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2.28 MB
Extraction Summary
4
People
4
Organizations
9
Locations
2
Events
2
Relationships
4
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Book excerpt / memoir page (evidence file)
File Size:
2.28 MB
Summary
This document appears to be a page (p. 31) from a memoir, likely by Ehud Barak given the specific references to Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon. It details historical reflections on the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, specifically the moral conflict regarding the displacement of Arabs and the subsequent violent eviction of Jewish Yemeni refugees from the village of Wadi Khawaret by members of the narrator's own kibbutz. The page is marked with a House Oversight stamp, indicating it was part of a document production for a congressional investigation.
People (4)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Giora | Mentioned subject |
The narrator wonders what would happen to Giora if the siege succeeded.
|
| Ben-Gurion | Historical Figure (David Ben-Gurion) |
Accepted the plan for two states.
|
| The 35 | Historical Figures |
Refers to the 'Convoy of 35' who were murdered and mutilated.
|
| Narrator | Author/Speaker (Likely Ehud Barak based on context of Mishmar Hasharon) |
A member of Mishmar Hasharon reflecting on the 1948 war and moral conflicts regarding refugees.
|
Organizations (4)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Mishmar Hasharon |
Kibbutz where the narrator lived and whose members attacked Yemeni refugees.
|
|
| United Nations (UN) |
Referenced regarding the partition vote.
|
|
| Davar le Yeladim |
A publication (children's magazine) that published photos of the airlift.
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by the footer stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT'.
|
Timeline (2 events)
Locations (9)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Country context.
|
|
|
Kibbutz.
|
|
|
Village/land area occupied by the Kibbutz and briefly by Yemeni refugees.
|
|
|
Origin of refugees.
|
|
|
Origin of refugees.
|
|
|
Origin of refugees.
|
|
|
Origin of refugees.
|
|
|
Region context.
|
|
|
Origin of 50,000 airlifted refugees.
|
Relationships (2)
Refers to 'our kibbutz' and 'we'.
Mishmar Hasharon Members
→
Conflict
→
Yemeni Refugees
Young men from the kibbutz drove the refugees away with clubs.
Key Quotes (4)
"If there was going to be an Israel – if there was going to be a Mishmar Hasharon – we had to win and the Arabs had to lose."Source
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Quote #1
"Someone had to farm the land. Why not us?"Source
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Quote #2
"Yet a few nights after the Yemenis moved in, a posse of young men, including some from Mishmar Hasharon, descended on them and, armed with clubs and wooden staves, drove them away."Source
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Quote #3
"I realized Wadi Khawaret no longer belonged to the Arabs. But, surely, our kibbutz had no more right to the buildings than Jews who had fled from Yemen and needed them a lot more than we did."Source
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Quote #4
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,549 characters)
under siege” would feel like, and what would happen to Giora if it succeeded.
Especially after the murder and the mutilation of The 35, I assumed the war
would come down to a simple calculus. If there was going to be an Israel – if
there was going to be a Mishmar Hasharon – we had to win and the Arabs had
to lose. At first, even the fact our kibbutz had been given a share of the land of
Wadi Khawaret seemed just another product of the war. After all, Ben-Gurion
had accepted the plan for two states. The Arabs had said no, deciding to attack
us instead. Someone had to farm the land. Why not us?
Especially after the murder and the mutilation of The 35, I assumed the war
would come down to a simple calculus. If there was going to be an Israel – if
there was going to be a Mishmar Hasharon – we had to win and the Arabs had
to lose. At first, even the fact our kibbutz had been given a share of the land of
Wadi Khawaret seemed just another product of the war. After all, Ben-Gurion
had accepted the plan for two states. The Arabs had said no, deciding to attack
us instead. Someone had to farm the land. Why not us?
* * *
Yet events after the war did lead me to begin to ask myself questions of
basic fairness, and whether we were being faithful to some of the high-sounding
ideals I heard spoken about with such pride on the kibbutz. The Palestinians
were not the only refugees. More than 600,000 Jews fled into Israel from Arab
countries where they had lived for generations. More than 100,000 arrived from
Iraq, and several hundred thousand from Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria in north
Africa. Immediately after the war, about 50,000 were airlifted out of Yemen,
where they had endured violent attacks ever since the UN partition vote.
basic fairness, and whether we were being faithful to some of the high-sounding
ideals I heard spoken about with such pride on the kibbutz. The Palestinians
were not the only refugees. More than 600,000 Jews fled into Israel from Arab
countries where they had lived for generations. More than 100,000 arrived from
Iraq, and several hundred thousand from Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria in north
Africa. Immediately after the war, about 50,000 were airlifted out of Yemen,
where they had endured violent attacks ever since the UN partition vote.
The reality that greeted the Yemenis in Israel was more complex. Most were
initially settled in tented transit camps. I’m not sure how several dozen Yemeni
families made their way to Wadi Khawaret, but it made sense for them to move
into the village’s vacant homes. It was empty except for several deserted
buildings which we and other kibbutzim began using for storage and, later, for
our transport co-operative. Yet a few nights after the Yemenis moved in, a
posse of young men, including some from Mishmar Hasharon, descended on
them and, armed with clubs and wooden staves, drove them away.
initially settled in tented transit camps. I’m not sure how several dozen Yemeni
families made their way to Wadi Khawaret, but it made sense for them to move
into the village’s vacant homes. It was empty except for several deserted
buildings which we and other kibbutzim began using for storage and, later, for
our transport co-operative. Yet a few nights after the Yemenis moved in, a
posse of young men, including some from Mishmar Hasharon, descended on
them and, armed with clubs and wooden staves, drove them away.
I was shocked. I’d seen the photos in Davar le Yeladim celebrating the
airlift, with the Yemenis kissing the airport tarmac in relief, gratitude and joy at
finding refuge in the new Israeli state. Now, for the “crime” of moving into a
row of empty buildings in search of a decent place to live, they’d been beaten
up and chased away. By us. I realized Wadi Khawaret no longer belonged to the
Arabs. But, surely, our kibbutz had no more right to the buildings than Jews
who had fled from Yemen and needed them a lot more than we did. For days, I
tried to discover who had joined the vigilante attack. Though everyone seemed
to know what had happened, no one talked about it. In the dining hall, I ran my
airlift, with the Yemenis kissing the airport tarmac in relief, gratitude and joy at
finding refuge in the new Israeli state. Now, for the “crime” of moving into a
row of empty buildings in search of a decent place to live, they’d been beaten
up and chased away. By us. I realized Wadi Khawaret no longer belonged to the
Arabs. But, surely, our kibbutz had no more right to the buildings than Jews
who had fled from Yemen and needed them a lot more than we did. For days, I
tried to discover who had joined the vigilante attack. Though everyone seemed
to know what had happened, no one talked about it. In the dining hall, I ran my
31
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