Lot 232
Autograph Letter Signed by David Ben-Gurion – The Lavon Affair, May 1964 – Reference to a Letter with Lavon's "Order" – "I Conclude There is No Evidence of Forgery… No Case"
A letter handwritten and signed by David Ben-Gurion, concerning the Lavon Affair ("The Unfortunate Affair"). Sdeh Boker, May 1, 1964. Hebrew.
In the letter, Ben-Gurion addresses the most important piece of evidence of the affair – a letter from 1954, which specifically mentions the "order" given by Defense Minister Pinchas Lavon (supposedly sent by Binyamin Gibli to the IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan). This piece of evidence was the focus of the discussions of the investigative committee regarding the question of who was responsible for the affair ("Who issued the order?") and immediately with its introduction, Lavon claimed it was a forgery.
The present letter contains an extraordinary reference by David Ben-Gurion, one of the opponents and accusers of Lavon, to the incriminating letter and its forgery: "Two authorized institutions […] determined that the 'forgery' is but libel […] two typewriters, which were used by the office of the Military Intelligence Directorate head in late 1954 were located and provided to Mr. Albert Hajaj (an expert on forgeries employed by the Israel Police) […] He identified the typewriter with which the letter was typewritten […] and in light of the expert's negative results – I conclude there is no evidence of forgery […] no case" (last two words in English). Signed: D. Ben-Gurion.
In 1965, Daliah Carmel, the secretary of Binyamin Gibli who headed the Military Intelligence Directorate (one of the main suspects of issuing the order), admitted that she had forged the letter after being threatened and pressured by Gibli. The question of the letter's authenticity and the identity of the issuer of the order is still debated.
Ben-Gurion addressed his letter to "Dear Haft" (presumably, Avraham Haft).
[2] ff. (two written pages). approx. 21 cm. (both mounted on one sheet of paper). Fair condition. Creases. Tears to edges. Stains and blemishes due to mounting.
