Volume XXVIII No. 12 December, 1973 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE Assomim w masH iimeas IN CREAT BRITAOI f^obert Weltsch logical upheaval from which some lessons will have to be drawn. If this is done, it may help towards the achievement of peace for which Israelis and other Jews are longing. The deep WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE ? wounds of the past weeks were, perhaps, re­ quired to put facts straight which should Reflections on the Yom Kippur War always have been obvious but were mostly blurred by distorting glasses. Coming back from Jerusalem after a month been mobilised not for war but as a routine The observer could not rid himself of the unexpected shock, heart-breaking experi­ deployment of reservists. Fury spread among impression that the present much spoken-of ences and supreme tension, one becomes aware the public against those responsible for a crisis of confidence, justified as it is, derives p a momentous historical drama unfolding debacle of a sort which Israelis had been only from a short-term event, however grave "* breath-taking tempo. It may signal a new taught would be unthinkable. Later, official and painful, and does not go to the root of urn of events, a new orientation and perhaps spokesmen made contradictory and obviously the matter. The real cause of the crisis is the He advent of a more promising epoch, if untrue declarations (such as, to quote only continuous misinterpretation of Israel's basic eason, good will and humanity prevail. At one blatant instance, on the second day of the situation. In this respect, the great victory /lis hour, however, the first and foremost war the statement that all the twelve Egyp­ of 1967, in spite of its military and political motion involving Israel, and indeed the whole tian bridges had been destroyed, while actu­ significance as relief from grave danger, ewish people, is sorrow for the great ally in the same night 70,000 Egyptian troops had a less agreeable psychological side effect. imber of men who died or were crippled, and 900 tanks had crossed the Canal on these It led the people to overestimate Israel's ^numerable families in Israel are bereaved; "not-existent" bridges). If one Israeli journa­ power and created a belief in its own perman­ nousands of human beings—certainly on both list spoke of an "atmosphere of lynch" he ent mDitary superiority and invincibility. Over­ lues of the front—were shattered by their may have referred to the widely rumoured night Israel had become the strongest military ^ucounter with death and with horrors which outbursts in hospitals, where the heavily factor in the Middle East, a sort of Great Power cr K ^ genius like Goya could adequately des- (cum grano salis) in the region. This gave it wounded and crippled were cursing national a strong deterrent position and a feeling of ibe. Many retuming soldiers were unable, figures who only a few weeks earlier had security, but it also created an intoxication unwilling, to speak of what they had wit- enjoyed general admiration as impeccable and with military might without due consideration essed, and one may assume that the sur- infallible heroes. for other—military and non-military—factors ivors will also be mentally affected for the As to the prospects of fighting, one para­ in the conflict. Military strength and the "n^ of their lives. In accordance with mount anxiety in Jewish minds was the un­ stupendous success in the battlefield were an Progress" in armaments, this war has been certainty about Soviet Russia's real intentions understandable cause of pride, but also a °fe frightening than all the preceding ones, and the danger of direct involvement of Rus­ source of self-righteousness which often ah *^^ moment of writing these lines— sian troops on the Arab side. In this respect affected sober judgement. ^oout a fortnight before publication—things the immediate American reaction to the threat ejn to be moving in a calmer direction, was reassuring, but nobody felt certain how In these October days some inveterate ^ainly thanks to the efforts of Dr. Kissinger far the Americans would really go to prevent illusions were exploded. First of all, the belief nose ability as a peace-maker is undergoing such a fatal step. When in the later stage of in the permanent inferiority of the Arab g '^'^9^1 test. But every day may bring a new the war, after Israel's counter-ofFensive had soldier. In the Six-Day War the Arab armies Tirise, and it would be preposterous to cem­ reached momentum, cries were voiced about were badly equipped, badly officered and ent on the details of developments which advance towards Damascus and possibly also badly trained. The great military reform car­ j^ jn the making. The actual happenings are Cairo, one wondered whether the public was ried out in Egypt and Syria under Soviet yhow known to the reader from the daUy aware of what would be the reaction of Russia guidance was underestimated in Israel. Rely­ ^ ess and the media. In Israel itself, although —and possibly also America—to such a mili­ ing on her strength Israel was lulled into a nrst news was scarce and obscure, in the tary adventure, and also what the practical belief that the "status quo", i.e., the Israel ^ eond week already whole battles and the results of such an attempt, even if it suc­ occupation of Sinai, of Golan and of the terri­ Q^^'^ee of tanks were watched every evening ceeded, would be in the long run. To many tories inhabited by Arabs in "Judaea and y.