By Tom Segev and Haim Watzman
This biography by highly regarded Israeli historian and journalist Tom Segev is considered a major new biography of Ben-Gurion. Perhaps it is the definitive biography.
I have been intrigued by David Ben-Gurion, the founder of modern Israel. He had such an impact on the events leading up to the founding of Israel on May 14, 1948, and in the decades following. But I did not know a great deal about him.
After reading the biography, I’m less impressed by him than I was before, which is a bit unusual. Clearly, he did so much in the founding of the modern State of Israel, it is only fitting that Israel’s major airport in Tel Aviv is the David Ben-Gurion Airport.
But on the other hand, he was not a good man in terms of character. He was not virtuous. He was egocentric. He’d lie to suit his purposes. He could be ruthless. He was a poor husband and father, and often unfaithful to his wife. He was probably a lonely man, not even close to his wife and family.
Before reading the book, I would have regarded him as a heroic figure, but he was not. I would not say that he was a great man or that he was a great leader, but he was a great politician. He was a visionary, and he was tirelessly devoted to the cause of his life: establishing a nation for the Jews in Palestine. He pursued this cause relentlessly from his youth, moving to Palestine as a young adult and giving his life for a new nation for the Jews.
He was born in Poland and basically lived in Palestine all of his adult years. He did spend lots of time in London, in the U.S., and in other places.
He was smart, not brilliant. A voracious reader. He learned a number of languages. He was curious. Like most great leaders he had tremendous confidence in himself.
He had many colleagues and many enemies. He had few, if any, friends.
He became an early leader in the labor movement in Palestine. From his earliest years in Palestine he became one of the main political leaders among the Jews. After a time he became the main political leader in Israel, and he became the first prime minister of Israel.
For many years he served as both prime minister and defense minister and represented Israel around the globe, interfacing with many heads of state.
Perhaps the biggest question is this: Did the Zionists have a right to form a state in Palestine? It is unclear. Certainly there were many Arabs living in Palestine, but no real nation. Britain was in control of Palestine after World War I, but they chose to leave on May 14, 1948 and the Jews declared a new nation in Palestine, the nation of Israel. Certainly many Arabs were not treated well, as many were forced from their homes. Of course there were a great many wrongs done by both Jews and Arabs. It’s no surprise as neither included devout believers walking with Christ.
Would I recommend this book? It was a good book. Fair and balanced. It was certainly hagiography, but it was not unfairly critical either. I would recommend the book only for the person who has a serious interest in modern Israel.