It turns out that this month, November, is full of historical events that are naturally forgotten over time. On November 11, 99 years ago, for example, the armistice that ended World War I was signed. At the same time, the Bolshevik Revolution began in Russia, which led to the establishment of the USSR. Exactly a year ago, the great terrorist attack in Paris occurred. And in our country, this month, as we recall, the Balfour Declaration was issued. And 70 years ago, this month, the UN adopted the decision to divide the Land of Israel and establish an Israeli entity, following which Israel was established.
But of all the events, I would like to choose one that I happened to be close to: the death 47 years ago of one of the historical figures of that period - General Charles de Gaulle, former president of France. France, who passed away this week in 1970, at the age of 79. (Incidentally, he was also born in November.) I will not talk about his part in saving the honor of defeated France in World War II by establishing and commanding the “Free French Army,” a well-known episode, but I will try to bring up things that are perhaps less well-known.
De Gaulle and Israel
First of all, the Jewish and Israeli point. I don’t think de Gaulle was anti-Semitic in the conventional sense of the word, but he didn’t like Jews. Long live the small difference. There were at least two statements of his on this subject, one public and one private. The first was made publicly at a press conference in which he said: “The Jewish people are self-confident and domineering.” (I believe that these traits actually fit his personality.) This was interpreted as hostile by us, but there were debates about this. My friend Yoel Sher, a former ambassador, who happened to meet de Gaulle when he served as an interpreter at a meeting with Levi Eshkol, raises the possibility that this statement was actually directed at the State of Israel and was said with a hint of sympathy. He explains that de Gaulle studied with the Jesuits in his youth, and his family was Catholic and royalist, and this had an impact.
I heard about the second statement from one of his associates, a friend of Israel, who was a witness to the statement: When de Gaulle formed his first government, after the end of World War II, he was looking for a candidate for the economy portfolio. Someone suggested Pierre Mendes-France, a rising star in politics. To this, de Gaulle commented: “Mendes-France? But he is a Jew.” He also did not hide his opinion, known from the statements of anti-Semites, that communications are at the feet of the Jews (and the Americans).
Regarding Israel, the controversy that began on the eve of the Six-Day War is probably remembered. Foreign Minister Abba Eban visited him 3 days before the outbreak of the war and de Gaulle warned: “Don’t fire the first shot,” and as a preventive measure, he imposed an embargo on military procurement, thus ending this cooperation. It is possible that indirectly this was a blessing, because reliance on procurement in the United States began, which continues to this day. This was a turning point in his attitude towards Israel, because at the beginning of his rule over the Fifth Republic that he established in the late 50s, he greeted Ben-Gurion and declared: “Israel – our friend and ally.” In his meeting with Eshkol, he remembered this and there may have been a tone of regret in his words. Perhaps Ben-Gurion remembered this saying fondly, when he arrived with President Shazar for de Gaulle’s funeral. I was then, as a “Maariv” representative, among those who greeted them at the airport and I asked Ben-Gurion about it, but he refused to answer. There was another point in common between D.G. and B.G.: contempt for the United Nations. Ben-Gurion called it “the stupid UN” and de Gaulle said: “This thing.”
By the way, dozens of heads of state who came to the funeral did not see the coffin being buried because de Gaulle ordered in his will: no ceremonies, no speeches, no official representation except for a representative from the French army – and the coffin to be buried in his estate.
De Gaulle predicts the Islamization of France
I mentioned earlier his attitude towards Jews. He didn’t like Muslims either (nor Americans, by the way, and he had reasons for this). In a private conversation with one of his advisors, he warned against a Muslim flood in France and emphasized the fundamental difference between French-Europeans and Muslims, in terms of personal level, character, culture, tradition. If the gates are opened – he warned – a day will come when Muslims will rule France. He was not far from foreseeing. And in his cynical humor he said: “Then the village where I live will not be called ‘Columbia of the two churches’ but ‘Columbia of the two mosques’.” He was also a racist and treated Africans (in his words, ‘Negroes’) with disdain. Among other things, he told his assistant: “I can’t stand these Negroes anymore. I see them everywhere.”
In general, de Gaulle was sometimes blessed with a cynical and biting humor even towards his own people. For example: “How can one govern France, a country with dozens of types of Cheese?” In general, and despite being a great patriot, he treated, in private conversations, with contempt his people who were ready like calves to go to the slaughter without a fighting spirit. And he knew from his own experience what he was talking about.
Despite his greatness – and there is no doubt that he was a great leader – he was also controversial in his own country. When he was elected president in 1958, the Algerian War was in full swing between the French army and the local underground. The leaders of the French army heaped their love on him, especially in a public speech during a visit to Algiers in front of an audience that advocated the continuation of “Algeria French"He dramatically exclaimed: "I understand you," giving them hope. But in reality he acted in the opposite direction and began the process of granting independence to Muslim Algeria. This caused a rebellion by part of the army and underground cells that carried out several assassination attempts on his life, in some of which he miraculously survived. Incidentally, one of the assassins was sentenced to death and despite his illustrious past, de Gaulle refused to pardon him and he was executed, contrary to the pardon he granted to Marshal Pétain, the head of the Vichy regime who surrendered to Germany and was sentenced to death after the war.
De Gaulle ended his political career in April 1969. He initiated a referendum on a fairly minor issue and promised that if the result was negative he would resign. And that is what happened. There was great joy in Israel, because he was considered an enemy. As it happened, I arrived in Paris on a mission for “Maariv” that evening, and to my surprise, the French were not moved by the resignation either and moved on to the agenda. But this is a familiar phenomenon always and everywhere, in accordance with the famous saying: “The Negro has done his thing – the Negro can go.”
One of the few presidents without a mistress
This is the state aspect of de Gaulle, and in contrast, not much is known about his personal life. They had a daughter who died in infancy and a son, Philippe, who was an admiral in the French navy and was as high-ranking as his father. (He also died in 1983). The sanctity of family was important to Adelga Gaulle, and perhaps as evidenced by the fact that he is one of the few presidents of France, if not the only one, who, as far as is known, did not have an affair on the side.
This quality was attested to by his brother-in-law, whom I interviewed for “Ma’ariv,” when he visited Israel during de Gaulle’s presidency. Jacques Van Andre told me that he was the one who matched his sister Yvonne with that huge major at a ball at “Saint-Cyr,” the French military academy. From that ball on, Charles did not stop courting Yvonne, not so much to the delight of the merchant family, who were not impressed by his stiff appearance. But she fell in love with him and they married. Van Andre was reluctant to talk about this subject but wanted to emphasize: “In fact, de Gaulle is a sentimental man, although he may not appear so on the surface. There is no doubt that he is blessed with a warm heart.”
Of course, all of this is good for books and legends.