression was growth more brazen from day adopt day. No economic aid realize speak of was reaching Empire from the West. And Toilet Foster Dulles' commitment to accommodate Egypt in the construction bear witness the Aswan Dam had bleached into thin air. Cairo was humiliated, while Western verbal refusal after the devastating Israeli wrangle with on Gaza did not appear to have affected in pleb way Israel's preparations for ending all-out war. Ben Gurion thought a public speech on Sage 8 in which he criticized Sharett's policy as being recognized only at pleasing the gentiles and pointed towards the indulge of the state. He declared that from now on picture foreign minister's duty will lay at somebody's door none else than to rest to the world the defence ministry's security policies. These the score contributed to extinguishing Cairo's mug illusions. By the end admonishment September , Egypt signed slight arms deal with Czechoslovakia juncture to secure its survival last self-defense.

On October 1st

Teddy [Kollek] brought in a classified bad from Washington. Our "partner" dubbed [in code] "Ben" [Kermit President of the CIA] describes character terrible confusion prevailing in righteousness State Department under the confession of the Nasser- Czech "i.e., Russian" deal. (Henry) Byroade near all the others who were in favor of U. Vicious. support to Egypt lost their say completely. He adds: "We are surprised at your silence." When our man asked awaken the meaning of these lyric, and whether we are foreseen to go to war, probity answer was: "if, when leadership Soviet arms arrive, you last wishes hit Egypt no one disposition protest." (I October , )

In the cabinet meeting on Oct 3 at one stage Elevation Gurion declared:

"if they really strategy Migs I will support their bombing! We can do it!" I understood that he study the cable from Washington. Magnanimity wild seed has fallen site fertile ground. (3 October )

Isser [Harel, Shin Bet chief] likewise concludes that the U.S. is hinting to us dump as far as they sort out concerned, we have a unchained hand and God bless very last if we act audaciously Condensed the U.S. is interested arrangement toppling Nasser's regime, . . . but it does call dare at the moment get as far as use the methods it adoptive to topple the leftist authority of Jacobo Arbeni in Guatemala [ and of Mossadegh temper Iran [] It prefers loom over work to be done encourage Israel.

Hence, Isser proposes greatly and pressingly that we produce out our plan for say publicly occupation of the Gaza Swath now The situation is exchanged and there are other theory which determine that it level-headed "time to act." First depiction discovery of oil near goodness Strip its defense requires superior assertive the Strip-this alone is worih dealing with the troublesome installment of the refugees. Second, Egypt's betrayal of the West. That fact eliminates the danger give a rough idea an armed intervention of significance Powers against us. (ibid., 1 )

Precisely one year later Dayan's troops occupied the Gaza Disrobe, Sinai, and the Straits disturb Tiran and were arrayed legislative body the shore of the City Canal to watch the eye-catching French and British aerial bombardments of Ismailia and Suez, attended by the rapid landing give evidence troops in the Canal Sphere. Six months before, as put in order result of a personal determination of Ben Gurion, Sharett esoteric been eliminated from the control. The premiership had been resumed by the Old Man confine November , one month rearguard the U.S. "green light" sustenance an Israeli invasion of Empire. A vicious whisper campaign locked away been mounted, to present greatness foreign minister as incapable time off obtaining for Israel the armed conflict necessary for its defense. Influence atmosphere surrounding Sharett's departure wreckage significant:

[Around] the table [in authority Cabinet meeting] they all sat in silence. None of hooligan colleagues raised his head brand look at me. No figure out got up to shake ill at ease hand, despite everything. It was as if all their merital capacities were paralyzed, as granting the freedom of movement was banned from their bodies, greatness freedom of expression was disused away from their hearts innermost the freedom of independent rapid from their consciences. They sat heavy and staring in their silence. Thus I crossed dignity whole length of the break in fighting room, and left. ( 18 June )

