Israel's Reprisal Policy, 1953-1956 by Ze'ev Drory

Author:Ze'ev Drory [Drory, Ze'ev]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Middle East, Israel & Palestine, Military, General, Strategy
ISBN: 9781135754051
Google: 5IbZu10ivS8C
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2012-12-06T15:54:51+00:00

Ben-Gurion brought the proposed formulation in a letter to a meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Foreign Affairs and Security. In the letter, Ben-Gurion denied the version of the three major powers, that the IDF was responsible for the Qibya operation. In addition, he attacked the one-sided position that did not note the murders committed by perpetrators from the Jordanian side of the border, the major factor for the deterioration along the Jordanian border. Finally, he placed the blame on Britain ‘which in upholding the right of its ally, Jordan, cannot free itself of the responsibility which its standing on the other side of the Jordan River confers’.48 The letter further stated that the position of the Security Council encouraged aggression and weakened the chances for dialogue in the area:

The State of Israel sees its primary responsibility as defending the lives of its citizens, and the cover which is given for whatever reason to murderous gangs by the proposal of the three powers will not lessen our obligation. Our women and children will not be abandoned to gangs of murderers who come from over the Jordan or from any other Arab country.49

Suggestions made by ministers following the reading of Ben-Gurion’s letter focused on two central points: the first entailed a slight softening of its formulation so that it would not sound too aggressive. Secondly, many felt that it was inappropriate for Ben-Gurion to make a pronouncement which was one hundred per cent incorrect and untruthful. The ministers, whether or not they accepted the detailed report on Operation Qibya, understood that GHQ had a connection to the operation. Some of them knew the core of truth and all of them were not at ease with the Prime Minister’s pronouncement that no IDF units were involved, and that the perpetrators were enraged frontier residents. Minister Bachor Shitrit asked whether it was obligatory to place any emphasis on the Israel Defence Forces in the language of the pronouncement. Ben-Gurion reiterated that those who committed the deed were residents of the frontier settlements.

We did not say that Israelis did not do this, but rather that frontier settlement people were involved. Not all were from the border area, but mainly they were settlement people. We did not say that the Arabs did this, and we will not claim this now. We won’t say anything which is untruthful. We said only who did not do this.

The Justice Minister also regarded this matter seriously. ‘If it is said that “there is no basis for assigning the Qibya operation to Israeli armed forces” – if the intention is to the Israel Defence Forces – can this be understood as that we have two kinds of armed forces?’ And Ben-Gurion repeated the mantra: ‘We will say that they were frontier residents.’50

Another interesting issue that came up in the debate was the ministers’ concerns about a response from Britain and the other major powers. Throughout the entire debate reservations were expressed about the numerous references, which had an air of

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