The Death of Yitzchak Ben Aharon- By Yahal Porat, HDUK Shaliach
The Death of a Giant
Last Thursday Yitzchak Ben Aharon died at the age of 99. What has this to do with Habonim Dror? Well Ben-Aharon was one of the intellectuals who influenced very much the socialist-Zionist movement in Israel.
Who was he?
Born in 1906, in Romania, he was a member of a few different youth movement such as Hachalutz and hashomer hatzair. He made Aliyah in 1928 and joined kibbutz Givat Chaim near Chadera in 1933.
In 1935 he went as Shalich to Germany for Hachalutz youth movement. But after several months was captured and exiled by the Nazis. He joined the British army in 1940 to fight the Nazis. In 1941 fell to the Nazis hands to be a prisoner for years, in Greece. Only in 1945 did he go free of the German prisoners camp.
After the establishment of the state of Israel he became a Knesset member six times, for different leftist parties. He became the minister of transport 1959 – 1962, as member of the labour and other leftist party, “Maarach”, but quit his job. He was taking different roles in the national workers union as well, and served as chair 1969 – 1973.
After the elections of 1977 he said one of the most well known phrases in Israeli politics. It was when the right-wing Likud gained power did Ben-Aharon say:
“If this is what the people want (the Likud in power) then we need to replace the people”.
After those elections he quit all hispolitical work and came back to his kibbutz.
Ben-Aharon wrote many books and articles, such as “letters to my son”, a collection of memories from his captive in the nazi camps; “power is corrupting – the end of the road”; and others books of memories and stories of his generation. By the year 2003 his biography was written down as well – “unwanted child”.
He won the Israel price for special contribution to society in Israel. He died at the age of 99, and gave his body to science, so was never buried.
Ben Aharon was a very opinionated person. He had his own view almost about everything, and was not easy to compromise. He led the kibbutz movement not only in practice but mainly morally; he set many ideas and goals to strive to, for those who thought and still are thinking socialist-Zionist is the right way.
Ben Aharon admitted he was a bad politician, a few years ago, when asked about his new biography. He knew his way but couldn’t lead the mass or be a real leader, as he said himself.
Ben Aharon saw the Palestinian Israeli conflict as the main focus to Israeli politics to deal with, while making sure other issues are not left behind – mainly equality and social justice.
Ben Aharon saw Ehud Barak as the big hope of the Labour party, and was sure the Palestinian made a huge mistake when they did not sign the peace agreement with Barak. Iit is important to note that Ben-Aharon was one of the first politicians after the 1967 war to say that Israel should immediately leave the west bank without any agreement.
And one more thing: Ben Aharon understood that in order to gain strength, all those who consider themselves socialist-Zionist shall work together. If we will not do that – our destiny is to vanish. Was he right?
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