My Struggle for Peace, Vol. 3 (1956)

Moshe Sharett

Description

 To access the supplementary documents (WebDocs) cited in the Diary, please visit: https://wdsharett.blogspot.com/

My Struggle for Peace is a remarkable political document offering insights into the complex workings of the young Israeli political system, set against the backdrop of the disintegration of the country's fragile armistice with the Arab states. Replete with the diarist's candid comments on Israel's first generation leaders and world statesmen of the day, the diary also tells the dramatic human story of a political career cut short—the removal of an unusually sensitive, dedicated, and talented public servant. My Struggle for Peace is, above all, an intimate record of the decline of Moshe Sharett's moderate approach and the rise of more "activist-militant" trends in Israeli society, culminating in the Suez/Sinai war of 1956. The diary challenges the popular narrative that Israel's confrontation with its neighbors was unavoidable by offering daily evidence of Sharett's statesmanship, moderation, diplomacy, and concern for Israel's place in international affairs.

This is the third volume in the long-awaited 3-volume English abridgement of Sharett's Yoman Ishi [Personal diary] (Ma'ariv, 1978) maintains the integrity, flavor, and impact of the 8-volume Hebrew original and includes additional documentary material that was not accessible at the time. The volumes are also available to purchase as a set or individually.

3-volume set (1953-1956): https://iupress.org/97802530432521

Volume 1 (1953-1954): https://iupress.org/9780253037350

Volume 2 (1955): https://iupress.org/9780253037589

Volume 3 (1956): https://iupress.org/9780253037626

Sujets

• HISTORY
• Israel
• History of the Middle East
• Middle East
• Foreign Policy

Informations

• Publié par: Indiana University Press
• Date de parution: 19 mars 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780253037657
• Langue: English

Extrait

My Struggle for Peace
The Diary of Moshe Sharett 1953-1956
Volume 3
January - December 1956
Edited by
Neil Caplan and Yaakov Sharett
Translation from the Hebrew
Yaakov Sharett and Neil Caplan
INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS
BLOOMINGTON AND INDIANAPOLIS
Publication of this English edition of
Moshe Sharett, Yoman ishi (1978) was initiated by
The Moshe Sharett Heritage Society (MSHS)
30 Ben-Gurion Blvd., Tel Aviv, Israel 6458805

www.sharett.org.il
Cover and graphic Design by adi Chen
The MSHS and Indiana University Press gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Israel Institute, Washington DC.

