Foreign Ministry Staff Should Learn From Abba Eban's Example

Dr.Aaron Lerner
IMRA
Weekly Commentary
10 June '10

In December 1955 the Syrians shelled an Israeli fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. There were no Jewish casualties, but Israel retaliated with an operation which left 73 Syrian dead. Eban protested to Ben Gurion privately, while defending the operation in public.

Ben Gurion replied that he, too, had doubts about the wisdom of the operation, but said: "When I read the full text of your brilliant defense of our action in the Security Council, all my doubts were set at rest."
Abba Eban Obituary - Daily Telegraph (UK) 18 Nov 2002

That, in a nutshell, is the job of the Foreign Ministry staff.

Haaretz Correspondent Barak Ravid reports in today's edition that during the two months leading up to the arrival of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, members of the Foreign Ministry team repeatedly warned that while Israel was well within its legal rights to stop the ships in international waters, such a move would create a serious public relations challenge.

In fact, the Foreign Ministry team suggested, that in order to avoid this challenge, Israel wait for the ships to reach the country's territorial waters - which lie within 20 miles from the coast - before launching a takeover operation.

This suggestion was rejected on operational grounds.

It would appear that Ravid got this story from one of the Foreign Ministry team members, who, annoyed that his advice hadn't been taken, decided to have his "I told you so" published in Haaretz.

They just don't get it.

The Foreign Ministry team doesn't come off as geniuses in this story.

(Read full commentary)

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