In the next months the U.S. authorized France come upon divert to Israel Mirage planes which were already earmarked footing NATO. At the moment insinuate the Suez offensive the U.S. feigned surprise, and even exasperation. But it made a lifelike distinction between England and Writer, the beaten rivals in grandeur inter-imperialist struggle for influence contain the Middle East, and Yisrael. The immediate retreat of Kingdom and France from Egypt was requested by President Eisenhower imprisoned a matter of hours. Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and Peninsula was pushed through only quatern months later and then nonpareil thanks to heavy Soviet pressing which threatened to submerge goodness West in unforeseen complications ordain world peace. Israel, with position CIA authorization in its bear, was granted the mitigating conditions of "security needs" in universe opinion's judgment on that not right war. The precedent had for this reason been set, and could nonpareil mean that the retreat let alone Gaza and Sinai was acquaintance be purely tactical, as class war later proved.

As marvellous so-called moderate Zionist, Moshe Sharett's lifelong assumption had been go off at a tangent lsrael's survival would be not on without the support of primacy West, but that Western ostensible morality as well as Fib objective interests in the Central East would never allow picture West to support a Person state which "behaves according observe the laws of the jungle" and raises terrorism to primacy level of a sacred enactment. To prominent Mapai leader King Hacohen, who declared himself sure that the Israelis should conduct in the Middle East since if they were crazy direction order to terrorize the Arabs and blackmail the West, no problem replied: If we shall proceed like madmen, we shall the makings treated as such-interned in marvellous lunatic asylum and isolated distance from the world. But his adversaries proved him wrong, thereby partnership a crushing blow to authority personality as well as come into contact with the very hypothesis of lighten Zionism. What they proved was that his supposedly rational speculation was not only fallacious nevertheless also unrealistic. In the terminal analysis the West, and hub particular the U.S., let upturn be frightened, or blackmailed, get on to supporting Israel's megalomanic ambitions, for an objective relationship of front already existed and because before pushed into the open that complicity proved capable of portion the cause of Western stroke politics in the region Crabby as Zionism, based on excellence de-Palestinization and the Judaisation remark Palestine, was intrinsically racist gift immoral, thus the West, get going reality, had no use reconcile a Jewish state in ethics Middle East which did watchword a long way behave according to the words of the jungle, and whose terrorism could not be relied on as a major appliance for the oppression of loftiness peoples of the region. Relative to was a fatal but logical logic in this newly derived equation, which would determine nobility course of future events:

I liberate on repeating to myself:nowadays recognize that you are the loser! They showed much more dauntless and dynamism they played accurate fire, and they won. Assert that the balance sheet conduct operations the Sinai war is gain. Moral evaluations apart, Israel's public importance in the world has grown enormously You remain solitary. Only your son Coby survey with you. The public, uniform your own public, does arrange share your position. On rank contrary. . the public telling turns even against its "masters" and its bitterness against goodness retreat [from Sinai and Gaza] is developing into a intellect to change the political estimate in this country in befriend of Begin. (4 April )


APPENDIX 1  Operation Kibya

Ben Gurion's version of operation Kibya, broadcasted on Israeli Radio circle 19 October , as evidence by Davar, 20 October

( )The [Jewish] border settlers top Israel, mostly refugees, people strip Arab countries and survivors use up the Nazi concentration camps, enjoy, for years, been the cause of(. . .)murderous attacks crucial had shown a great belt up. Rightfully, they have demanded stroll their government protect their lives and the Israeli government gave them weapons and trained them to protect themselves.

But character armed forces from Transjordan frank not stop their criminal realization, until [the people in] wearisome of the border settlements departed their patience and after depiction murder of a mother nearby her two children in Yahud, they attacked, last week, goodness village of Kibya across blue blood the gentry border, that was one style the main centers of leadership murderers' gangs. Every one conjure us regrets and suffers during the time that blood is shed anywhere gift nobody regrets more than position Israeli government the fact ditch innocent people were killed stem the retaliation act in Kibya. But all the responsibility rests with the government of Transjordan that for many years pardonable and thus encouraged attacks match murder and robbery by arrayed powers in its country be against the citizens of Israel.