www.israelinstitute.org
2019 Indiana University Press
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
Cataloging information is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-0-253-04325-2 (cloth, 3-vol. set)
ISBN 978-0-253-03735-0 (cloth, vol. 1)
ISBN 978-0-253-03758-9 (cloth, vol. 2)
ISBN 078-0-253-03762-6 (cloth, vol. 3)
ISBN 978-0-253-03738-1 (ebook, vol. 1)
ISBN 978-0-253-03761-9 (ebook, vol. 2)
ISBN 978-0-253-03763-3 (ebook, vol. 3)
1 2 3 4 5 24 23 22 21 20 19
A List of persons cited by their first name and mini-glossary of terms appears on page viii of Volume 1. A List of Abbreviations appears on page x of Volume 1.
Table of contents
Volume 3: January 1, 1956 - December 9, 1956
The Envoy and the Secretary-General
Waiting for American Arms
The Nitzana Imbroglio
Warning Signs of Dismissal
Resignation or Dismissal?
Your time is past!
Depression, Anger and Pain
Battling Against Short-Sightedness
Explanations for My Dismissal
Conquering Masada
To David Ben-Gurion, Shalom!
He Has Ripped Our Friendship Apart
Preparing My Mission to Asia
Starting With Rangoon
From Manila to Tokyo
Singapore, Malaya, Ceylon
India, Nepal
We Are the Aggressors!
I Lied!
Victorious Israel Under Attack
My Country Has Left Me
Epilogue: The Premature End of a Political Career / Neil Caplan
Appendix: Excerpts from a lecture given by Moshe Sharett at the Mapai Party s Beit Berl, October 2, 1957
List of Sources
List of WebDocs
Names Index
Subject Index
1956
The Envoy and the Secretary-General
Sunday, January 1
At the MFA for a short while. Yitzhak brought bad news: BG has decided to return the MACs [to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense and the Army]. 1 I said: He is pushing matters to Heaven-knows-where. He is cooking up something - so am I. Yitzhak asked whether [I would raise the matter] directly with the Cabinet or whether [I would have a] talk [with BG. I said]: If he invites me, I shall come.
[At the Cabinet meeting] I had intended to raise the question of Germany, but gave a review [of my talks with] Abramov, Nicholls and Lawson. 2 In order not to overly grate on their nerves, I glossed over the French [arms] embargo [while the SC debated the complaint against Israel for its Kinneret raid]; [but] I said [as much] to Eshkol and Ziama. I heard that BG was depressed [as a result of the embargo] and Peres, who had been satisfied that the deal was on, was at a loss when he realized that he was not so much in the know as he thought [in his] reporting that France was wholly given to manipulation and deceit. BG was in despair regarding the [Kinneret] operation. I asked who had started the chain of events [leading to the operation] but the riddle remained unsolved.
At the Cabinet meeting I outlined my speech for the Knesset political debate tomorrow and he [BG] did the same: He, however, would speak as a private citizen. [Some ministers] spoke against two opening speeches and against [BG s intention of] speaking as a private citizen. I spoke against defying the Security Council. We should weigh our interests not on the scales of pure justice but on those of pragmatism.
A vote [was taken]. My proposal [received] 7:7. It was decided [to refer the decision] to a ministerial committee [by a majority vote of] 10. [- - -]
In the afternoon I finally got round to composing [the Knesset speech] from 2:30 to 5:00. In the middle, Gideon and Yaacov [came by to prepare] a briefing for [ NYT correspondent Harry] Gilroy. 3
[- - -]
More firing and clashes on the Gaza and Nitzana borders. Went to bed at 2:30 am.
Monday, January 2
Awoke at 7:15 am. Spent the whole morning editing the draft [of the Knesset speech]. The DG translated it [into English], with corrections by Leo, Gideon and Yaacov. In the middle I went out to the meeting of the JA about the Congress, and also [received] a letter from BG on the transfer of jurisdiction [of the MACs].
[Here follows the complete text of the letter:]
Jerusalem, January 1, 1956
To the Foreign Minister
From the Prime Minister
It seems to me that negotiations with UN Observers should be placed, as before, within the Ministry of Defense and be conducted by the army, with constant contact with Foreign Ministry representatives.
I had resigned myself to the arrangement you had established when Prime Minister, since I saw it as my duty to accept the PM s decisions, even when I did not agree with him, without bringing the disagreements before the Cabinet. I don t think that the Foreign Ministry should stay out of these negotiations, and in my opinion every step must be taken in consultation with the Foreign Minister or his representatives. But negotiations with UN Observers inside Israel are a security matter of the first order and they must be conducted within the framework of the Ministry of Defense.
If you do not agree with me I will not oppose the matter being discussed in Cabinet, or if you wish, at a meeting of [party] haverim .
D. Ben-Gurion 4
At home, and in the afternoon to the Knesset, BG s [opening] speech was long, unstructured, acerbic. Mine was solid but a little cumbersome, overshadowed by its predecessor. This precedent [of two opening speeches] is flawed. 5
[Menachem] Begin, [Liberal MK Peretz] Bernstein, and [ Hapo el Hamizrahi MK Yitzhak] Raphael took part in the debate. The latter addressed to me Jethro s admonition. 6
Went to bed at almost 1:00 am.
[The following list of points prepared by Sharett, probably for the Knesset debate, was attached to the diary:]
1. Arms from Russia - hypothetical, not practical, as a point of principle.
2. Concessions of territory - Arabs [are not asked] for any, while [in principle] a give and take [policy is necessary]. The UN 1947 decision was a recommendation. At that point Britain opposed this, and now? She is involved. Our sons blood [in the 1948 War, which cannot be returned, justifies our retention of the additional territories occupied by IDF].
3. UN [police force] guards 7 - totally ineffective. How would they prevent infiltration? [Their posting] would necessitate reformulating the Armistice Agreement. If infiltration is stopped, they shall not be needed. If not - [they will be] ineffective.
4. Security pact - implementation of the Tripartite Declaration [of May 1950].
5. Tripartite Declaration - [involves] cumbersome consultations [between the parties], unclear obligation. It is not respectful nor obligatory, [while] in other cases [there are clear-cut] pacts: Anglo-Jordanian; US 40 [security pacts].
6. Conclusion: arms [to be given to Arab countries] on condition of [readiness to make] peace.
Tuesday, January 3
[- - -] A new cannonball from BG: Article XII [of the Armistice Agreements]. 8
I consulted with Joe on the transfer [of responsibility for dealing with] the MACs. [- - -]
Radio Cairo [broadcast] in Hebrew on me and on BG [i.e., commentaries on their Knesset speeches]. 9
At 10:00 pm to the Knesset. [- - -] Returned home [to work on] papers and a reply to BG about the MACs. [- - -]
Wednesday, January 4
At the MFA with Joe [working] on the draft [reply to BG about responsibilities for dealing with the UNTSO]. [There was a need for a few] corrections.
[Following is the translation of the original letter:]
Jerusalem, January 4 1956
To: The Prime Minister
From: The Foreign Minister
In your letter of January 1 you informed me that, in your opinion, negotiations with UN Observers should be placed, as before, within the Ministry of Defense and be conducted by the army, with constant contact with Foreign Ministry representatives.
I want to point out that the matter under discussion is not limited to the realm of negotiations with UN Observers, but, first and foremost, covers the ongoing written and verbal contact with the Chief-of-Staff of UNTSO. During your first term of office as PM and Minister of Defense, and especially in the days of General [William] Riley, all the diplomatic contacts on armistice affairs and with UNTSO HQ in Jerusalem - which is not the same as contact in the field with UN Observers - were concentrated in the Foreign Ministry in general and handled mainly by Eytan and Shiloah, and maintained with the closest ties of cooperation with the CoS, Yigael Yadin. The present CoS has advocated the total separation of the ministries in this field and has insisted that contacts with General Burns be maintained through him alone, apart from my own meetings with him. This had caused incessant complications and unnecessary hitches.