Author Recounts Father's Sinai Campaign Diary, Recalling Childhood Memories
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Author Ron Miberg shares his father's diary from the 1956 Sinai Campaign, arguing that childhood memories are reliable. His father, Avner Miberg, recounts his combat experiences in Sinai, detailing ambushes, harsh conditions, and the capture of Sharm El Sheikh. The author believes the campaign was a colonialist mistake and a turning point in Israel's history. He also shares personal memories of his father's military service.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Ron Miberg shares his father's diary from the 1956 Sinai Campaign, marking its 70th anniversary.
- He argues that a two-year-old child can recall specific memories of their father returning from war.
- The diary details harsh combat conditions, ambushes, and the capture of Sharm El Sheikh.
- Miberg views the Sinai Campaign as a "colonialist, unnecessary, and ridiculous war."
- He suggests Operation Kadesh was the start of Israel's "loss of direction."
- His father had extensive military service in British and Israeli forces.
Author Ron Miberg reflects on the 70th anniversary of the Sinai Campaign (Operation Kadesh) by sharing excerpts from his father Avner Miberg's war diary. Miberg uses his father's experiences to argue that a two-year-old child can indeed remember places and people, refuting claims that such early memories are impossible. He recounts vivid childhood recollections of his father returning from the war, including his appearance and the embrace shared with his mother and him.
Miberg describes his father's extensive military service, beginning with his enlistment in the British Army at 17, where he fought in North Africa and Europe. After World War II, his father joined the Palmach and later the Palyam, participating in convoys to Jerusalem and assisting immigrants in Cyprus. He also served in the Six-Day War and evacuated the wounded during the Yom Kippur War.
The author presents his father's diary entries detailing the Sinai Campaign, which he characterizes as a "colonialist, unnecessary, and ridiculous war." His father's account describes the harsh conditions, the surprise of the mission, and the combat experiences, including navigating difficult terrain, enduring extreme cold, and facing enemy fire. The diary also touches upon the psychological impact of war, with the elder Miberg expressing a fleeting sense of joy in conquest and a desire for peace for his children.
Key moments from the diary include an ambush near Dehab where four scouts were killed, the arduous journey through minefields, and the eventual capture of Sharm El Sheikh. The elder Miberg also recounts witnessing an Israeli plane being shot down and the subsequent rescue of its pilot, as well as the chaotic surrender of Egyptian forces. The narrative concludes with his father's evacuation due to kidney stones and his return journey with captured Egyptian generals, reflecting on the resilience of his parents and the nature of war.
Miberg posits that Operation Kadesh marked the beginning of Israel's "loss of direction," with the Six-Day War further solidifying a downward trajectory that continues to this day.