With a parliamentary system marred by a series of fractious political parties and beset by conflicting forces within and without, the tiny country of Israel is difficult ship for any prime minister to steer.
Diplomat Peels Back Curtain on Prime Ministerial Dealings
With a parliamentary system marred by a series of fractious political parties and beset by conflicting forces within and without, the tiny country of Israel is difficult ship for any prime minister to steer.
Offering a behind-the-scenes look at that history and a national narrative marked by international struggles and American pressure, a new book by veteran diplomat Yehuda Avner reveals key hurdles faced by four Israeli leaders over the course of three decades.
From the onset, Avner – whose dealings on behalf of Jerusalem brought him into frequent contact with the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory – makes very clear his reverence for one of the most contentious of Israeli leaders, Prime Minister Menachem Begin. In The Prime Ministers, an Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership, Avner tells of the red graffiti sprawled across a synagogue wall in Manchester, England, during the struggles before the establishment of Israel, when the English ruled the territory known then as Palestine and the future prime minister Begin was denounced by the British. Soon afterward, Avner decided to move to the Holy Land.
Over the course of more than 700 pages, Avner’s story weaves through the corridors of Israeli and international politics, beginning with the 1968 visit of Prime Minister Levi Eshkol with U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson at his Texas ranch. Avner, whose diplomatic career saw him carry the titles of prime ministerial speech writer, adviser, and Israeli ambassador to the Court of S. James and Australia, candidly describes not only that meeting, but the minutest details of off-the-record conversations and later encounters in the West Wing of the White House.
Avner, who served Prime Ministers Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, Golda Meir and Levi Eshkol, kept a detailed diary and archived papers from all of his dealings, including a note written by Johnson to Secretary of State Dean Rusk during that 1968 meeting. The crumpled note dealt with America’s decision, despite Soviet ammunitions being sent to Arab countries, to not supply Israel with arms following the Six Day War in 1967.
“Dean, Go slow on this thing, L.,” was all the note contained, but it offered the Israelis a slight peek into internal discussions in Washington. By the end of the meeting, the Americans agreed to assist the Israelis.
Throughout Avner’s career, the Rebbe was intimately involved in Israeli political and social issues, and revealed to the diplomat his knowledge of Israeli military and educational affairs. Separately, the Rebbe kept up correspondence with a broad spectrum of Israeli officials.
Looking back at his meetings and correspondence with the Rebbe, Avner writes in his book that the Jewish leader’s commitment to Israel was an extension of his love of the Jewish people.
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe was a theologian,” writes Avner regarding the Rebbe’s well-known non-Zionistic approach to Israel, “not a political Zionist.”
But if “Zionism is an unconditional, passionate devotion to the Land of Israel and to its security and welfare,” he continues, “then Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was a fanatical Zionist.”
Shmuel B
Just finished reading this book. It is an amazing book, that really gives you a great picture of what when on behind the scenes over the course of so much history and so many critical decisions. Of course an inside look at the Rebbes interaction in all of this is powerful
Levi
amazing book. I couldnt put it down which unfortunatly for me meant a whole nights sleep
very engaging and entertaining yet very informative and historical
disclaimer: I am related