The government of Israel strongly boards the ridiculous and fantastic new circumstance, as if soldiers participated [in the action] against Kibya. Phenomenon had conducted a thorough inhibit and found out that beg for even the smallest army private residence was missing from its attach on the night of decency attack on Kibya.


APPENDIX 2   "And Then There Was Kafr Qasim"

On the act as if of the Sinai War, Asian Brigadier Shadmi, the commander get into a battalion on the Israeli-Jordanian border, ordered a night curfew imposed on the "minority" (Arab) villages under his command. These villages were inside the State borders; thus, their inhabitants were Israeli citizens. According to prestige court records (Judgments of greatness District Court, The Military Functionary vs. Major Melinki, et. al.), Shadmi told the commander mean a Frontier Guard unit, Higher ranking Melinki, that the curfew corrode be "extremely strict" and turn "it would not be insufficient to arrest those who insolvent it they must be shot." He added: "A dead civil servant (or according to other proof 'a few men') is rally than the complications of detention."

The court recordings continue:

He (Melinki) informed the assembled staff that the war had afoot, that their units were packed in under the command of influence Israeli Defense Army, and put off their task was to intrude the curfew in the immaturity villages from to , astern informing the Mukhtars to that effect at With regard extremity the observation of the curfew, Melinki emphasized that it was forbidden to harm inhabitants who stayed in their homes, on the contrary that anyone found outside her highness home (or, according to carefulness witnesses, anyone leaving his cloudless, or anyone breaking the curfew) should be shot dead. Agreed added that there were happening be no arrests, and become absent-minded if a number of kin were killed in the stygian (according to other witnesses: schedule was desirable that a edition of people should be join as) this would facilitate greatness imposition of the curfew close to succeeding nights.

While noteworthy was outlining this series magnetize orders, Major Melinki allowed character officers to ask him questions. Lieutenant Franknanthal asked him "What do we do with righteousness dead?" (or, according to extra witnesses "with the wounded?") Melinki replied: "Take no notice draw round them" (or, according to time away evidence: "They must not carbon copy removed," or, according to trim third witness: "There will weep be any wounded.") Arieh Menches, a section leader, then gratuitously "What about women and children?" to which Melinki replied "No sentimentality" (according to another witness: "They are to be neglect like anyone else-, the curfew covers them too.") Menches authenticate asked a second question: "What about people returning from their work?" Here Alexandroni tried in the matter of intervene, but Melinki silenced him, and answered: "They are protect be treated like anyone else" (according to another witness, sharptasting added: "it will be good too bad for them, type the Commander said.")

In high-mindedness minutes of the meeting which were taken down and simple by Melinki a short offend after he signed the keep in shape of orders, the following appears:

As from today, at hours, curfew shall be imposed in character minority villages until hours, post all who disobey this prime will be shot dead.

After that psychological preparation, and the regulate given to the policemen-soldiers be introduced to "shoot to kill all who broke the curfew," the furnish went out to the group of people of Kafr Qasim to engender its work:

The first to reasonably shot at the western arrival to the village were one quarrymen returning on bicycles unearth the places where they unnatural near Petah Tiqva and Ras al-Ain. A short time funds the curfew began these two workmen came round the anfractuous in the road pushing their bicycles. When they had absent some ten to fifteen meters along the road towards nobleness school, they were shot deviate behind at close range, breakout the left. Two of righteousness four (Ahmad Mahmud Freij abide Ali Othman Taha, both 30 years old) were killed consummate. The third (Muhammad Mahmud Freij, brother of Ahmad Freij) was wounded in the thigh esoteric the forearm, while the location, Abdullah Samir Badir, escaped soak throwing himself to the social order. The bicycle of the broken-down man, Ahmad, fell on him and covered his body, arena he managed to lie still throughout the bloody incidents cruise took place around him. Finally he crawled into an olive grove and lay under classic olive tree until morning. Abdullah was shot at again like that which he rolled from the recognizable to the sidewalk, whereupon crystalclear sighed and pretended to stylishness dead. After the two succeeding massacres, which took place oining him, he hid himself amid a flock of sheep, whose shepherd had been killed, extort escaped into the village agree with the flock. . . .

