Moshe Dayan
Born on the first “moshav,” or farming cooperative in future Israel, Dayan joined the Jewish defense force, or Haganah, at the age of 14. There the pro-Zionist British intelligence officer Orde Wingate mentored him. In 1941, while participating in the infiltration of Vichy occupied Lebanon, Dayan lost his left eye when a French sniper shot the binoculars he was using. Despite his injury, Dayan continued his military career, joined Haganah’s General Staff in 1947, and served, at Ben-Gurion’s insistence, as military commander of the Jewish Jerusalem neighborhoods in 1948. As Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from 1953-1958, Dayan directed the 1956 Sinai campaign against Egypt. In 1959, he retired from the military, joined Ben-Gurion’s Mapai party and, until 1964, served as minister of agriculture, in which capacity he signed our letter, which relates to Israel’s 1952 Law for the Improvement of Agricultural Production (Animals), meant to increase the yield of livestock and which provides for the appointment of inspectors to enforce the statues of the legislation.
Despite his differences with Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, Dayan was appointed defense minister in 1967, and his prestige grew Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. However, he was accused of a lack of preparedness in the October War six years later and resigned as defense minister, along with Prime Minister Golda Meir, in May 1974. As foreign minister under Menachem Begin, from 1977-1979, he was instrumental in negotiating the Camp David Accords, the historic 1978 peace agreement with Egypt. During his eventful military and political careers, Dayan earned a reputation as a canny military tactician, a sometimes controversial politician, and an icon of Israel’s military.
Folded and creased, but in very good condition.