^V—naturally only from the Israeli side; listeners it was not edifying to hear prominent Samaria", would last for ever. The ancient gj quite a number of people in Israel can political figures produce boasting cliches with Biblical names were used in order to indicate jj. 0 see Egyptian and Jordanian television. which the Israeli public had been fed in the historical Jewish connection although we Pg *3s a nerve-racking sight, more so for several variations through over six years. know, in spite of the sentimental impact, that lin whose near relatives were in the front Moreover, politicians could apparently not rid there was no stable political union of these V(,^~~3nd that means almost all of Israel. There themselves of the influence of the impending regions in antiquity either. The movement Wh^ ^^^0 no shortage of the sort of reporting election campaign although the elections them­ for "The Whole of Eretz Israel" ("lema'an jj^jeh has become a modem feature—and a selves, originally scheduled for October 30, Eretz Israel hashlemah"), boosted by the slogan had to be postponed (for the time being only of "Not an Inch" (sc. to be retumed to Arab and r "^ disgust—since the First World War, sovereignty), although in its organised form ^ to which Karl Kraus has set a monument. to December 31). It was, perhaps, the impact of this constellation which induced the various representing only a minority of Israelis, had sy~ e terrible shock which the Israeli public an emotional effect on a not inconsiderable PJ ?''ed on Yom Kippur was not only accom- party leaders in the Knesset to outdo each other with nationalistic brag, some of them periphery of politically naive people. This spj.'^d by horror and mouming as the news created a curious mental climate. in fh °^ ^^^ initial massacre of Israeli troops utterly repulsive. an K unprotected front line. It also brought In this retrospective survey we cannot dwell One astonishing thing was that the Israeli and ^]"^P* awakening from over-confidence on details which will become material for the rulers treated these territories as though for by tJ^^ dreams which had been fostered military historian. This article can only be a ever only they had to have a say in the tiig ^ prevailing doctrine of underestimating subjective appraisal of the situation, and it planning for the future. Trae, the stren^^ersary and overestimating one's own must be made with full candour, even if it occupation regime was—and is—undeniably ino ^^- In consequence, it created a resound- may hurt the feelings of some readers (and more benevolent and in many respects more s^ensis of confidence, consrtructive than it often occurs in similar of the writer himself). situations elsewhere. Also, there were some had f .'^'^e clear that the Israeli intelligence It would be senseless to try to predict the "nnp ^"d that the army had been caught future, but one must assume that in any case •Prepared. Many of the faUen victims had this war has produced a tremendous psycho­ Continued on page Z, column 1 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION DECEMBER, 1973 suicide slogans such as the glorification of WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE ? "Masada". To prevent this has now to be the Continaed from page 1 principal concern of all who care for Israel's and the Jewish people's future. enlightened and ingenious political moves questions be reached, no peaceful life and It is no use to lament the omissions of the such as the policy of "open bridges" between fruitful co-operation will be possible unless past; but it may be recalled that some ol us Israel and Jordan which went on even through­ the piled-up mountains of hatred and distrast tried in 1967* to plead for a generous gesture, out this war—one of the puzzling positive are pulled down. To this end these brave to be made from a position of strength and phenomena of these weeks, as was also the writers can contribute considerably, especially while Israel was hailed by sympathy and good complete quiet at the border with Jordan and among the youth, and they may find a more will of the world, perhaps in the form of a inside the occupied territories themselves.