Memoirs of Israel’s founder launched in Hanoi

Nhan Dan Online – The Israeli Embassy in Vietnam and Alpha Books Company hosted a seminar on May 6 in Hanoi to launch the Vietnamese version of the memoirs of David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel and widely hailed as the State's key founder.

David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel
David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel

Named ‘Biography of David Ben Gurion – History of the State of Israel’, the book was launched in celebration of the 66th anniversary of Israel's Independence Day and is about Ben Gurion’s life and career, as well as the state of Israel’s history.

Ben Gurion, who played a key role in the history of the country and its establishment, is considered the founding father of Israel. He  made the lifelong dream of thousands of Jews come true with the establishment of the state of Israel on May 6, 1948, ending life in exile all over the world for thousands of years.

Ben Gurion also contributed greatly to bring Israel from isolation among the Arab world to become a military power with considerable scientific and technical progress. The first Prime Minister of Israel was named one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time Magazine.

The brilliant achievements as well as bad decisions behind the anguish, hope, and secret dreams of Ben Gurion are revealed in the book by its author, Dr. Michael Zar-Bohar, the official biographer.

Ben Gurion never agreed to allow anyone to write his memoirs before he met Michael Zar-Bohar. Only a tiny part of the huge documentation on Ben Gurion was allowed to be used in the book, but Michael Zar-Bohar portrayed an assertive politician who made life and death decisions for the destiny of Israel, and a lonely man at the peak of power.

In particular, the book mentions the 1946 meeting of Ben Gurion and President Ho Chi Minh. Ben Gurion said that Israel and Vietnam had common ground in the search for independence from colonialism. Ho Chi Minh offered Ben Gurion a Jewish home in exile in Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Israeli Ambassador to Vietnam Meirav Eilon Shahar said that Ben Gurion and President Ho Chi Minh had many similarities. Both leaders had gone through numerous difficulties to lead the nation to independence and freedom. Both considered education as a top priority for every country.

She also spent a lot time to praise the leadership, political vision, military mind and fearless actions of the Israel’s late Prime Minister in creating the Israel of today.

In the context of extended co-operation between Vietnam and Israel in many fields, particularly agriculture, education and science and technology, the stories and lessons on Israel’s establishment via the life and career of its first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, are relevant for Vietnamese people, said Dr Tran Dinh Thien, Director of Vietnam Institute of Economics.

At the launch ceremony, Alpha Books awarded ten copies of the book to the National Library of Vietnam and 1,000 e-book versions to students from universities in Hanoi.

The 520-page book is published in Vietnam by Alpha Books Company and sells at  VND179,000.

Back to top