Page 94 - big friday
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embryonic government). Then there was the Provisional State Council, numbering
37 members; they were called “the thirty seven”. The "thirteen" and the "thirty-seven"
deliberated: what would they be called after the state was established? What would be the
symbol of the state, and its language? What would its army be called? And if a state was
declared, would its borders be specified?
Some argued that a state could not be declared without a specification of borders.
Others countered with proof from the United States' Declaration of Independence, which
makes no mention of borders. The problem was solved through a vote, in which it was
decided that borders would not be specified.
A nother question, no less serious, was what the state itself would be called. The answer
was delivered by a committee that was appointed especially to choose a name for the new
state. After rejecting proposals to call the state Yehuda (Judea), Yehuda HaHadasha (New
Judea), or Zion, the committee chose the name "Israel", a name that could be expressed in
Arabic, too.
Up until the very last moment, the ministers and ministries were a matter of concern
to all. What would these be called in the Jewish state, and in the Hebrew language? David
Remez, who was Minister of Transport after the establishment of the state, proposed that a
minister be referred to in Hebrew as governor ('nagid'), and his ministry as a governorship
(‘negidut’). These titles did not sound right to his colleagues, and Bechor Sheetrit – who
was to become Minister of Police a few days later – raised as a possibility the title 'sar'. David
ben-Gurion believed that such an expression was more suitable for the army, but in order to
shorten the discussion and to conclude the meeting, he acquiesced to ‘sar’ (minister), with
everyone’s unanimous agreement. Accordingly, the intention was to call a ministry 'serara'
(authority) or 'sarut', but the members of the committee were immediately conscious of
the jarring sound of the word 'serara' and the inevitable confusion of voweling that would
result in 'sarut' being rendered as 'sherut' (service). A little later, at the first session of the
Provisional Government, on May 16, Moshe Shertok's suggestion that a ministry be called
'misrad' (office) was accepted. Up until then it was referred to as 'mahlaka' (department).
A government in search of a home
Looking back today, 15 years on, the debates and difficult issues facing the Provisional
Government of Israel – which became the government – seem like child's play. It is
amusing to think about the seriousness with which its members addressed arguments
and discussions about mere trifles, trivialities, while the hands of the clock of history
approached the Jewish People's great hour.
Shortly before the declaration it became apparent that the future government had no
quarters. In the discussions over where the government would sit, David Ben-Gurion
proposed Kurnub (Mampsis), in the Negev, near Dimona of today, but the remoteness
and desolation of the Negev led to a rejection of the idea. Golda Meyerson preferred the
92 The Friday That Changed Destiny
37 members; they were called “the thirty seven”. The "thirteen" and the "thirty-seven"
deliberated: what would they be called after the state was established? What would be the
symbol of the state, and its language? What would its army be called? And if a state was
declared, would its borders be specified?
Some argued that a state could not be declared without a specification of borders.
Others countered with proof from the United States' Declaration of Independence, which
makes no mention of borders. The problem was solved through a vote, in which it was
decided that borders would not be specified.
A nother question, no less serious, was what the state itself would be called. The answer
was delivered by a committee that was appointed especially to choose a name for the new
state. After rejecting proposals to call the state Yehuda (Judea), Yehuda HaHadasha (New
Judea), or Zion, the committee chose the name "Israel", a name that could be expressed in
Arabic, too.
Up until the very last moment, the ministers and ministries were a matter of concern
to all. What would these be called in the Jewish state, and in the Hebrew language? David
Remez, who was Minister of Transport after the establishment of the state, proposed that a
minister be referred to in Hebrew as governor ('nagid'), and his ministry as a governorship
(‘negidut’). These titles did not sound right to his colleagues, and Bechor Sheetrit – who
was to become Minister of Police a few days later – raised as a possibility the title 'sar'. David
ben-Gurion believed that such an expression was more suitable for the army, but in order to
shorten the discussion and to conclude the meeting, he acquiesced to ‘sar’ (minister), with
everyone’s unanimous agreement. Accordingly, the intention was to call a ministry 'serara'
(authority) or 'sarut', but the members of the committee were immediately conscious of
the jarring sound of the word 'serara' and the inevitable confusion of voweling that would
result in 'sarut' being rendered as 'sherut' (service). A little later, at the first session of the
Provisional Government, on May 16, Moshe Shertok's suggestion that a ministry be called
'misrad' (office) was accepted. Up until then it was referred to as 'mahlaka' (department).
A government in search of a home
Looking back today, 15 years on, the debates and difficult issues facing the Provisional
Government of Israel – which became the government – seem like child's play. It is
amusing to think about the seriousness with which its members addressed arguments
and discussions about mere trifles, trivialities, while the hands of the clock of history
approached the Jewish People's great hour.
Shortly before the declaration it became apparent that the future government had no
quarters. In the discussions over where the government would sit, David Ben-Gurion
proposed Kurnub (Mampsis), in the Negev, near Dimona of today, but the remoteness
and desolation of the Negev led to a rejection of the idea. Golda Meyerson preferred the
92 The Friday That Changed Destiny