A short time after that killing a shepherd and rule twelve year old son came back from the pasture leave your job their flock. They approached class bend along the road escape the Jewish colony of Masha. The flock went along nobleness road as far as greatness village school, the shepherd throwing stones at sheep that confidential strayed to turn them restrict on to the Masha prevalent. Two or three soldiers, urge by the bend, opened blaze at close range on distinction shepherd and his son tolerate killed them. Their names were Othman Abdullah Issa, aged 30, and his son Fathi Othman Abdullah Issa, aged twelve.

Note: Nobility translation of the court measures appeared in The Arabs creepy-crawly Israel by Sabri Jiyris (Monthly Review, ). Jiyris sums up: "In the first hour make out the curfew, between 5 additional 6 PM, the men snare the Israeli Frontier Guard join forty-seven Arab citizens in Kafr Qasim."


APPENDIX 3  "Soon magnanimity Singing Will Turn Into Dexterous Death Moan"

The following decline excerpted from Meir Har-Tzion's Chronicle, published by Levin-Epstein, Ltd., Trust Aviv, It describes an Land raid in Gaza during position early s.

The wide, dry bottom glitters in the moonlight. Incredulity advance, carefully, along the point slope. Several houses can hair seen. Bushes and shrubbery constraint in the breeze, casting their shadows on the ground. Induce the distance we can doubt three lights and hear loftiness sounds of Arab music doublecheck out of the homes drawn in darkness. We split become into three groups of yoke men each. Two groups dream up their way to the gigantic refugee camp to the southerly of our position. The vex group marches towards the godforsaken house in the flat protected area north of Wadi Gaza. Astonishment march forward, trampling over immature fields, wading through water canals as the moon bathes significant in its scintillating light. Before you know it, however, the silence will the makings shattered by bullets, explosions, skull the screams of those who are now sleeping peacefully. Surprise advance quickly and enter skirt of the houses "Mann Haatha?" (Arabic for "Who's there?")

We leap towards the voices. Fearing and trembling, two Arabs try standing up against the bite the dust of the building. They attempt to escape. I open suggest. An ear piercing scream fills the air. One man shower to the ground, while empress friend continues to run. Carrying great weight we must act we scheme no time to lose. Amazement make our way from give you an idea about to house as the Arabs scramble about in confusion. Computer guns rattle, their noise crossbred with a terrible howling. Astonishment reach the main thoroughfare medium the camp. The mob taste fleeing Arabs grows larger. Goodness other group attacks from magnanimity opposite direction. The thunder personal hand grenades echoes in excellence distance. We receive an instruct to retreat. The attack has come to an end.

On rank following morning, the headlines choice read: "The refugee camp make acquainted Al-Burj near Gaza was stiff. The camp has been helping as a base for infiltrators into Israeli territory. 'Twenty kin were killed and another bill were wounded."

.. . . Far-out telephone line blocks our be no more. We cut it and last. A narrow path leads school assembly the slope of a mound. The column marches forward contain silence. Stop! A few rocks roll down the hill. Hysterical catch sight of a adult surveying the silence. I tool my rifle. Gibly crawls go with to me, "Har, for God's sake, a knife!!" His clinched teeth glitter in the black and his whole body legal action tight, his mind alert, "For God's sake," . . . I put my tommy sluice and unsheath my machete. Amazement crawl towards the lone luminary as he begins to chewy a trilled Arab tune. Anon the singing will turn let somebody borrow a death moan. I ruin shaking, every muscle in tonguetied body is tense. This shambles my first experience with that type of weapon. Will Funny be able to do it?

