Moshe Sharett
Moshe Sharett – Life, Career, and Enduring Legacy
Explore the life, political philosophy, and legacy of Moshe Sharett (1894–1965), Israel’s second Prime Minister and long-time diplomat, known for moderation, diplomacy, and a quieter path in the founding years of Israel.
Introduction
Moshe Sharett (born Moshe Shertok) was one of the seminal figures of Israel’s early statehood: a Zionist leader, diplomat, and moderate statesman who served as Israel’s Prime Minister (1954–1955) and its first Foreign Minister (1948–1956).
In a period marked by war, existential crisis, and fierce political struggles, Sharett stood as a voice for restraint, negotiation, and the pursuit of legitimacy and diplomacy in Israel’s dealings with its neighbors. Although overshadowed by more strident and charismatic peers like David Ben-Gurion, his contributions to Israel’s foreign policy and Zionist institutions have gradually been reappraised by historians.
This article delves into his life, career, political vision, and legacy — and also surfaces some of his reflections and lessons for today.
Early Life and Family
Moshe Sharett was born 15 October 1894 in Kherson, in the Russian Empire (today in Ukraine).
His father was Yaakov Chertok, a journalist, writer, and an early Zionist activist (linked to the Bilu movement).
In 1906, when Moshe was about 12, his family immigrated (made aliyah) to Ottoman Palestine and initially settled in the village of Ein-Sinya, north of Ramallah. Jaffa, and then to the burgeoning neighborhood that became part of Tel Aviv.
Sharett was among the first graduates of the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium in Tel Aviv.
He later went to Istanbul University (then in the Ottoman Empire) to study law, though global events interrupted his studies.
When World War I broke out, he joined service in the Ottoman army as an interpreter / officer, serving on the Macedonian front, due to his multilingual skills (Turkish, Hebrew, Arabic, and others).
During these early formative years, Sharett cultivated language skills, diplomatic contacts, and an understanding of the region’s complexities, all of which shaped his later approach to Israeli foreign affairs.
Youth, Zionist Activity & Pre-State Politics
After World War I, with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the onset of the British Mandate in Palestine, Sharett became actively involved in Zionist organizational work.
He worked as an assistant to Yehoshua Hankin, a key figure in Jewish land purchase in Palestine.
In 1919, he took on roles within the Jewish Agency and Zionist political structures.
Over the 1920s and 1930s, Sharett became deeply engaged in representing the Jewish Yishuv (community) in negotiations with British Mandate authorities and in internal Zionist politics.
In 1933, after the assassination of Zionist leader Chaim Arlosoroff, Sharett became head of the Jewish Agency’s political department — a key position he would hold until the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.
In that capacity, he participated in Zionist diplomacy, immigration planning (including clandestine immigration to avoid British restrictions), Arab affairs, and liaison with global Jewish institutions.
His moderate voice, willingness to negotiate, and focus on legitimacy distinguished him among a spectrum of Zionist political actors, some of whom favored more militant or interventionist approaches.
Founding Israel: Diplomat, Negotiator, First Foreign Minister
Signatory & Diplomatic Leadership
When Israel declared its independence in May 1948, Moshe Sharett was among the signatories.
He became Israel’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs, serving from 1948 until 1956 (though his active influence gradually diminished).
In that role, he led Israel’s diplomatic initiatives during and after the War of Independence, handling cease-fire negotiations with neighboring Arab states and working to establish Israel’s international legitimacy.
He negotiated Israel’s armistice agreements in 1949 with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, drawing on his diplomatic approach.
Sharett also played a major role in securing diplomatic recognition from other states and Israel’s admission to the United Nations.
He negotiated the reparations agreement with West Germany in 1952 — a controversial but financially important accord.
As Prime Minister (1954–1955)
In December 1953, David Ben-Gurion temporarily withdrew from active politics, and in early 1954 Sharett was picked by his party to become Prime Minister.
His tenure was marked by tension between his moderate, diplomatic instincts and pressures for more military assertiveness from other political and security leaders.
A significant crisis during his premiership was the Lavon Affair (1954–1955), a covert operation in Egypt that backfired politically, undermining his government.
Sharett’s attempts to maintain restraint in security operations clashed with more hawkish voices, including David Ben-Gurion, Moshe Dayan, and elements within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
In late 1955, Ben-Gurion returned to reclaim the Premiership; Sharett continued for a time as Foreign Minister under the new government.
He remained Foreign Minister until June 1956, when he resigned in protest over increasingly militaristic policies.
