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—Ben Gurion-
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people but were conditional upon
the people’s acceptance of them as
an expression of their own will.
“Ben Gurion’s strength lay in the
fact that his people did accept them
and followed him. They trused him.
The source of his influence and his
persuasive powers stemmed not
only from the wisdom of his words,
but also from the deep and
passionate faith with which his
entire being was imbued and vvlfich
he was able to transmit to others
with great power."
(In September 1949, Dayan
suggested using the army to open
the roads to Mount Scopus, the
Western Wall, and through
Latrun.) (
“Ben Gurion did not accept my
proposal. His tjiain reason was
that we now had to concentrate on
the targets of peace—the care and
rehabilitation of our immigrants,
the settlement of the land and the
overall development of the
country. We were engaged in
rescuing, among many others, the
entire Jewish community of
Yemen...amounting to tens of
thousands. And they were only a
part of the huge nymbers being
brought in from many lands,
including the survivors of the Nazi
death camps.
“As Ben Gurion said, to feed and
house these immigrants and put
them on their feet promised
immense difficulties and
demanded a tremendous national
effort. So did the creation of their
new farm villages and urban
centers in the empty areas of the
country and the strengthening of
existing settlements. These were the
burning urgencies. The land of
Israel, Ben Gurion said, would not
remain ours solely through war
and the power of the army.
"In Ben Gurion’s mind, the book,
of war was closed—for the time
being, at least. His eyes were now
turned to the realization of the
Zionist dream, the essence of
which was immigration -the
return of the Jewish exiles and
the revival of the land.”
Shimon Peres wrote that Ben
Gurion’s insatiable intellectual
curiosity for analysis and
examination did not impair his
capacity to make decisions. A man
of unusually strong will and
character, Ben Gurion would not
allow any subject to pass him by
without taking a definite position
on it...expert opinion never
seemed to awe him. All the experts
are experts on what has been.
There are no experts on what is
going to be, he used to say.
“Ben Gurion was a great realist
with a profound respect for facts.
But he was also a great visionary,
who believed that the only facts
that are durable are those that have
a historical meaning. He was a
bold man who insisted that
progress be only achieved by bold
men. But he was also a man with a
very great sense of responsibility.
The hardest task he ever faced, he
said, was informing parents of the
death of a son in battle.
“Ben Gurion detested the
Ben Gurion i
counterfeit and the illusory...they
say, and rightly so, that he foresaw
the future. But first and foremost
he saw the present. He saw it as it
was, without any embellishment.
“His personality was master of
his talent, but his vision was master
of his personality. He was still no
more than a child when he made
the decision to grapple with the
fate of the Jewish people and to
change the course of their
history...if ever there Was a perfect
conjunction of individual and
Sdeh Bolter on his 82nd birthday.
history, it was this meeting
between David Ben Gurion and
the Jewish people ...
"He knew the world, and was
not afraid to challenge it. He knew
his own people and did not flinch
from leading them. He fought for a
sovereign place for them in a
changing world. He offered an
independent homeland to a people
that had become inured to exile
and dependence.
"Toward the end of his life it
become obvious that, in the eyes of
the world, he was a member of t hat
select group of giant statesmen of
this century which included
Winston Churchill, Charles de
Gaulle, Konrad Adenauer and
Mao Tse-Tung, all brilliant men,
strong-willed and cast in a heroic
mold. Such men rise high above
the average and the mundane,
illuminating the surrounding
darkness with a radiance that
refuses to be extinguished.
"Such a man was David Ben
Gurion."
Cynthia Fuller
Elect
Dear Friends,
This run-off election for State Representative has created difficult choices for voters in the 26th House District. The
standard of qualified, experienced, balanced and committed public service set by Sidney Marcus remains a goal for
any who would seek and hold public office. A number of good candidates all with full recognition of the standard of
leadership we must meet is, perhaps, the greatest compliment we can give to this District and to his memory.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank some of those people who have supported me through these difficult
days.
I
To the elected officials who have provided counsel and support: City Council Members Barbara Asher, Richard
Guthman, John Lewis and to State Representative Cathey Steinberg.
To the persons who have committed financial support, volunteer time, and who have urged others to vote for me, I
would like to thank Elaine and Miles Alexander, Roz Cohen, Joan Dokson, Richard Ellenberg, Michael Fridovich,
Linda Hallenborg, Joy Howard, Clare Richardson, Stanley and Marlene Rinzler, Steve Selig, Temi Silver, Margie
Steiner, and Judith and Mark Taylor.
There are so many more, too, who have made available their time and counsel—within this Districtand throughout our
City. To all of them I would like to express my thanks for their support.
Please vote on December 20...in this special election your vote is more important than ever.
With your help...and the help of all my friends we can reach again for the tradition of qualified leadership this District
has had, arid deserves again.
Sincerely, ^'
Vote Again... December 20
Paid for and authorized by the Cynthia Fuller Campaign
Lorraine Zito, Campaign Mgr. 345 9th St., Atlanta. Ga 30309
William S Johnson, Trees., 954 Charles Allen Dr., Atlanta, Qa. 30309
PAGE 7 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 16, 1983