The 1967 war changed the lives of Israelis and made Palestinian lives hell. Shortly after it, Israel's Labour prime minister, Levi Eshkol, a relative moderate, approved the colonisation of the West Bank. The Labour Party never really opposed the process, though for years it seemed to have its doubts. That way of carrying on - appearing indecisive, sounding hesitant, while acting decisively, even aggressively - is a key component of Israeli politics. Eshkol tended to be scornful about the process he'd set in motion. In his favourite language, Yiddish, he said that Israel was thought of as a 'nebichdike Shimsen' ('pitiful Samson'). For years the Israeli soldier has been depicted this way, as a conscience-stricken man who doesn't really want to become a hero but has no choice.

LRB 1 November 2007 | PDF Download