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The Great Leader Series No. 20 - David Ben Gurion
The Great Leader this month is David Ben Gurion, a Polish Jew, who became a leader of Zionists during the previous century.
I will look at him as a leader of his people by lifting him away from the controversial elements of his life and looking at what he did for his people and, for now, not look at the views of millions of other people who see his leadership in a different way. I am fully aware that many people will not see this man’s point.
After the treatment of the Jews in the last holocaust in Germany during WW2, horror, sympathy and disbelief spread around the globe. How could such things happen in a “civilised world”? But to historians these things weren’t new. Diasporas have happened throughout several millennia; the tribes of David have been spread through the world. The story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt is one that many of us are familiar with... the Israelites were then left to wander through the wilderness for years. Even Hitler’s insistence on Jews wearing yellow stars was not a new idea. Five hundred years ago in the city state of Venice male Jews had to wear yellow circles attached to their clothing, the women yellow scarves. All Jews had to live in an area of Venice called the ghetto [this is where the word originated] and were under curfew.
Even at the end of the 19th century/ beginning of the 20th century the pogroms in Southern Russia and Poland drove millions of people to emigrate, mostly to the USA or Turkish Palestine to try to find a better life.
It is against this background that David Ben Gurion emerged. He was born in Plonsk, Poland in 1886. He was educated in a Hebrew School established by his father, who was an ardent Zionist. Zionist supporters formed their first society in 1899 “to create support for the establishment of the state of Israel” and against the stated background it is hardly surprising that many, but not all, Jews became Zionists. Israel was chosen as there are many historical and biblical links between the Jews and Israel.
After teaching in a Hebrew school in Warsaw at the age of only 18, Ben Gurion moved to the land of Israel in 1906. He became involved in the creation of the first kibbutz and helped to establish the Jewish self defence.
From that time he single mindedly worked for Zionism. At the outbreak of WW1 he was deported by the Ottoman authorities. He travelled to New York on behalf of the Socialist-Zionist cause. It was here he met and married Paula Monbesz, returning to Palestine in the uniform of the British army’s Jewish Legion.
Ben Gurion was the founder of the trade unions and the national federation, the Histadrut, which he dominated from the early 1920s.
Ben Gurion also dominated many other Zionist organisations during both World Wars as well as peace time.
He held extremely strong views on anything and everything that affected the Jews living in Palestine. His extreme views were good for the Jews but no thought was spared for the Palestinians or Arabs as he called them. He wanted all Palestinians out of Palestine, leaving it for the Zionists. He also wanted to take over Southern Lebanon as part of an Israeli state.
Palestinians and Arabs were forced out of their homes and villages even when in areas given to the Palestinians. Ben Gurion worked hard for the Israelites. He led them along a dangerous journey using diplomacy. Others have now tried to carry his hopes onwards. The shock and horror felt around the world when the worst excesses of the Nazi holocaust were revealed gave Ben Gurion’s fight more ammunition. Sympathy for the survivors and the displaced people led the way. My own father was horrified when he had to rescue Jews from the Mediterranean waters, who were trying to get to Palestine. The people were sent back to refugee camps in Europe.
Ben Gurion stopped at nothing to settle Jews in Israel, wheeling and dealing every time opposition presented itself. There were also differences within the various factions of the Zionist movement. People associated with the Zionist movement were acting as terrorists although they are now seen as heroes.
When the Israeli government was formed in May, 1948 David Ben Gurion became Prime Minister and Defence Minister. As the official leader of Israel he oversaw the arrangements for the establishment of the state’s institutions. He organised national projects which were aimed at aimed at rapidly developing the country. Jews from Arab countries were airlifted to Israel, new towns and villages were built on Palestinian designated land. The aim was to populate all areas with as many Jewish immigrants as possible in order to build a physical and psychological deterrent to Arabs.
In 1953 Ben Gurion retired from the government and settled on a Kibbutz but 1955 he returned to political life after elections for the Knesset, becoming Defence Minister and later taking over as Prime Minister. He went on to establish relations with West Germany. This move was bitterly opposed, but he continued and led the country into the Sinai Campaign resulting in the Zionists taking temporary control of the Sinai Peninsula.
In 1963 David Ben Gurion gave up the premiership but remained politically active until 1970 despite rivalry and rifts between the political parties. Upon retirement Ben Gurion returned to the kibbutz where he passed away in 1973.
As stated at the start it is obvious that Ben Gurion was an excellent leader for Zionists. It must be noted, though, that all Jews are not Zionists. One American Rabbi, Rabbi Weiss, believes that Zionism is the complete opposite of Judaism.
Ben Gurion’s leadership skills developed over a seventy five year period. His life experiences and inability to understand inequalities led him in to conflict with many peoples of the world but with his skills he was able to change tactics and achieve what his people wanted and what he wanted for them. There were times when he was ruthless, using the Holocaust as the reason. He could be diplomatic if it served his cause. He was many things to many people as suited his tactics. He was a strong leader for the Zionists and did achieve, with others, the creation of the modern state of Israel. However, nearly forty years since his death, Israel’s existence has not been a peaceful one. There are many Arabs and Palestinians who have still not been won over by Ben Gurion’s ideas.
Acknowledgments.
Story By: Anne Walker
Date : 31-03-2009
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