The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership
Avner, born in Manchester, England, arrived in Palestine in 1947 as a dedicated 19-year-old Zionist, on the eve of the birth of the Jewish state. He eventually entered Israel’s foreign service and served as speechwriter, secretary, and advisor to four Israeli Prime Ministers — Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, and Menachem Begin. This often-fascinating insider’s account of the careers and personalities of these leaders is a semiautobiographical rendering of Avner’s own experiences during critical episodes in Israeli history, especially during the War of Independence. Occasionally, Avner’s narrative is overly gossipy, but for the most part this is a revealing story of how these men operated in moments of both calm and crisis. Avner reserves his greatest admiration for Begin, and his near-worship of the man is likely to discomfit many in Israel and in the U.S. Overall, this book provides valuable insights into many of the key events and personalities in the history of Israel. --Jay Freeman