Page 142 - big friday
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Ben-Gurion throughout my years of work at the Jewish Agency. Bewildered, I mumbled,
"I have an important notice for you."
"I'm not interested in any notices, and leave us alone," he shouted again.
"I beg your forgiveness," I tried a forced smile. I advanced towards his table, placed
the envelope upon it, and left. On my way out I could still feel Ben-Gurion's angry gaze
burning my back, as he remarked after me, "No forgiveness; I'll never forgive you for
disturbing us right now…"
Before I could recover from this scathing tirade, the door to my room opened with a
crash and in the entrance stood – Ben-Gurion, his arms stretched towards me, as though
about to embrace me; behind him stood all the members of the executive who had
participated in the meeting. "I beg your forgiveness," he cried with great ceremoniousness,
his two hands grasping my arms, "I didn't know… Will you forgive me?" he asked, like a
penitent awaiting my answer. I was silent, dumbfounded, until Rabbi Fishman (today –
Maimon) aroused me from my daze and, in his distinctive accent urged me, "He's asking
that you forgive him; so forgive him, and that'll be the end of it...".
Tears inexplicably choked me; it may have been from the hurt that still pinched my
heart, or because this man was suddenly revealed to me in his immense simplicity: he
regretted the hurt that he had caused me, and had halted his meeting in order to ask
forgiveness, in the presence of the same people before whom he had stated, just a moment
previously, that he would "never forgive"… My lips moved silently: "Dear to me is my
suffering on account of the head of the Jewish government, may it arise speedily in our
days."
A tear glistened in Ben-Gurion's eye…
Before they returned to their meeting, one of the members of the Jewish Agency
executive whispered to me: "At the moment you entered the room, Ben-Gurion was in the
trance of a vision."
The contents of the envelope which I conveyed to Ben-Gurion and which "melted" his
heart – I will never know, but the content of the vision was revealed to me in the protocol
of that meeting, which had taken place on February 1, 1948, three and a half months prior
to the establishment of the state. This is what Ben-Gurion said at the time (recorded here
with some abbreviation – M.G.):
"It is essential that we have fighter planes. We need maritime equipment and vehicles.
We must be armed for May 15 and be able to meet any Arab attack. This requires money,
and promptly. After May 15 we'll have the means, because we can impose taxes and the
customs will be under our control, but we can't wait until then. The day after May 15 the
great assault will come; the equipment that will be sent then won't have time to arrive…"
F urther on:
"This time I'm not interested in what will happen in a year's time. I don't know what 'in
a year's time' means. The concept no longer exists for me. The most distant future for me
is another three months. If, in another three months, we don't have what we need to have,
there won't be any 'year's time'."
140 The Friday That Changed Destiny
"I have an important notice for you."
"I'm not interested in any notices, and leave us alone," he shouted again.
"I beg your forgiveness," I tried a forced smile. I advanced towards his table, placed
the envelope upon it, and left. On my way out I could still feel Ben-Gurion's angry gaze
burning my back, as he remarked after me, "No forgiveness; I'll never forgive you for
disturbing us right now…"
Before I could recover from this scathing tirade, the door to my room opened with a
crash and in the entrance stood – Ben-Gurion, his arms stretched towards me, as though
about to embrace me; behind him stood all the members of the executive who had
participated in the meeting. "I beg your forgiveness," he cried with great ceremoniousness,
his two hands grasping my arms, "I didn't know… Will you forgive me?" he asked, like a
penitent awaiting my answer. I was silent, dumbfounded, until Rabbi Fishman (today –
Maimon) aroused me from my daze and, in his distinctive accent urged me, "He's asking
that you forgive him; so forgive him, and that'll be the end of it...".
Tears inexplicably choked me; it may have been from the hurt that still pinched my
heart, or because this man was suddenly revealed to me in his immense simplicity: he
regretted the hurt that he had caused me, and had halted his meeting in order to ask
forgiveness, in the presence of the same people before whom he had stated, just a moment
previously, that he would "never forgive"… My lips moved silently: "Dear to me is my
suffering on account of the head of the Jewish government, may it arise speedily in our
days."
A tear glistened in Ben-Gurion's eye…
Before they returned to their meeting, one of the members of the Jewish Agency
executive whispered to me: "At the moment you entered the room, Ben-Gurion was in the
trance of a vision."
The contents of the envelope which I conveyed to Ben-Gurion and which "melted" his
heart – I will never know, but the content of the vision was revealed to me in the protocol
of that meeting, which had taken place on February 1, 1948, three and a half months prior
to the establishment of the state. This is what Ben-Gurion said at the time (recorded here
with some abbreviation – M.G.):
"It is essential that we have fighter planes. We need maritime equipment and vehicles.
We must be armed for May 15 and be able to meet any Arab attack. This requires money,
and promptly. After May 15 we'll have the means, because we can impose taxes and the
customs will be under our control, but we can't wait until then. The day after May 15 the
great assault will come; the equipment that will be sent then won't have time to arrive…"
F urther on:
"This time I'm not interested in what will happen in a year's time. I don't know what 'in
a year's time' means. The concept no longer exists for me. The most distant future for me
is another three months. If, in another three months, we don't have what we need to have,
there won't be any 'year's time'."
140 The Friday That Changed Destiny
