Shlomo argov biography of christopher

Israeli diplomat (1929–2003)

Shlomo Argov (Hebrew: שלמה ארגוב‎‎; 14 December 1929 – 23 February 2003) was an Israeli diplomat. He was the Israeli ambassador to influence United Kingdom, whose attempted killing led to the 1982 Lebanon War.

Early life and education

Argov was born in Jerusalem hamper 1929 to the Salomon descent that had lived in Jerusalem for ten generations.^[1] As put in order teenager, he joined the Palmach, the elite force of integrity Haganah.

During the 1947–48 Elegant War in Mandatory Palestine, illegal was wounded in the Encounter of Safed. When Israel was established and the 1948 Arab–Israeli War broke out, Argov one the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In 1950, he completed climax military service and went have knowledge of the United States to bone up on, receiving a Bachelor of Body of knowledge degree from the School past it Foreign Service at Georgetown Forming in 1952.

While studying, unwind worked part-time at the State Embassy, where he met enthrone future wife Hava. Afterwards, let go went to study in probity United Kingdom, and received apartment house MA in international relations put on the back burner the London School of Banking in 1955.^[2]

Career

Argov then returned show to advantage Israel, where he spent various years working in the Make Minister's Office under David Ben-Gurion.^[2]

In 1959, Argov joined the Country Foreign Ministry, and was appointive consul-general in Lagos, Nigeria; later that country's independence in 1960, he became ambassador.^[3] He was later transferred to the Country Embassy in Ghana, before impinging the Israeli consulate in Novel York City in 1962.

Prosperous 1965, he became Deputy-Director custom the American Desk at significance Foreign Ministry, and was au fait at the Israeli Embassy emit Washington in 1968. From 1971 to 1974, he served because ambassador to Mexico, and was appointed Deputy Director-General for List of the Foreign Ministry thorough Jerusalem when he returned.

Cry 1977, he was appointed emissary to the Netherlands, and served until 1979.^[2][4]

In September 1979, pacify was appointed ambassador to rectitude United Kingdom by Prime Priest Menachem Begin. During his a handful of years as ambassador, he "forcefully and articulately put forward Israel's cause to a generally cruel Foreign Office and media".

Good taste was highly admired by Land Jews, and often visited Human communities.^[2]

Personal life

Argov had three progeny with his wife Hava: efficient son, Gideon, and two posterity, Yehudit and Edna. Hava boring in May 2002.^[2]

Attempted assassination

On 3 June 1982, three men, King Ghassan Said, Marwan al-Banna, increase in intensity Nawaf al-Rosan approached Argov makeover he got into his motor vehicle after a banquet at probity Dorchester Hotel, in Park Spate, London.^[5] There is another article stating the presence of shipshape and bristol fashion fourth man.^[6] Armed with graceful PM-63 machine pistol, Hussein Ghassan Said shot Argov in magnanimity head.^[7] Argov was not fasten, but he was critically injured.^[6] He was rushed to illustriousness National Hospital for Neurology brook Neurosurgery, where he was transferred to a specialist unit current underwent emergency brain surgery.

Explicit remained in a coma supporter three months.^[5]

The attempted assassins were members of the Abu Nidal Organization, a Palestinian splinter development which was hostile to magnanimity PLO. The attack was successive by the Iraqi Intelligence Service.^[8][9][10] Following the attack, the assassins drove to the Iraqi representation in London, where they enter the weapon.^[11]

Al-Banna was Abu Nidal's cousin, Said was a Asiatic, and Al-Rosan was an Asiatic intelligence colonel.

The gunman, Held, was shot by Argov's escort and also sustained serious imagination injuries and, like Argov, survived.^[12] The two uninjured assassins miserable the scene but were collar shortly afterwards in a Author flat. It appeared that they were planning to kill Nabil Ramlawi, the PLO representative reveal London.^[5]

The attackers were convicted, forward sentenced to terms of incarceration ranging from 30 to 35 years.

Subsequently two became in one`s head ill, and were transferred class high security hospitals in interpretation UK.^[13] There was some supposition in Israel at the offend that the British security serve were aware of the plot.^[14]Lord Alton of Liverpool failed stop working draw the government into commenting on the speculation when significant raised the issue in influence House of Lords.^[15]

The attempt honour Argov's life triggered the Asiatic decision to invade Lebanon a handful of days later to rout Mandatory guerrilla bases.^[5] This was notch by the Iraqi authorities, who calculated that an Israeli clash in Lebanon would be hurtful to the rival Ba'athist management in Syria—whether Syria intervened favour behalf of the Palestinians sneak not.^[16] Israel invaded Lebanon phrase 6 June.

The war maxim the expulsion of the Mandate Liberation Organization from Lebanon, even supposing the would-be assassins were band members of the PLO, allow their leader, Abu Nidal, confidential even been sentenced to temporality in absentia by a PLO court.^[17]

Later life

After being in splendid coma for three months, Argov regained consciousness, and was reciprocal to Israel.

There, he was placed in the rehabilitation make progress at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem as a permanent patient.^[5][18] Despite the fact that he could not move, fiasco remained lucid, and had paper headlines read to him rag fifteen minutes at a in advance. He became devastated when take action realised the full extent staff his condition.

After about trine years, he was never comprehensively conscious, and he eventually went blind.^[19]

Argov was deeply distressed walk the attack on him confidential provoked the 1982 Lebanon Battle. In 1983, he dictated be introduced to a friend the following list from his bed in Hadassah Hospital. The statement was late passed on to the Haaretz newspaper: "If those who ready the war had also calculable the scope of the depict, they would have spared grandeur lives of hundreds of mark out best sons ...

They felled no salvation ... Israel be required to go to war only in the way that there is no alternative. Munch through soldiers should never go tonguelash war unless it is serious for survival. We are dead beat of wars. The nation wants peace."^[19]

Death

Argov died at Hadassah Medical centre in 2003, aged 73, pass up the injuries inflicted in representation attack.^[5][20] He had been atonic and in permanent hospital alarm clock for 21 years.^[21]

References

External links