On 4 November 2015, the MDC hosted an event titled “Israel and the Challenges of the Present Time” in honor of the late Moshe Dayan (z”l). At the proceedings, Dayan family members were accompanied by friends and staff of the MDC, Tel Aviv University students, and members of the public, who gathered to commemorate the life of Moshe Dayan and his legacy in Israel and elsewhere in the region. Director of the MDC, Prof. Uzi Rabi, began proceedings by recognizing the 50 year anniversary of the MDC as well as Moshe Dayan’s enduring legacy.
Former Ambassador to the US and current member of the MDC Board of Trustees, Mr. Zalman Shoval, was the first guest speaker to address the event about Dayan’s life and legacy. Shoval and Dayan were close both personally and professionally, which enabled Shoval to speak about some of Dayan’s more complicated views as well as to give personal reflections on their shared experiences and the impact that Dayan had on Israel and its neighbors.
In his address, Shoval stressed the point that Dayan loved to learn from history and that, in this way, he was not only an exceptional diplomat in his own right, but also a skilled statesman. This was proven by landmark events such as the Camp David Accords, in which he demonstrated his true mastery of diplomacy by enabling everyone at the negotiating table to feel accommodated. Shoval also noted that Dayan strongly believed that Israel must only negotiate from a position of power in order to formulate just and long-lasting solutions to conflict. After finishing these remarks, Shoval was joined by Prof. Uzi Rabi to introduce the keynote speaker for the night, Efraim HaLevi.
Efraim HaLevi, who served as Director of the Mossad from 1998 to 2002, spoke about Dayan and gave a number of insights into Israel’s current situation in the region. He began by highlighting two significant events that have occurred fairly recently. The first was a conference in London between states such as the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran regarding current developments in Syria. This conference, according to HaLevi, lasted only a few hours and resulted in no agreement other than to meet again at a later date. He also referred to Israel as the “present absentee” and noted the troubling nature of Israel’s absence from the conference. The second event that HaLevi referred to was that of the recent Russian plane crash in the Sinai Peninsula after its departure from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport. With all of the silence on the issue from those involved, especially from Russian President Vladimir Putin, HaLevi called the whole event into question. These events, he suggested, are those in which we do not really know what had occurred, but are tricked in believed that we do. HaLevi also suggested that these events will have different long-lasting effects on both the region and the wider international community.
After opening his speech with mention of these events, HaLevi then began to reflect on the experiences he had with the late Dayan. On one occasion, HaLevi was responsible for representing the director of the Mossad at an event discussing the results of the then-recent Six Day War. At this event, he was accompanied by Dayan, who was Minister of Defense at the time. Before this event was about to end, Dayan accepted questions from their audience, which included a group of young officers. One of the officers asked Dayan about the military’s future responsibilities in respect to recently conquered territories. Answering this question, Dayan said that the responsibility of the military at that point was to protect and to ensure normality for the citizens of the state in order to ensure that Israel will have the freedom of sovereignty. Reflecting on this statement, HaLevi asserted that the situation as described by Dayan has changed and that it is no longer the case for the state of Israel.
For HaLevi, we are no longer dictating the situations we are in, but are instead being dictated by them for the past fifty years. This was made evident to him by the last five wars that Israel has fought, which have not ended with a decisive victory by either side. The most telling of these wars are against Hamas, in which we always say that we will end the situation in the Gaza Strip once and for all, but never seem to do so. To handle these conflicts more effectively, HaLevi said that Israel must clearly state its objectives and to avoid rash actions that are counterproductive to those objectives. Ending his address, he said that Israel is now faced with a number of challenges that will test its commitment to handle conflicts more effectively. The first issue is that of the Palestinian question, which must be approached from a position of strength. The second concern is over Iran’s growing influence in the region, which may lead the region down a dangerous path. The third issue is the Israeli-American relationship; HaLevi views that alliance as critical for both states as they address regional and global conflicts and build a stronger future. Lastly, HaLevi argued that Israel must consider the possibility of creating new relationships with old regional enemies, because they may serve as new friends in an ever-changing Middle East.