Danon - Israel: the will to prevail

THE WILL
TO PREVAIL

DANNY DANON

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ISRAEL
Copyright Danny Danon, 2012.
All rights reserved.

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First published in 2012 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN in the U.S.a division of St. Martins Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

ISBN: 978-0-230-34176-0

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Danon, Danny.

Israel : the will to prevail / Danny Danon.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-230-34176-0

1. Arab-Israeli conflict. 2. Arab-Israeli conflict.Causes. 3. Arab-Israeli conflict.Influence. 4. Arab-Israeli conflict1993Peace. 5. Middle EastForeign relationsIsrael. 6. IsraelForeign relationsMiddle East. 7. IsraelHistory. I. Title.

DS119.7.D2574 2012

956.053dc23

2012010454

A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library.

Design by Letra Libre, Inc.

First edition: September 2012

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America.

This book is dedicated to the memory of
my late father, Joseph Danon, a genuine
Israeli patriot who fought all his life.

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHOM I WISH TO THANK FOR helping me to complete my first book. As someone who values the importance of heritage, I would like to start with my father, Joseph Danon, to whom I also dedicate the book. Even though the time I spent with my father was limited, I am grateful for the unique period with him, which shaped my personality. I want to thank him from the day I was born until the day he passed away for the seed he planted within me that cultivated my involvement with Israels future and gave me the strength and courage to stand behind my principles.

My dad chose to name me after Daniel Vardon, his legendary commander in the reconnaissance special unit. Daniel Vardon was, for my father, the symbol of the ultimate Zionist hero. Daniel Vardon was born in 1939 in Kibbutz Givat Brenner. He was a leader in his community, and during his military service he received two of the highest distinctions for his heroic actions during two operations on the Syrian border. On the third day of the Six-Day War, he headed his troops of the reconnaissance special unit into the Egyptian city El Arish. Daniel Vardon risked his life in a heroic rescue operation again. After hearing the reports about a unit of his soldiers that was wounded and trapped in a small alley, where an Egyptian sniper was located in a strategic location and shot anyone who tried to get closer to the wounded Israeli soldiers, Daniel Vardon did not hesitate and tried to lead a rescue operation. This was his last heroic decision; he was shot dead by the sniper. The loss of his beloved commander was a hard moment for my father, who fought with his admired commander in this special unit and spent days and nights navigating and exploring the land with him.

Only two years later my father was severely wounded during an army operation in the Jorday Valley. Despite his complete hearing loss and severe head wounds, which dragged him to hospitals on a regular basis, my father was very knowledgeable and had a genuine and informal love of the land and people of Israel. He was able to teach me the history of our nation, and, in his unique way, he encouraged me to get involved and to not be afraid to stand behind my ideas. As a child who received his Jewish and Zionist education mostly from hearing the stories of my father and reading books, I learned to appreciate the importance of words, whether spoken or written.

Special thanks to my beloved mother, Jocheved Danon, a real Eshet Chayla woman of valor who, despite the complex situation she found herself at a very young age, gathered enormous inner strength to provide our family with a warm and caring home. With her unique and quiet intelligence, she provided me with the self-confidence to stick to my beliefs and principles. As someone who was born before the establishment of the State of Israel and who experienced in childhood the feeling of the siege on Jerusalem during the War of Independence, she always stressed the importance of controlling your own destiny. I am deeply grateful for everything she gave me and admire her decision to dedicate her life to her husband day and night, to commemorate his memory, and to be there for her grandchildren: Ela, Rotem, Maya, Aviad, Yonathan, Hila, Daniel, Shira, and Tomie.

To my beloved wife, Talie, thank you very much for being there; I know that when I am not at home, you are there for our children and I am grateful for it. Without your encouragement and support I would not have been able to complete this book. Thank you for being so special, smart, and funny, and especially thank you for allowing me to fulfill my dreams and passions.

To my children: Aviad, Hila, and Shira, who inspire me every single day with their happiness and optimism. I wish you all the joy and happiness there is. I shall always give you all the love I have.

To my brother Eyal and my sister Shirly, who patiently listened to all my stories during our childhood, I am sure that our dad would have been very proud of you, your wonderful spouses, Ely and Odelia, and especially would have great pride in his grandchildren whom he was not able to meet.

Special thanks and love for my parents-in-law, Shalom and Dina, for your unconditional support. Hearing Shaloms singing on Friday nights in our synagogue really gives inspiration and strengthens ones belief.

Writing a book like this does not happen in a vacuum. I would like to thank Dr. Jonathan Spyer for his advice. Thanks also go to Mitchell Bard of the Jewish Virtual Library for his invaluable insights and information into many aspects of Israeli history and the position in which Israel often finds itself on American college campuses. Dr. Rafael Medof, director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, also shared important background material on World War II and the Holocaust. Salomon Benzimra, cofounder of Canadians for Israels Legal Rights, provided valuable background and perspective on Balfour, the San Remo Conference, and the founding of the State of Israel. I also want to thank Carol Mann, my literary agent, for her wisdom and experience. Many thanks to Karen Wolny and to the great team at Palgrave Macmillan for all their support. Last but not least, I would like to deeply thank Karen Kelly, who worked tirelessly with me on this book. Thank you very much, Karen, for your amazing patience and support.

I REPRESENT A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS WHO SEE Israel taking a different and more autonomous path than it has over the past several decades. In many ways, our outlook echoes that of the founding generation, who understood that we may have to engage, albeit reluctantly, in armed conflict to secure a Jewish state. Ive lived through years of terrorism and war and have seen the toll they have taken on my own family and on my neighbors, friends, and colleagues. As deputy speaker of the Knesset, my goal is to protect the people I serve and the land I love. In both roles, citizen and public servant, Im fully cognizant of the dangers threatening our society. But I also see a tremendous opportunity for Israel to realize a vision of lasting peace and stability for its people and the region, one we must take advantage of