Prime Minister Ben Gurion inaugurating Israel’s first car assembly plant in Haifa, June, 1951.
Picture from Israeli newspaper, “Israel Hayom”.
August 23, 1957 Friday
Dear Alan,
By now you should have received my letter about my trips with the Israel border police. They sure are tough and unafraid of anything, especially Arabs.
Today I went swimming at a beautiful pool in Nahariya right near Lebanon. Beautiful Israeli jets flew overhead all of a sudden breaking the sound barrier with loud bang bang sounds. It sounded great.
I am staying in Haifa for Shabbos and Sunday morning I am going for a ride on the captured Egyptian Destroyer, I saw it this afternoon. It is the first time a destroyer had ever been captured in modern times. I also saw the big factories that make cars (guns) etc.
I still wish you could be here Pal. I am going to try to buy you a hat and insignia from the army, also a pair of shoes. Please send back immediately your sizes of everything. I hope you are being a good boy to deserve all the presents I have for you.
Your best pal and brother,
Bob
August 23, 1957 Friday
“They sure are tough and unafraid of anything, especially Arabs.”
In this letter, my father continued to describe the power of the Israeli army. Israel had overcome the Egyptian army less than a year earlier during the 1956 Sinai Campaign.
“I am staying in Haifa for Shabbos and Sunday morning I am going for a ride on the captured Egyptian Destroyer… It is the first time a destroyer had ever been captured in modern times.”
During a Egyptian counter-strike in the first hours of the 1956 war with Israel, the the Egyptian destroyer Ibrahim el-Awal was sent towards Israel to bombard the Israeli shore city of Haifa. After firing some 160 shells, the ship was attacked by Israeli jets and subsequently captured by the Israeli naval ships. Later, it was put in service by the Israeli navy as the, “INS Haifa”. This was an historic achievement in the annals of modern-day naval warfare – not only was a warship seized intact, but so was the ship’s entire crew of more than 250 Egyptian seamen!
“I also saw the big factories that make cars (guns) etc.“
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