Moshe Dwek
Encyclopedia
Moshe Dwek is a Yemenite
-Israel
i most notable for throwing a hand grenade
in the Knesset
while it was in session on 29 October 1957 and for a failed run for the Knesset in 1988.
The grenade that Moshe Dwek threw was intended for Prime Minister
David Ben-Gurion
and Minister Golda Meir
but ended up seriously wounding Minister of Religions Rabbi
Haim-Moshe Shapira
of the National Religious Party
. Ben Gurion was lightly wounded by the attack. The incident was allegedly prompted by Dwek's inability to receive national insurance
for his declining health, and was apparently not prompted by larger political
issues. Although he was portrayed as psychologically unbalanced
, a panel of experts agreed that he was fit to stand trial
and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison
, part of which he spent in an institution
.
A slightly different account, published in 1959, gives his name as Moshe Ben Yaakov Dueg, 25 years old, born in Aleppo
, Syria
. This version says he suffered an accident in childhood that left him mentally unbalanced. He had another accident in a youth camp after coming to Palestine
just before the founding of the state of Israel
. He then tried to sue the Jewish Agency for $66,000. After losing the case he sent threatening letters to the judge and was arrested. He was found unfit for trial. In another incident he tried to stowaway on a plane to New York
. He had no party affiliations. Following the grenade attack Ben Gurion wrote a personal letter to his parents. They had arrived from Syria seven years earlier and were living in a hut, without electricity, in a village near Tel Aviv. They spoke only Arabic and the courier translated the letter for them.
After his release from prison, Dwek started his own political party which he named Tarshish. The party platform
called for an end to Ashkenazi
hegemony
and the demand of setting up a Technion in the coastal city of Netanya
. He is remembered for his unusual TV advertisements which would start off with Dwek uttering the words No'ar, No'ar, No'ar (literally "youth, youth, youth"). Gaining only 1,654 votes for Tarshish, Dwek failed in his attempt to win a seat in the 12th Knesset
.
Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
-Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i most notable for throwing a hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
in the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
while it was in session on 29 October 1957 and for a failed run for the Knesset in 1988.
The grenade that Moshe Dwek threw was intended for Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
and Minister Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
but ended up seriously wounding Minister of Religions Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Haim-Moshe Shapira
Haim-Moshe Shapira
Haim-Moshe Shapira was a key Israeli politician in the early days of the state's existence. A signatory of Israel's declaration of independence, he served continuously as a minister from the country's foundation in 1948 until his death in 1970 apart from a brief spell in the late...
of the National Religious Party
National Religious Party
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992...
. Ben Gurion was lightly wounded by the attack. The incident was allegedly prompted by Dwek's inability to receive national insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
for his declining health, and was apparently not prompted by larger political
Politics of Israel
The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Knesset. The Judiciary is independent of the executive...
issues. Although he was portrayed as psychologically unbalanced
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, a panel of experts agreed that he was fit to stand trial
Trial (law)
In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court...
and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, part of which he spent in an institution
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
.
A slightly different account, published in 1959, gives his name as Moshe Ben Yaakov Dueg, 25 years old, born in Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. This version says he suffered an accident in childhood that left him mentally unbalanced. He had another accident in a youth camp after coming to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
just before the founding of the state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He then tried to sue the Jewish Agency for $66,000. After losing the case he sent threatening letters to the judge and was arrested. He was found unfit for trial. In another incident he tried to stowaway on a plane to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He had no party affiliations. Following the grenade attack Ben Gurion wrote a personal letter to his parents. They had arrived from Syria seven years earlier and were living in a hut, without electricity, in a village near Tel Aviv. They spoke only Arabic and the courier translated the letter for them.
After his release from prison, Dwek started his own political party which he named Tarshish. The party platform
Party platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
called for an end to Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
hegemony
Hegemony
Hegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...
and the demand of setting up a Technion in the coastal city of Netanya
Netanya
Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
. He is remembered for his unusual TV advertisements which would start off with Dwek uttering the words No'ar, No'ar, No'ar (literally "youth, youth, youth"). Gaining only 1,654 votes for Tarshish, Dwek failed in his attempt to win a seat in the 12th Knesset
Israeli legislative election, 1988
Elections for the twelfth Knesset were held in Israel on 1 November 1988. Voter turnout was 79.7%.-Results:1 Five members of the Likud left to form the Party for the Advancement of the Zionist Idea; after two returned, the party was renamed the New Liberal Party...
.