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Honorable President, Mr. Shimon Peres,
Honorable Fifth President of the State of Israel, Mr. Yitzhak Navon,
Honorable Former President of the Supreme Court, Mr. Meir Shamgar,
Honorable Acting Speaker of the Knesset, Knesset Member Otniel Shneler,
IDF Chief of Staff and Senior Commanding Officers of the IDF,
Deputy Commissioner and Senior Commanding Staff of the Israel Police,
Ministers, Knesset Members,
Heads of Authorities,
Soldiers,
Students,
Members of the Ben-Gurion Family,
In the history of the world, there are leaders whose actions in their time were formidable, but whose glory was temporary and fleeting, and whose mark faded with the passing of the years. There are, on the other hand, extraordinary individuals whose power and inspiration as gigantic figures stand out and shine on the skyline, even with the passing of time. David Ben-Gurion was one such extraordinary individual.
Ben-Gurion was a short man. Members of my generation probably remember a photograph of his meeting with French President Charles de Gaulle at the beginning of the 1960's. Ben-Gurion was about as tall as de-Gaulle's waist, but in his historic stature, he rose above and beyond. He was the man who led, with great vision, valor and tenacity, a Holocaust-stricken people to national revival and to victory in a brutal, bloody war of independence. He stood at the helm of the political battle for freedom, shaped the Israel Defense Forces as a state army and led the nascent, destitute State of Israel during its most difficult years, in the absorption of masses of immigrants, in the food rationing and poverty, the battle against infiltrations and terror attacks, and the build-up of an unconventional strategic infrastructure to face threats of annihilation, until the State finally broke out into the open.
Today, I wish to focus on a fundamental principle which guided Ben-Gurion and characterized his leadership all along the way: the principle of authority.
Ben-Gurion was blessed with a deep historic awareness. In the Jewish people, who, for two thousand years, were devoid of a sovereign national entity and self-rule, he identified a lack of a "state culture", as well as anarchic behavioral patterns and contempt for authority. His observation was precise and, unfortunately, even today, after sixty years of statehood, it still exists to a certain extent among various population groups.
There are some phenomena which are intolerable, and my Government will not be able to accept them. The dispute over the land of Israel is legitimate, and the desire to leave a mark of Jewish presence in the holiest and most important of our cities is obvious. However, this desire cannot be more powerful than a court decision. I love the Jewish community of Hebron and have an enormous respect for its devotees, residents and guardians. However, once the Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that a specific structure should be evacuated, it will be evacuated. I will not allow anyone to challenge Israeli democracy. I will do everything in my power to avoid confrontation, minimize the gaps in this heart-wrenching dispute and enter into dialogue with those who disagree with us, with respect, restraint and patience. Ultimately, however, the Supreme Court ruling will prevail. Indeed, there are judges in Jerusalem; there is discipline, order and standards, and on these, we will not compromise. It was true then, and it is true today.
I say these words near the grave of the nation's leader, David Ben-Gurion, as I believe that this was his way, even if I felt in the past, and still do, that he was sometimes too extreme in the means he employed to enforce national discipline.
Such was the situation prior to the establishment of the State, in his decision, for example, to coerce the underground organizations, the "Dissidents" (as he called them), into accepting the authority of the elected Zionist leadership. With all due respect to the principle, I admit that as a son of "the fighting family", I find it emotionally difficult – even today – to justify all the means that were employed.
There were, of course, countless examples of Ben Gurion's implementation of the principle of authority, beginning from the dismantling of the Palmach, the firm battle against the "black market" and the use of the Mossad to locate Yosaleh Schumacher. There is no doubt, however, that the most painful and difficult manifestation of this principle was during the War of Independence, in the midst of the first intermission, with the "Altalena" affair.
In a sovereign country, no entity is allowed to hold a weapon, make demands or negotiate on how, when or to whom the weapon would be handed. It is entirely incomprehensible. However, was there absolutely no other way but to resort to the most extreme course of action in this tragic affair? Was there no way to avoid this disaster, in which nineteen of our beloved sons from both sides lost their lives? I leave it to history to judge, since I admit that I personally, like many others, still carry painful scars.
I pray that no government in Israel will ever have to face such a grave test. I hope and pray that the State of Israel will show democratic maturity and know how to make difficult, heartbreaking decisions without brotherly conflict, and that under no circumstances would there be a civil war, G-d forbid.
I hope that Menachem Begin's statement: "a war between brothers – never!" will be forever etched in everybody's collective memory. At the same time, I pledge that we will do everything in our power to safeguard our citizens and residents wherever they may be, with authority and leadership. As long as no other decision was made, Jews have the right to live safely in the cities of Judea and Samaria, and no harm should be allowed to come to them or their property. Just like them, the Palestinian residents are also human beings, with rights, a legacy and property, and they are entitled to protection against violent, inciting outlaws.
At that dreadful moment of trial in 1948, a young leader by the name of Menachem Begin, a democrat by soul, stood and ordered his people: "no Jew will raise his hand to another Jew". We, members of our generation, who have already experienced the horror of the assassination of an Israeli Prime Minister, hear, these very days, the curses and slander and the reckless, roaring voices inciting against the State authority and rule of law. We can only hope that when the time for the inevitable historic decision ahead of us finally comes, the State of Israel will have leaders who will derive inspiration from David Ben-Gurion for an uncompromising enforcement of State authority, and learn responsibility and respect for the law from Menachem Begin. Respect for the law and also respect for an opponent who disagrees with you. And yes, also restraint, self-discipline and regard for your neighbors, their property, fields, trees, gardens, heritage and right to live in security, peace and dignity. This was Ben-Gurion's path; it was Menachem Begin's doctrine.
From the height of this cliff, overlooking the spectacular landscapes of the desert, the final resting place of David and Paula Ben-Gurion, we will remember and remind ourselves that there are still vast spaces in the land of Israel, south and north, crying for pioneer hands, settlement, development and great Zionist fulfillment. After all, this was the "the old man's" will when he retired to Sde-Boker, and the site that this remarkable leader chose as his place of burial indicates that it was also his legacy.
May the memories of David and Paula Ben-Gurion be blessed.
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