Inspirational Quotes by Moshe Dayan (Israeli Statesman)

Moshe Dayan (1915–81) was an Israeli soldier and statesman. A former Israeli defense minister and military chief-of-staff, he led Israel to dramatic victories over its Arab neighbors and became a symbol of security to his fellow citizens.

Born on Israel’s first kibbutz in Deganya, Palestine, now in Israel, Dayan founded the Haganah underground militia and was arrested and imprisoned (1939–41) by British authorities. He was chief of staff of the Israeli army when Israel conquered Gaza and Sinai in the Suez War of 1956. In 1958, he left military service to study at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Dayan was elected to the Knesset as a Labour member in 1959 and made minister of agriculture by David Ben-Gurion (1959–64.) He left the Labour Party in 1966 to set up the Rafi Party with Ben-Gurion. In 1967, as a member of the opposition, he was appointed defense minister and masterminded the Israeli victory in the Six-Day War. Dayan then cleared Jerusalem of Arab/Jewish barriers and mines and declared it a free city.

Dayan was defense minister again 1969–74, but Israel’s disastrous start to the 1973 Yom Kippur War tarnished his reputation, and he was dropped from the Cabinet. In 1977, as foreign minister, he helped negotiations with Egypt towards the Camp David Accords of 1978.

Dayan wrote Diary of the Sinai Campaign (1966) and Living with the Bible (1978.) His autobiography is The Story of My Life (1976.)

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Moshe Dayan