Meir Dagan photo: Eyal Yitzhar/Globes.co.il
Ariella Benshmuel – The Meir Dagan Legacy
Today, Meir Dagan was laid to rest. A warrior finally at peace, following a battle with the one foe he simply could not defeat. It seems everywhere you look he is eulogized by friends and opponents alike. The political establishment . The intelligence community which he spearheaded. The defense sector. Israel’s very elite. The man’s biography precedes him, and it is not for me to attest to his myriad contributions to the State of Israel and its security. Dagan’s illustrious position in the annals of history is already assured. What I do remember most poignantly about the man is one brief moment, nearly a year ago, which I believe more than anything exemplifies his character and speaks to his singular nature
A year ago, Meir Dagan spoke at a left-wing rally with tear streaked eyes and pleaded for us all to take this country down a different path. A saner path. A road not awash with the blood of young men, women and children. A path of sanity. A path of prosperity. A path, unfortunately, which is the polar opposite of the road down which we seem to be headed. Political leanings and ideology aside ( and yes, I happen to agree) what I remember most were his eyes. There is no doubt in my mind that Dagan knew all too well that his days were numbered and he was thinking about his legacy. The Israel that he would be leaving behind for his children, grandchildren and for future generations.
Because above all else this man loved Israel with every fiber of his being. His life’s story is so firmly enmeshed with that of the State of Israel that it is difficult to discern where one ends and the other begins. The son of Holocaust survivors, one of his first actions as Chief of the Mossad was to place a picture of his grandfather, who perished in the Holocaust, in his office. A silent reminder to never forget. To bolster his commitment to the State of Israel and its defense. And make no mistake. Dagan’s commitment to our country was unwavering and stalwart. When leaving his post as Mossad Chief he said “The fact that I ended my role still doesn’t mean that my level of responsibility or desire to see Israel blossom has ended.” . To his last breath he worried about the dark road that the country seemed intent on following.
I therefore, on Dagan’s behalf, plead with all of you- in your own way- to make that same heartfelt commitment to the Jewish state. We may not be part of the defense establishment. We may not have a position in the higher echelons of the intelligence community or government. We can however do whatever is in our power to strengthen the State of Israel and to improve the quality of life of its residents. We can do our utmost to see this country flourish and blossom. All of us, for instance, can take a second, a tiny fraction of our hectic lives and volunteer- with a political organization, with Holocaust survivors like Dagan’s parents- wherever our hearts and minds may lead us. We can make our voices heard even if others don’t agree; even if they deviate from the popular consensus. Dagan was unabashed in his criticism of the Israeli establishment in recent years. This scathing criticism, however, was the product of a profound sense of love and duty for the country. The possibilities are infinite. We can all be public servants in the finest sense of the word.
We can also simply be kinder to one another in word and deed, irrespective of our political beliefs or religious ideology. Our country has never been more segmented, fractured and torn as it is today. Rife with sectoral bickering and a lack of civility. And it is those rifts that will be our undoing. They will destroy us faster than any enemy or external foe. A nation is, after all, a collective community with a shared vision and heritage. If we begin to see our fellow Israelis as the dread “other”, what then do we have left? What joint future can we possibly envision? We can all work to find commonalities in lieu of differences. And it is inordinately hard work, make no mistake about it. It is however just as vital as it is difficult.
If nothing else, let unity be Dagan’s legacy. It is the crucial first step to healing this country and allowing it to blossom- just as it ought to. I have no doubt that he would approve.
