Page 71 - big friday
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n born just a few moments previously: Minister of Aliya (Immigration), Moshe
Shapira, and Minister of Religions, Rabbi Y.L. Fishman, later – Maimon. The third
was an old friend – Dr. Azriel Carlebach, editor of Yediot Ma'ariv newspaper. Mr.
Moshe Shapira, currently Minister of Welfare, recalls, "We were all seized with joy, but
also trembling. We sipped our drinks and somebody – I believe it was Dr. Carlebach
– mentioned that the Egyptians were apparently going to start their bombardment
early in the morning. All we could do was to wish one another 'Shabbat Shalom' [a
peaceful Sabbath]."
H owever, that Sabbath was one of war. It was the middle of the night, or perhaps
already after midnight – when the telephone rang in the Talpiot Hotel. Mr. Barlas,
head of the Aliya department at the Jewish Agency at the time, asked to speak to the
Minister of Aliya as a matter of extreme urgency. "A thousand Jews, on two ships, are
close to Tel Aviv," came Barlas' excited news. During the brief telephone consultation,
the danger of Egyptian bombardments which were due to hit Tel Aviv within a
few hours was taken into consideration. It was this conversation that produced the
Jewish government's first Aliya operation. Mr. Shapira recounts, "I told Barlas, 'We
have to bring those people to shore as soon as possible!'" And indeed, at 5am on
Shabbat morning, only about thirty minutes before the Egyptian bombardment of
the coastal strip, a thousand displaced Jews were brought ashore. They had left their
home countries with the status of illegal immigrants [to Palestine], but entered the
sovereign State of Israel with the approval of a Jewish Minister of Immigration…"
32. Moshe Sharett: The declaration was too "declaratory"
The delegate of the People's Council to the UN had just returned to Israel. Before
even having had time to report on the results of his visit (and there were already those
who were complaining about it, or spreading worrying rumors), he found himself at
the ceremony of the declaration of the state, listening to the document that he himself
had drafted, being read out.
Mr. Moshe Sharett (Shertok), head of the political department of the Jewish Agency
and the future Foreign Minister, rose from his seat at the dignitaries' table and signed
the Scroll, with prolonged applause resounding in the museum. Out of modesty
he hesitates to mention this detail, but finally acknowledges it: "When I heard the
applause, I said to myself: So they know what I was doing in New York, after all…"
“What was I feeling? Obviously, tremendous exaltation, and great tension. A sense
that the lot had been cast, and now we had to move forwards to meet unexpected
possibilities." As someone known for his zealousness for the Hebrew language, Mr.
Sharett had reservations about the structure of the declaration, which appeared to
him overly "declaratory". The expression "Accordingly…" is also out of place, to his
view. But why dwell on such trifles at such a time?!
A State is Born 69
Shapira, and Minister of Religions, Rabbi Y.L. Fishman, later – Maimon. The third
was an old friend – Dr. Azriel Carlebach, editor of Yediot Ma'ariv newspaper. Mr.
Moshe Shapira, currently Minister of Welfare, recalls, "We were all seized with joy, but
also trembling. We sipped our drinks and somebody – I believe it was Dr. Carlebach
– mentioned that the Egyptians were apparently going to start their bombardment
early in the morning. All we could do was to wish one another 'Shabbat Shalom' [a
peaceful Sabbath]."
H owever, that Sabbath was one of war. It was the middle of the night, or perhaps
already after midnight – when the telephone rang in the Talpiot Hotel. Mr. Barlas,
head of the Aliya department at the Jewish Agency at the time, asked to speak to the
Minister of Aliya as a matter of extreme urgency. "A thousand Jews, on two ships, are
close to Tel Aviv," came Barlas' excited news. During the brief telephone consultation,
the danger of Egyptian bombardments which were due to hit Tel Aviv within a
few hours was taken into consideration. It was this conversation that produced the
Jewish government's first Aliya operation. Mr. Shapira recounts, "I told Barlas, 'We
have to bring those people to shore as soon as possible!'" And indeed, at 5am on
Shabbat morning, only about thirty minutes before the Egyptian bombardment of
the coastal strip, a thousand displaced Jews were brought ashore. They had left their
home countries with the status of illegal immigrants [to Palestine], but entered the
sovereign State of Israel with the approval of a Jewish Minister of Immigration…"
32. Moshe Sharett: The declaration was too "declaratory"
The delegate of the People's Council to the UN had just returned to Israel. Before
even having had time to report on the results of his visit (and there were already those
who were complaining about it, or spreading worrying rumors), he found himself at
the ceremony of the declaration of the state, listening to the document that he himself
had drafted, being read out.
Mr. Moshe Sharett (Shertok), head of the political department of the Jewish Agency
and the future Foreign Minister, rose from his seat at the dignitaries' table and signed
the Scroll, with prolonged applause resounding in the museum. Out of modesty
he hesitates to mention this detail, but finally acknowledges it: "When I heard the
applause, I said to myself: So they know what I was doing in New York, after all…"
“What was I feeling? Obviously, tremendous exaltation, and great tension. A sense
that the lot had been cast, and now we had to move forwards to meet unexpected
possibilities." As someone known for his zealousness for the Hebrew language, Mr.
Sharett had reservations about the structure of the declaration, which appeared to
him overly "declaratory". The expression "Accordingly…" is also out of place, to his
view. But why dwell on such trifles at such a time?!
A State is Born 69
