Lot 558
Ben-Gurion, David. Autograph letter signed ("D. Ben-Gurion"), 1p, 8¼x5 in., in Hebrew, on ruled paper with a printed "16" at the top, Sdeh Boker, 23 July 1971. With the original transmittal envelope, addressed in Hebrew in Ben-Gurion's hand. To P.Z. Hartal, veteran of the Six Day War, artist, poet, and author of "The Brush and the Compass" and "Toldot HaAdrichalut" (A History of Architecture). Fine. Accompanied by English translations of Ben-Gurion's letter and of Mr. Hartal 's letter to him.
Mr. Hartal had written the former prime minister regarding a newspaper quote from an address he made earlier in 1971 claiming that there would be a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt and the rest of the Arab countries within the next ten years.
Ben-Gurion replies: "I don't think that Sadat keeps Egypt in his pocket. The majority of the Egyptian people are poor and ill peasants lacking education, and they are getting poorer from year to year. There are over a hundred thousand young Egyptians who graduated from universities in America, Russia, France, England and elsewhere. Most of them, perhaps, went to study for the sake of obtaining a good job. But it does not occur to him that there also are tens of thousands of youths who finished their studies at universities but they don't care about the substandard plight of the majority of the Egyptian people, that the majority of the Egyptian people who are peasants, and just as Nasser realized in his last year that not the destruction of the state of Israel but the betterment of the condition of peasants is the chief need of Egypt. I assume that the best people in Egypt will understand this as well, and they will make peace with Israel, because there is no other nation that can help (not necessarily with money) the masses of peasants, like Israelis."
Estimated Value $3,000 - 5,000.
From the personal collection of P.Z. Hartal. Copies of the correspondence offered here between Ben-Gurion and Mr. Hartal are in the Ben-Gurion Archives in Israel.
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| Realized $1,955 |
