The Prime Ministers by Avner Yehuda

Author:Avner, Yehuda [Avner, Yehuda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Toby Press, LLC
Published: 2010-07-23T21:00:00+00:00

It was Ezer Weizman, his defense minister, and I gathered from what was being said that there had been two Katyusha rocket attacks by the PLO, from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, albeit with no casualties or damage. Also, overnight, Moslem militia had mounted an assault on a Christian Maronite village in northern Lebanon, slaughtering civilians.

While Begin interrogated Weizman, Freuka walked in, obviously aware of what was going on. Urgently, he scribbled a note which he placed in front of Begin who, upon reading it, said sharply into the phone, “General Poran suggests the PLO attack could be a deliberate provocation to test my will on my first day in office. I am going to assume he’s right, so please consult the chief of staff about a firm response, and keep me informed.” Then, in a tone that was even more dogged and authoritarian, “As for the Moslem attack on the Christian civilians, the policy of this government is clear: it is our moral duty as a Jewish State to come to the aid of the Lebanese Christian minority. We Jews know what it is to suffer as a minority. We shall come to the aid of any persecuted minority in the Middle East. The Christian world has abandoned the Lebanese Christians. We shall not abandon them. We shall discuss this in detail in the cabinet meeting.”

When he put the receiver down, you could see the veins throbbing in his neck.

Freuka looked disturbed. He shifted uneasily from foot to foot. Menachem Begin had just turned Israel’s Lebanon doctrine on its head. Yitzhak Rabin had never permitted Israeli forces to become directly entangled in the Lebanese bloodbath for fear of being sucked into its infernal civil war, which had been ravaging the country since 1975. He wanted clarification, but as he was about to ask for it, Yechiel Kadishai stuck his head around the door to say that Reb Raphael was on the line.

“Put him through,” said Begin, his face lighting up. He slouched back in his chair, crossed his legs, and cuddled the cream receiver to his ear. “This won’t take a minute,” he said contritely to General Poran, and then, with fondness, into the receiver, “Ah, Reb Raphael, how good it is to hear from you.”

General Poran stroked his mustache and waited.

“I have been thinking much of your dear father of blessed memory,” the prime minister continued. “I know how he prayed and sacrificed for this day when we would form the government. We shall remain faithful to his legacy, I promise you.”

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