AJEX Remembrance Service
Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Friday 17 November 2006.
Remember, Remember, in the month of November.A few weeks ago was the 64th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein, the battle that prevented, among other calamities, the German Afrika Korps overrunning Egypt and what was then Palestine, and there destroying the embryonic Jewish community that was to develop a few years later into the State of Israel. That battle left buried in the sand up to about 10,000 British and Commonwealth dead, and about equal numbers of German and Italian dead.
Last Friday, 10th November, we commemorated Kristallnacht – the “Night of Glass”, which symbolizes the start of the formalised destruction of 6 million Jews in Europe. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month reminds us that at that time 88 years ago in 1918, the armies of Europe quit the field of battle, leaving buried in the mud and soil millions of the world’s youth. Last Sunday we had the national Remembrance Service.
During these past few weeks there have been memorial services in the splendour of Westminster Abbey, at the sombre Cenotaph, and also last Sunday at the modest memorial here in Northwood. I also recall 14 years ago attending, at the Alamein cemetery in the desert of northern Egypt, the memorial service commemorating the 50th anniversary of that battle and laying there a wreath on behalf of AJEX. The poppy I wear today I took from that wreath.
Three weeks ago I paid a visit to the British WW2 Cemetery at Benghasi in Libya. I had previously been in Benghasi 64 years ago, when I served in the 8th Army. I had joined them near Tobruk, retreated to El Alamein, and then advanced through Egypt, through Libya and into Tunisia where the remnants of the German and Italian armies either quitted North Africa or were taken prisoner. At that cemetery I saw 12 tombstones that bore the Magen David. I noted down the details that were inscribed on the tombstones and their names will be read out shortly. I noticed an elderly lady placing a stone on a Jewish grave. I asked her whether she knew the person buried there. She did not, but she said that she knew that Jewish people placed a stone on a grave and although she was not Jewish she thought it right to do the same. A wonderful gesture on her part – and a small light in a dark world. I also placed a stone on the graves and said Kaddish.
At these cemeteries one saw rows and rows of clean, white, well tended gravestones but not a glimmer or hint of the blood and dead bodies that had fed the swarms of flies. And not a mention of the mines and booby traps that were designed not to kill, but to maim. A dead man needed only burying and forgetting – but a maimed person needed manpower to care for them.The cemeteries were planned with excellent military precision, but what do they tell us of what really happened?
Let us consider the military history of the Jews. I should like to deal first with the period up to 1948, the year of the foundation of Israel, and then the period after 1948.
The history of most peoples is that they start as People of the Sword, become People of the Land, and then, perhaps, people of the Book. Jews have been People of the Sword twice, People of the Land twice, and People of the Book an unbroken once.
After the Jews, or rather the Israelites, left Egypt nearly 3,500 years ago, the Bible recites their military exploits in great and gory detail. They were very much People of the Sword. They conquered the land of Canaan, they fought not only against their enemies but fought battles amongst themselves and they served as mercenaries with foreign armies. They served, for example in Southern Egyptian garrisons on Elephantine Island near Assuan on the Nubian border, and it is thought that some of these mercenaries migrated further south into Ethiopia, converted local pagan tribes, intermarried with them, and became the ancestors of the Ethiopian Jews, or Falashas, thousands of whom have been brought to Israel in fantastic aerial operations.
The last Jewish armed struggle as a nation, before modem times, was the war of Bar Kochba against the Romans in the 2nd century. It failed and
then came the Diaspora. From then onwards for nearly 1,800 years the Jew were neither people of the Sword, or of the Land, but people of the Book.
For most of that period Jews were not allowed to join armies as they were considered second class citizens. More recently Jews wanted to join national armies as they thought, for example in Poland, that it would improve their civil rights - but for this very reason obstacles were put in their way. Over the past couple of centuries Jews were gradually allowed to join armies as volunteers or conscripts - but only in the lowest ranks.
Early in the 19th century, under Czar Nicholas 1st, young Jews were conscripted into the army for periods up to 25 years, and losing all contact with their families. We have probably all heard stories of the ruses Jews got up to avoid that service, and why the names and ages of grandparents and great-grandparents became confused. We must happily accept that confusion, as it certainly confused the Russian military. Those who were called up were sent to distant parts of Russia, and probably never saw their families again.
