Historical-political letter by the Rishon L'Zion R. Ovadia Yosef to Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir and to Shimon Peres, Chairman of the Labor party. Several handwritten lines signed by Shimon Peres appear at the end of the letter. [Jerusalem], 18th Adar 1990.
Especially long letter (two leaves), handwritten and signed by R. Ovadia Yosef. Historical documentation of the saga of "the dirty trick", highlighting the Shas party as the deciding factor wooed by both sides of the political arena, right-wing and left-wing alike, for the formation of a government coalition. At that time, R. Ovadia held the key to the appointment of the next Prime Minister of the State of Israel.
The letter is addressed to "My dear friends, Chief Commander of the Jewish People, Prime Minister Mr. Yitzchak Shamir, and Mr. Shimon Peres, Chairman of the Labor party". R. Ovadia begs to prevent the dissolution of the government and to save the national unity government. However, he stipulates that Shas will remain in the government only if it accepts the proposal of the US Secretary of State James Baker regarding the peace process: "I hereby passionately apply to your honors from the depths of my heart at this critical moment of truth to save the unity of the government and the process of the long-awaited peace which is of ultimate importance to the Jewish People…". At the foot of the letter is a handwritten reply by Shimon Peres, agreeing to R. Ovadia's request and to his stipulation: "Because of the honor due to the Rishon L'Zion, I am prepared to accept your honor's application in its entirety. Respectfully, Shimon Peres".
Late in 1988, a unity government was established headed by Yitzchak Shamir of the Likud party and by Shimon Peres Chairman of the Labor party. At that time, the US Secretary of State James Baker urged the government to begin a peace process and dialog with the Palestinians, and drew up a detailed plan of this process. This plan was rejected by Shamir but warmly welcomed by Peres. Shamir received advance notice of the intention of Labor party MKs to assent to the no-confidence motion proposed by the opposition, and during a parliamentary meeting (on 14th Adar 1990) he dismissed Shimon Peres from his governmental position, triggering the resignation of the rest of the Labor ministers. On 18th Adar, the unity government dissolved due to the no-confidence motion and Peres was given the mandate to compose a new government within a few days. He attempted to establish a narrow coalition by means of politic agreements and deals, later named "the dirty trick", however, he did not succeed and the task was conferred on Yitzchak Shamir.
The following was written about the status of R. Ovadia in determining the ruling faction at that time: "During the week of scuttling before the dissolution of the unity government, R. Yosef reached the peak of his distinction as the decisive factor in 'crowning the king' of the Jewish People. Two Prime Ministers were summoned to sign the document which he wrote… The rabbi did not grant discounts… The entire country impatiently awaited the rabbi's word" (Zvi Alush and Yossi Elituv, Ben Porat Yosef, 2005, p. 190).
In this letter, R. Ovadia effectively details the stipulations for the continuation of the unity government, attesting to his involvement and familiarity with the issue: "…I sincerely request that you agree to the following proposal of a compromise: 1. The government will immediately assemble to reappoint all the Labor ministers to their former positions […]. 2. The Labor party will cancel its no-confidence motion which it submitted against the government […]. 3. The cabinet will assemble no later than one week from today to decide the following: a. The US Secretary of State Mr. Baker will receive a positive reply […]. b. The unification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty will not be subject to uncertainty or discussion by any means […]. 3. Autonomy will not be conferred on any area under Israeli sovereignty, especially not on East Jerusalem. 4. Regarding voting rights of the residents of East Jerusalem for the autonomy […], this will be decided in the cabinet […]. 5. The Palestine Liberation Organization will be barred from controlling the Palestinian delegation to Cairo […]".
R. Ovadia signs his letter with the following words: "I greatly urge you, my dear friends, to accept this proposal in its entirety and to sign it immediately. If this proposal will not be accepted by one party, that party will be deemed responsible for dissolving the unity government…".
As abovementioned, Peres agreed to the proposal and to the stipulations presented by R. Ovadia, but Yitzchak Shamir refused to sign the document, leading to the dissolution of the unity government that very day subsequent to the no-confidence motion.
2 leaves (official stationery, written on one side). 20 cm. Good condition. Few stains on the first leaf. Scrape to first leaf affecting several words. Folding marks. Filing holes.