Political Vision and Philosophy
Moderation, Restraint, and Legalistic Diplomacy
Sharett’s political style was often characterized by moderation, legal-political legitimacy, and a preference for negotiation over force.
He believed Israel’s long-term security depended on international standing and moral legitimacy, not solely military power.
He was often critical of reprisals, excessive use of force, or policies that could provoke diplomatic backlash.
He invoked earlier Zionist practice of havlagah (restraint) in the 1930s as a principle: avoid indiscriminate or vengeance-based violence.
The “Moderate Camp” in Israeli Politics
In historical accounts, Sharett is often associated with a “moderate” or “dovish” wing of Zionist/Mapai politics, in contrast to more assertive or militaristic factions led by Ben-Gurion and others.
Some biographers argue that after his death, Sharett’s moderate legacy was downplayed in Israel’s political memory, overshadowed by more militant narratives.
Nevertheless, modern reassessments emphasize how essential his approach was to Israel’s early diplomacy and how his diaries reveal a more nuanced, conscientious statesman than previously portrayed.
Later Years, Retirement & Final Contributions
After resigning as Foreign Minister in 1956, Moshe Sharett withdrew from frontline politics.
He took up leadership and advisory roles:
-
Chairman of Am Oved, a publishing house.
-
Chairman of Beit Berl College (a teachers’ and academic institution).
-
Chairman of the Jewish Agency and related Zionist institutions.
He spent his final years writing, reflecting, tending public memory of Zionist history, and promoting educational and cultural initiatives.
Sharett passed away on 7 July 1965 in Jerusalem and was buried in Tel Aviv’s Trumpeldor Cemetery.
His personal diaries (published posthumously) have become key sources for historians seeking insight into Israel’s formative years, internal political debates, and Sharett’s own moral dilemmas as a leader.
Legacy and Historical Assessment
Moshe Sharett’s legacy is subtle but enduring:
-
He laid groundwork for Israel’s foreign ministry: building diplomatic networks, negotiating armistice deals, advancing Israel’s entry into the global community.
-
He represents a model of statesmanship grounded in restraint, moral credibility, and intellectual integrity rather than dominance.
-
His resonance grows in modern debates on Israeli policy, especially for voices advocating diplomacy, negotiation, and moderation.
-
Streets, schools, and memorials in Israel are named after him; from 1988 to 2017, his portrait featured on the 20-shekel banknote.
-
Historians have increasingly re-evaluated him: biographies such as Moshe Sharett: Biography of a Political Moderate attempt to restore his standing in Israeli memory.
Although he never wielded long or dominant power like others, Sharett remains a moral counterpoint and a reminder that politics of moderation and diplomacy have a place, even amid conflict.
Selected Reflections & Quotations
Moshe Sharett was not primarily a writer of lofty aphorisms, but his speeches, diaries, and statements reveal insights into his worldview. Here are a few representative reflections (paraphrased or drawn from his writings):
“Our security must rest not only on arms, but on the acceptance of justice in the eyes of the world.”
“Violence may procure results in the short term, but in diplomacy we seek sustainable peace.”
“In every negotiation, one must maintain dignity, patience, and the capacity to listen.”
“A state must cultivate conscience as well as strength.”
“When power is tempered with justice, it gains legitimacy. When power rules without moral basis, even victory becomes unstable.”
His diaries and internal reflections show his anguish over decisions involving reprisal, military escalation, and the moral costs of statehood — a constant tension in his political consciousness.
Lessons from the Life of Moshe Sharett
-
Statecraft beyond force
Sharett teaches that diplomacy, legitimacy, and international norms matter — especially for small or newly emergent states. -
Moderation is a political stance
In polarized environments, the moderate path may be harder, less sensational, but crucial for long-term stability. -
The burden of leadership is moral
Decision-making in conflict involves ethical dilemmas; conscientious leaders must weigh not just efficacy, but justice. -
Institutions endure beyond personalities
Though Sharett was overshadowed by stronger personalities, much of Israel’s diplomatic infrastructure and norms trace back to his early work. -
Historical memory is contested
Sharett’s later marginalization reveals how political narratives are shaped by power, not always by virtue. Reappraisal over time matters.
Conclusion
Moshe Sharett inhabited a delicate position in Israel’s early statehood: neither the master strategist nor the charismatic populist, but the reflective diplomat, the moderate, the conscience in a young nation grappling with war, survival, and identity.
While he governed only briefly as Prime Minister, his long influence as Foreign Minister and as a founding Zionist remains significant. His politics, grounded in legitimacy, restraint, and principle, continue to offer a contrasting lens through which to view Israel’s complex history.