Turkey Above All

Ben-Gurion's Belief in the Ottoman Empire

Abstract

In 1906 Ben-Gurion emigrated to Eretz Israel, from his native Russia. In the following decade he sincerely believed that Zionism's salvation comes from the Ottoman Empire. Despite its weakness, he did not doubt that the Empire would survive. Since the 'Young Turks' Revolution Ben-Gurion believed in the democratic goals that the leaders of the regime proclaimed, and de did not doubt that those would eventually assist the Zionist goals. His firm belief in the Ottoman Empire, its certain future and Zionism's integration in it was not shaken by the military and political circumstances created in the course of the First World War, and he did not anticipate the death of the great empire that ruled the region for four hundred successive years! Ben-Gurion's dramatic failure to understand the international developments with regard to the future of the Ottoman Empire stands out in light of his grasp on reality in later years. It is difficult to understand how he blindly adhered to the naive belief in the Ottomans' ability to survive, even to win the war, even when it was obvious that they were on the way into the abyss. The only plausible interpretation is he could not believe such a scenario was possible. This article aims at making it clear that also a person considered outstanding in his generation may be mistaken and that one of his mistakes was in predicting the future.