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"Who Gave the Order?" The Security Mystery that Shook "The Old Man’s" Rule – The 1961 Elections

The election campaign for the 5th Knesset in August 1961 constituted a dramatic turning point in Israeli democracy. It was more than just an electoral process; it was a constitutional crisis that widened the cracks in Mapai's hegemony. The elections were called two years early amidst security scandals and power struggles that raised piercing questions about the nature of leadership and the essence of the rule of law.


At the heart of the storm was the "Mishap" (known in Hebrew as Esek HaBish or the "Bad Business")—a failed covert sabotage operation in Egypt that returned to the political arena following suspicions of forged documents. The confrontation over the question "Who gave the order?" evolved into a direct head-on collision between Pinhas Lavon and David Ben-Gurion.


The crisis intensified when the "Committee of Seven"—a special ministerial committee established in October 1960 to decide the responsibility for the affair—exonerated Lavon. Its mandate was to examine new findings and provide a final answer as to who gave the order: then-Defense Minister Lavon or the Head of Military Intelligence, Benjamin Gibli. Ben-Gurion, who argued that the committee had exceeded its authority and that only a judicial commission of inquiry was authorized to determine innocence or guilt, resigned in January 1961. The inability to form a new coalition without a public mandate led to the dissolution of the Knesset.


The elections were held in the shadow of the earth-shaking Eichmann Trial and the launch of the "Shavit 2"—a pioneering Israeli-developed two-stage meteorological research rocket. While a source of national pride, the launch was viewed by the opposition as a propaganda stunt. Simultaneously, the political landscape shifted with the founding of the Liberal Party, led by Pinhas Rosen and Peretz Bernstein, as a governing alternative, while Menachem Begin attacked institutional corruption. Mapai itself entered the elections divided between the "Old Guard" and the "Young Turks," with Levi Eshkol emerging as the primary mediator.


The election results served as a "punishment" for Mapai, which dropped from 47 to 42 seats. This decline signaled the waning of Ben-Gurion’s charisma and the rise of Levi Eshkol as the de facto leader. The 10th government was formed only after prolonged negotiations, reflecting the need for a new stability. This government, based on a coalition of Mapai with the National Religious Party (Mafdal), Ahdut HaAvoda, and Poalei Agudat Yisrael, was effectively the last one headed by Ben-Gurion. During its term, Levi Eshkol’s status as a dominant Finance Minister and the apparent successor to "The Old Man" was solidified—a process completed with Ben-Gurion’s final resignation in June 1963.


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The 1961 elections marked the transition to a reality where leadership is not immune to criticism, and the power of the establishment must be restrained by the rule of law, administrative integrity, and the preservation of democratic norms.


👉For more insights into the history of elections in Israel:


Image 1 – The first page of the Committee of Seven's findings. Source:


Image 2 – The 5th Knesset Elections, 1961 – Data


Image 3 – 1961 Election Results (Parties that passed the electoral threshold)


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