January 31, 1961
Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion resigns, setting the stage for a Knesset election in the summer of 1961.
Ben-Gurion’s resignation is tied to a botched Israeli operation in Egypt in 1954. Concerned that the United Kingdom’s planned withdrawal from the Suez Canal would hurt Israeli trade, Israel launched Operation Susannah to discredit Egypt’s government, which was becoming Israel’s leading Arab political nemesis under Gamal Abdel Nasser. The plan called for a spy network of mostly Egyptian Jews to bomb Western targets and make it appear that Egypt was responsible.
The operation was foiled by poor planning and betrayal by one of the spies. Egypt arrested 13 spies. Two killed themselves, and Moshe Marzouk and Shmuel Azar were hanged. Marzouk claimed that he had organized the ring and took full responsibility, apparently to gain leniency for the others. Most were given prison sentences.
In Israel, the episode was blamed on Defense Minister Pinchas Lavon, who ultimately resigned. Prime Minister Moshe Sharett set up a special committee to investigate what went wrong, but it wa inconclusive.
The scandal resurfaced in 1960 with the revelation that two senior officers gave false testimony against Lavon in 1954. A new committee cleared Lavon of any wrongdoing. Ben-Gurion, who had returned to the office of prime minister, questions the legality and objectivity of the new inquiry and resigns.
In his letter of resignation, he writes, “My understanding of my obligations forbid me to bear responsibility for the Cabinet decision on December 25 [to accept the exoneration of Lavon], as this would be incompatible with fundamental principles of justice and the basic laws of the state.”
Ben-Gurion is unable to form a new government, and the Knesset is dissolved in March. In an election held in August 1961, Mapai wins 42 seats, and Ben-Gurion again returns as prime minister. He remains prime minister until 1963 and leaves political life in 1970 after half a century of Zionist and Israeli leadership.