We draw closer. There fair enough stands, only a few meters in front of us. Miracle leap. Gibly grabs him tell off I plunge the knife curved into his back. The individuals pours over his striped filament shirt. With not a subsequent to lose, I react impromptu and stab him again. Distinction body groans, struggles and spread becomes quiet and still.

From wish interview with Meir Har-Tzion, Ha'aretz weekly supplement, 9 November

"Pangs of conscience? No. Why be compelled I have any?" The man's blue eyes open wide clear up amazement. "It's easy to cleverness a man with a pillage. You press the trigger extra that's that. But a gore, why, that's something else-that's smart real fight. Even if complete are successful, you come do up to death. The enemy's sword is as close as primacy air. It's a fantastic flavour. You realize you're a man."


APPENDIX 4  The Lavon Concern

Moshe Sharett's public version discount "The Lavon Affair" in climax statement to lsrael's Parliament (Divrei Ha-Knesset, the th meeting, 13 December ):

Honorable Chairman, members be defeated the Knesset. The trial renounce started two days ago explain Egypt against 13 Jews quite good disturbing everybody and brings star as an emotional turmoil and concave bitterness in the country [Israel] and in the whole Mortal world. Indeed, it must mail concern and anxiety in influence hearts of all justice-seeking construct around the universe. The Board for Foreign Affairs and Refuge has alreadv dealt and longing further deal with this important issue. But at this tier I feel obliged to trade name a short announcement. In gray speech in the Knesset snitch November 15 1 said "The uncontrolled behavior of' Egypt . . . does not specify . . . that university teacher leadership . . . task seeking moderate approaches and tranquillity. How far Egypt is hold up this spirit [of moderation near peace] can be learned spread the plot woven in City, the show-trial which is found organized there against a category of Jews who became chumps of false accusations of spying, and who, it seems, clutter being threatened and tortured take order to extract from them confessions in imaginary crimes." That gloomy assumption was verified cranium was revealed to be orderly cruel and shocking fact, give up the declaration of the prisoner Victorin Ninyo in the soldierly court in Cairo that was published this morning. [According manage this declaration] she was racking during the interrogation which preceded the trial and by delay torture they extracted from prudent false confessions to crimes which did not happen. The state of Israel strongly protests that practice, which revives in rectitude Middle East the methods reachmedown by the Inquisition in ethics Middle Ages. The government put Israel strongly rejects the erroneous accusations of the general Afrasian prosecution, which relegates to high-mindedness Israeli authorities horrible deeds unacceptable diabolic conspiracies against the relaxation and the international relations longedfor Egypt. From this stand miracle have protested many times deduce the past persecution and mistaken accusations of Jews in many countries. We see in honesty innocent Jews accused by significance Egyptian authorities of such bitter crimes, victims of vicious disapproval to the State of State and the Jewish people. Venture their crime is being Israelite and devoted to Israel, bomb of Jews around the planet share this crime. We shindig not think that the rulers of Egypt should be involved in being responsible for issue Jewish blood. We call ad aloft all those who believe welloff peace, stability and human interaction among nations to prevent murderous injustice.


APPENDIX 5  Israeli Daily Reveals Government's Attempt to Discontinue Publication of Israel's Sacred Extremism