One lot were sent to Finland, then a Duchy of Russia, but when their time was up they wanted to stay. They still wanted Jewish wives, so a trainload of nubile Jewish women left for Finland and when it arrived at Helsinki station the soldiers were each provided with a demob ration of Wives, Jewish, One. They lived happily in Finland, if not for ever, but for a very long time.
By the 20th century Jews were, by and large, subject to the same duties and, in theory at least, entitled to the same rights as other citizens, and they played their part in military service. In almost all countries Jews were able to attain high rank – for example, in WW1 General Monash commanded the Australian Force in France. Jews have fought in United States forces for over 200 years, during the Civil War on both sides, and they have reached high ranks in both army and navy. In WW1 about 1-1/4 million Jews fought in the various armies, about a quarter million in the Russian army, about 350,000 with the Western allies and about the same number in the armies of Germany and her allies.
In WW2 over 1 million Jews fought in the various armies fighting against Germany, about half million in the Russian army, where more than 100 generals were Jews. About half a million served in the US army and about 90,000 from Britain and the Commonwealth. The proportion of Jews was quite high in proportion to the general populations. There were 35,000 Jews in Palestinian units serving with the British army and in addition there were many Jews fighting with partisan units in Occupied Europe. The Jewish Brigade was formed late in the war and were able to perform wonderful service in assisting, often quite secretly, the illicit exodus of Jewish refugees from Europe on their way to break the British blockade that tried to keep them out of Jewish Palestine.
The military exploits and successes of the Israeli Army are well known. After nearly 2,000 years of no military activity, they showed that the prowess of Joshua, King David, the Maccabees and Bar Kochba still flowed in their veins. This is certainly something to be thankful for - but should we boast of it? I'm not so sure. I remember the feeling when shortly after Israel was founded, I saw a Rosh Hashana card which showed a Sefer Torah and a rifle side by side. True, if it were not for the rifle there would have been no Happy New Year - perhaps no new year at all. But it nevertheless gives cause to pause and think.
During the past half century or so Israeli Jews have proved themselves doughty fighters. Quite a lot of the incentive must be put down to the Israeli secret weapon that has stood them in good stead these past 60 years. It is called by the secret code Aleph Bet. These letters stand for Ayn B'reira which means No Alternative. They still have no alternative and must keep their powder dry.
And perhaps that is the clue to our recent military history. We are reluctant soldiers. To mis-quote Shakespeare: Some are born militarist. Some achieve militarism. Some have militarism thrust upon them. We have had militarism thrust upon us. We should feel we are reluctant soldiers, and continue as soldiers only as long as it continues to be thrust upon us.
Between 1948, when Israel was founded, and 1967 the non-Arab world, by and large, sympathized with “little Israel”, but its remarkable military victories during the Six Day War, and its occupation of conquered land, brought about a reversal of attitude. No longer was Israel the “brave underdog” but it had become, in the eyes of much of the world, a militarist
bully. Moshe Dayan, who became Administrator of the “Occupied Territories” actually regretted the building there of settlements. No doubt in 1967 the settlements formed a sound “defence in depth” on the land routes that an aggressor army would have to cross, but situations, and the facts of war, have changed. The continued existence of the settlements has been a cause of friction, not only with the Arabs, but within Israel itself.
The reputation of the Israeli Army, the I.D.F, has become badly tarnished. A series of military adventures and raids, forced on Israel by attacks fomented by countries like Syria and Iran, has led to terrible loss of life, damage and suffering which, to the outside world, is quite disproportionate to Israel’s needs, and is taken as a sign of her arrogant military belligerence and cruelty. The Israeli army has been forced into a type of conflict where no army could avoid what is euphemistically called “collateral damage”.
But this collateral damage has been so great, in lives and property, that it is not acceptable. A solution must be found. Perhaps Israel is fighting a war that cannot be won in military terms. And perhaps it is a case of war being too serious to be left to the generals.
And so, as we mourn those who died, and those who are still giving their lives, and as we care for those who still hurt in body and mind, let us pray that we can soon return to being not People of the Sword, but just the People of the Land, and People of the Book.
Thank you.