Page 64 - big friday
P. 64
21. Nahum Nir: T he policeman almost halted the state…
It has been noted on more than one occasion that minor, unexpected incidents have
changed history. We heard from MK Nahum Nir (today – the eldest of those who have
served as deputy Knesset Speakers; at that time – deputy Speaker of the Provisional
State Council) how the establishment of the state could have been delayed, or perhaps
even cancelled, because of… a taxi driver.
"After the debate at the JNF building ended, we set out on our way to the museum.
I was one of the last to leave; with me was Zeev Sharef, secretary of the People's
Administration, and he held the scroll with the declaration in his hand. We were in a
big rush since, as I mentioned, we were the last to leave, and we took a taxi. The driver
understood what was going on and drove very fast. Suddenly, a traffic officer stopped
us, and with professional stubbornness insisted on writing a speeding ticket. We had
to explain to him that he was holding up the 'state-in-the-making," and was likely to
'harm the fate of the nation'…"
Nahum Nir goes on to describe the ceremony itself:
"When we entered the hall, we sat three by threes at the sides of the dais. There was a
big crowd both inside and out. Obviously, we were very excited, although we didn't
know then that the state would turn out the way it looks today, with its virtues and…
its vices. Fortunately, there were no arguments on that occasion. Not even about
the order of signatures (which was alphabetical). My name wasn't 'Nir' then; it was
'Rafalkes'. They called me 'Nir' only within the party. But the late David Remez was
very particular about Hebrew names, and always called me 'Nir'. When they called
my under the letter 'nun', I didn't really know what to do; ultimately, I signed as
'Nir-Rafalkes'.
22. Zvi Segal: " My hand shook"
Z vi Segal signed the Scroll of Independence as a representative of the Revisionist
Party, in which he served as deputy chairman. When Mr. Segal speaks about the
past, a note of pain is evident in his voice; as a representative of a movement which
fought for a Jewish state in its historical borders, and whose aspirations were not
fulfilled, his feelings are understandable. Mr. Segal relates, "At the meeting of the
People's Council, prior to the ceremony, we expressed our reservation with regard
to the section about the borders. We asked either to change it, or to be permitted to
express our reservation next to our signature. We were persuaded not to do so, and
we sufficed with a promise that we would be able to make our comments at the first
session of the Provisional State Council.
"The drive to the museum took longer than it would have to walk, owing to the
throngs. As to the ceremony itself – I think I can't properly convey my impressions.
As someone who belongs to a party whose entire dream was the establishment of
62 The Friday That Changed Destiny
It has been noted on more than one occasion that minor, unexpected incidents have
changed history. We heard from MK Nahum Nir (today – the eldest of those who have
served as deputy Knesset Speakers; at that time – deputy Speaker of the Provisional
State Council) how the establishment of the state could have been delayed, or perhaps
even cancelled, because of… a taxi driver.
"After the debate at the JNF building ended, we set out on our way to the museum.
I was one of the last to leave; with me was Zeev Sharef, secretary of the People's
Administration, and he held the scroll with the declaration in his hand. We were in a
big rush since, as I mentioned, we were the last to leave, and we took a taxi. The driver
understood what was going on and drove very fast. Suddenly, a traffic officer stopped
us, and with professional stubbornness insisted on writing a speeding ticket. We had
to explain to him that he was holding up the 'state-in-the-making," and was likely to
'harm the fate of the nation'…"
Nahum Nir goes on to describe the ceremony itself:
"When we entered the hall, we sat three by threes at the sides of the dais. There was a
big crowd both inside and out. Obviously, we were very excited, although we didn't
know then that the state would turn out the way it looks today, with its virtues and…
its vices. Fortunately, there were no arguments on that occasion. Not even about
the order of signatures (which was alphabetical). My name wasn't 'Nir' then; it was
'Rafalkes'. They called me 'Nir' only within the party. But the late David Remez was
very particular about Hebrew names, and always called me 'Nir'. When they called
my under the letter 'nun', I didn't really know what to do; ultimately, I signed as
'Nir-Rafalkes'.
22. Zvi Segal: " My hand shook"
Z vi Segal signed the Scroll of Independence as a representative of the Revisionist
Party, in which he served as deputy chairman. When Mr. Segal speaks about the
past, a note of pain is evident in his voice; as a representative of a movement which
fought for a Jewish state in its historical borders, and whose aspirations were not
fulfilled, his feelings are understandable. Mr. Segal relates, "At the meeting of the
People's Council, prior to the ceremony, we expressed our reservation with regard
to the section about the borders. We asked either to change it, or to be permitted to
express our reservation next to our signature. We were persuaded not to do so, and
we sufficed with a promise that we would be able to make our comments at the first
session of the Provisional State Council.
"The drive to the museum took longer than it would have to walk, owing to the
throngs. As to the ceremony itself – I think I can't properly convey my impressions.
As someone who belongs to a party whose entire dream was the establishment of
62 The Friday That Changed Destiny
