Why Was Moshe Sharett Deposed?: A Historical Question and a Historiographical Issue

The article deals with the background of the forced resignation of Moshe Sharett, the first foreign affairs minister, in June 1956. It emphasizes a main point: After Sharett’s resignation, Ben-Gurion claimed that Sharett organized in the Cabinet an opposition of the military operation that he suggested. The first time was in March 1955, when he suggested conquest of the Gaza Strip; the second time was in December 1955 when he suggested occupying the Straits of Tiran—in the Red Sea.

The protocols of the Cabinet meetings show a complex picture—a change from the picture that Ben-Gurion presented. The main figure that cancelled the operation to occupy the Straits of Tiran was Ben-Gurion, and not Sharett. Thus, historical research must paint a new picture about Sharett’s forced resignation