Page 370 - עלי זית וחרב - כרך כ

Dr. Mordechai Bar-On talks with Prof. Anita Shapira

Leading the Way: Brenner, Berl, Ben-Gurion,
Golomb and Allon

On reaching the Hagana's 100th anniversary, historians Dr. Mordechai Bar-On and
Prof. Anita Shapira discussed the imprint of five leaders of the Zionist Labor
Movement and heads of the Hagana – Yosef Haim Brenner, Berl Katznelson,
David Ben-Gurion, Eliyahu Golomb, and Yigal Allon – on the way of the Hagana.
With the broadening and deepening of the study of Zionism, the Yishuv and the
defence force in our generations, and due to the change of perspective over the
years, the interview presents the reflection of the figures of these Hagana leaders
in a contemporary light.

"Based on the religious 'Izkor [remembrance]' prayer", says Shapira, "Berl wrote
a wholly secular 'Izkor' which became the basis for the present 'Izkor' for the fallen
in Israel's wars. Berl's 'Izkor' opens with 'May the people of Israel remember' and
not 'the God of Israel' ('May the people of Israel remember the pure souls of its
sons and daughters'). Berl write a wonderful 'Izkor' that reflects the ethos of
defence. That is, we Zionists came to this country with the purpose of changing
the demographic status-quo and turning it into the land of the Jews. Berl was a
typical man of letters, far removed from military matters. Nevertheless, many of
the Hagana leaders remember things he said that formulated what they themselves
termed 'the Spirit of the Hagana'. This especially concerns questions of values such
as purity of arms and the ethics of war.

The discussion deals with issues from the core of the ethos of Zionist fulfillment,
the Yishuv's relationship with the country's Arab inhabitants, the settlement, the
establishment of the defence force, Ben-Gurion's historical leadership and the
contribution of General Yigal Allon, one of the most senior commanders in the
War of Independence.

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