Britannia Radio

Weekly Commentary: Foreign Ministry Staff Should Learn From Abba Eban's Example

Dr. Aaron Lerner                   Date: 10 June 2010

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.

They come off as jerks.

They come off as jerks because if they were so certain that Israel was going
to face a serious PR challenge explaining the move the onus was on them to
make absolutely sure to "arm" the Jewish State with legal briefs and
ancillary material ready for distribution in every major foreign language
literally the same minute that Israeli security forces stopped the flotilla.

And they didn't.

In point of fact, the first detailed legal brief defending the early Monday
morning May 31 operation was released by the IDF Military Advocate General -
not the Foreign Ministry - on .Thursday, June 3.

It is bad enough that this team didn't do its job.  Mistakes happen.

But if we want to avoid repeating the mistakes we have to recognize them for
what they are.  Mistakes.

Learn from the example of Abba Eban

Yes. You most certainly have a right to an opinion.  If anything, you are
duty bound to express it at the relevant forums as the decisions are being
made so that your views are taken into consideration.

But once the decision is made you can't relegate yourself to the sidelines
because your recommendations were rejected.

For just as a soldier must diligently prepare his weapons as he embarks on a
mission whose details he had qualms about, as a salaried member of the
Foreign Ministry team you are duty bound to do everything in your power to
prepare the best possible explanation and justification for the operation.

Let's make this clear:

The purpose of this note isn't to engage in Monday morning quarterbacking
against the Foreign Ministry team.

What's done is done.

The concern is that if the error is not recognized that it could be
repeated.

As for the overall story of the flotilla, there is a more than decent chance
that we ultimately come out of this ahead of the game.  If we play our cards
right we will find ourselves in a permanent arrangement endorsed by the
Quartet according to which all shipments pass through Ashdod with transfer
to Gaza after Israeli inspection for contraband has been carried out with
some kind of 3rd party monitoring of the inspection process.  Add to that
the possibility that 3rd parties supervise and monitor the distribution of
dual use products such as cement thus breaking the control of Hamas over the
supply of such material in the Gaza Strip.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il