NCJ Number
63640
Journal
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1972) Pages: 59-82
Date Published
1972
Length
24 pages
Annotation
THE ASSASSINATIONS OF LORD MOYNE AND COUNT BERNADOTTE ARE STUDIED FOR MOTIVE, EXECUTION, AND IMPACT AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY OF THE THEORY OF ASSASSINATIONS.
Abstract
THIS REPORT STUDIES THE ASSASSINATIONS OF LORD MOYNE, BRITISH MINISTER IN CAIRO IN 1944, AND COUNT BERNADOTTE, UNITED NATIONS MEDIATOR, IN 1948. BOTH MURDERS WERE PLANNED AND CARRIED OUT BY THE LEHI (STERN GROUP) WHICH FOUGHT, NOT ONLY WITH THE BRITISH DURING THE MANDATE, BUT ALSO WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE BACKGROUND OF THE ORGANIZATION, SOME OF ITS OWN INTRAPARTY DISSENSION AND FORCEFUL OPPOSITION TO OTHER JEWISH GROUPS, AND ITS REASONS FOR CHOOSING MOYNE AND BERNADOTTE. BOTH ASSASSINATIONS WERE INTENDED AS ACTS OF TACTICAL VENGEANCE, TO REVIVE A FAILING ORGANIZATION, AND TO CHANGE HISTORY. MOYNE WAS CHOSEN, NOT ONLY FOR HIS PERSONAL STATEMENTS AND POLICY FORMULATION, BUT ALSO AND PRIMARILY FOR HIS VALUE AS A SYMBOL OF BRITISH POWER. BERNADOTTE WAS SEEN AS A THREAT TO ISRAEL BECAUSE OF HIS WORK FOR A 'SOLUTION', PROBABLY FAVORING THE ARABS, AND AS A SYMBOL OF ALIEN OPPRESSION. BOTH CASES ATTRACTED WORLD ATTENTION, HOWEVER BRIEFLY; BOTH HAD SYMBOLIC VALUE; BOTH WERE INTENDED TO UNIFY INTERNALLY A DISINTEGRATING TERRORIST GROUP, AND WERE LINKED WITH INTERNAL ISRAELI POLITICS AND BOTH WERE DESIGNED TO 'CHANGE HISTORY'. THE STUDY EVALUATES THE CLAIMS CONCERNING THE IMPACT OF THE TWO ASSASSINATIONS ON HISTORICAL EVENTS AND RAISES QUESTIONS CONCERNING CATEGORIES, INFREQUENCY, AND POSSIBLE CULTURAL ENCOURAGEMENT OF ASSASSINATION, AND WHETHER OR NOT TRANSNATIONAL ASSASSINATION SYMBOLIZES AN EXPANDING TRANSNATIONAL REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT. REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (RFC)