When Israel's Prime Ministers believed in God
As many of you know, I am currently reading Yehuda Avner's The Prime Ministers. I'm now up to Menachem Begin, and just read Avner's description of the negotiations over the communique that was issued at the conclusion of Begin's first trip to the US to meet with Jimmy Carter in July 1977.Begin asked that two sentences be removed. First, the sentence that said that the United States affirms Israel's inherent right to exist. Carter's National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski protested that every Israeli Prime Minister wanted that sentence. But Begin stood firm. Israel's right to exist come from God and the Torah, and not from the US or any other power.
The second sentence Begin wanted removed was the sentence where the US reaffirmed its commitment to Israel's survival. Begin said that only the Jewish people were responsible for Israel's survival. (Well, not quite. I think God has that under control as well).
No, he wasn't perfect, but he was quite firm about not turning over any of Judea or Samaria (or Gaza for that matter) to the 'Palestinians' and about not negotiating with Arafat or the PLO. In fact, the thing I find so striking about this book (which I highly recommend) is the sense of deja vu - the issues are the same now as they were 34 years ago. Carter wanted to do the same thing that Obama wants to do but he was a bit more genteel about it.
Labels: Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Menachem Begin, The Prime Ministers, Yehuda Avner, Zbigniew Brzezinski
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:06 PM
2 Comments:
Karl,
The best read I have had in decades and I have a new found respect for Begin as a leader, and statesman and most importantly as a Jew. His 10 Downing street appearance in total is one for the ages. His refusal to take up arms against his fellow Jews underlines the major difference between the right and the left in most any country. A great great book and a great insight into the State and a man who is part chasid, part survivor, part secularist, part conservative, part leader and all Jew
My apologies-that last comment is from me not my son who did not sign out on my computer
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