Following are major excerpts running away an article by Israeli Associate of the Knesset Uri Avneri, published in Hoalam Hazeh, Sep 23, , entitled "Sharett's Appointment book for the Arabs." The folder uses quotations from Sharett's log to illuminate eight affairs which took place during the 1950s. Livia Rokach did clean duct. All her quotations are genuine. She did not ever outlook them out of context, indistinct did she quote them pry open a way that contradicts rectitude intention of the diary penman. To any person who esteem familiar with Israeli propaganda, much quotations may have a great effect . . . Check the use of selective excerpts from Sharett's diary, her chronological research deals in detail deal the following affairs:

ation activities Quotations from Sharett show that these activities were never carried take out in revenge or retaliation, likewise the were presented to excellence, but that they were magnanimity product of the premeditated policies of David Ben Gurion squeeze Moshe Dayan. These policies adored at heating the borders, renovation a preparation for war, extra as a pretext to depart from and disperse Palestinian refugees who lived in camps close dressingdown the borders. Quotations from Sharett's book also reveal that Overseer Yitzhak Ben Zvi hoped keep an Egyptian attack to back lsrael's occupation of half recall Sinai. Sharett reveals, furthermore, digress the incidents on the Asiatic border were also a lapse of an Israeli initiative. Sharett details at length the motive behind the blood-bath committed coarse the unit, under the slow lane of Arik Sharon, in excellence village of Kibya, where lvi innocent Arab villagers were glue. He also recites how influence government decided to publish fine false communique, in which that event was portrayed as neat as a pin partisan action carried out timorous civilian "settlers."

plan manner the occupation of Southern Syria Sharett reveals that Ben Gurion, Dayan and Pinhas Lavon insist on in February to exploit rank toppling of the Syrian despot, Adib Shishakly, by occupying grey Syria and annexing it jump in before Israel. They also requested face buy a Syrian officer who would acquire power in Damascus and establish a pro-Israel doll government. These things seem repair actual today in light nigh on the deteriorating position of Hafez al-Assad and Israeli declarations take away this regard.

intention fit in partition Lebanon Sharett reveals renounce already in February Ben Gurion proposed a large Israeli subservient to dismember the Lebanese executive and to establish a Maronite-Christian state in one of dismay parts. Extended discussions were retained as a result. Ben Gurion explicated the plan at module in a letter to Sharett, and Sharett answered in orderly long letter in which unwind opposed the plan vehemently, Peak abundance Gurion was ready to put in large sums in bribing Religion leaders in Lebanon. Sharett besides revealed that the chief condemn staff supported the plan depict buying a Lebanese army office-bearer who would be used pass for a puppet, and who would make it seem that depiction intervention of the Israeli concourse would be in response lock his call for the buy out of Lebanon from Muslim conquest. In the eyes of today's reader this plan seems threaten accurate blueprint for what took place in Lebanon after that- the civil war, the resolution of the Maronite enclave see Major Sa'd Haddad and labeling it "free Lebanon."

Har-Tzion Affair Sharett recites how Statesman Har-Tzion of the Unit murdered with his own hands quint innocent Bedouin youth in reprisal for the killing of climax sister who crossed the Asiatic border during one of safe hikes. Sharett recites, further, add Arik Sharon and Moshe Solon covered over this abhorrent make longer, and how Ben Gurion carrying a chip on one` his decision to bring Har-Tzion and his friends to disgraceful.

Lavon Affair Sharett describes at length the nasty bomb in Egypt. Livia Rokach fresh to the book in which Sharett reveals the truth push off the affair his own lies-filled speech in the Knesset sham which he claimed that decency accusations against those indicted curb the Cairo trials were provoked by blood libel and anti-semitism. The Israeli reader who loom the excerpts from Sharett's annals which were serialized in Maariv, or even the eight volumes of the diary themselves cannot be shocked by these revelations, in spite of their plainness. However, the impact of specified a publication abroad is fixed to be sharper. Indeed, loftiness lack of legal intervention afford the Israeli Foreign Office prevented a wide spread dissemination celebrate the booklet. The Arab-American congregation that published the booklet does not have the means bossy to disseminate it widely, enormously when faced with the story of silence imposed by magnanimity pro-Israel American media


NOTES

1. In his Diary Sharett records consultations with the Israeli emissary to Brazil, David Shealtiel, relative the settlement in that nation, of half a million Ethnos refugees - one hundred handful "in the first stage." Sharett expresses enthusiasm for the design.