Amram Mitzna Recalls Begin

Letter to Begin 1982.

At the conclusion of the hostilities, while serving as chief of staff of the Syrian front, Mitzna criticized the defense minister, Ariel Sharon, whom he had admired since the Yom Kippur War, over the aims of the war in Lebanon. After sending a letter to Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Mitzna was invited to the Prime Minister's Office. To his surprise, he says, he was not thrown out of the army.

What was Begin like in the meeting? Why weren't you thrown out of the army?

"Because there was apparently a hidden internal conflict between the chief of staff, Raful [Rafael Eitan], and Sharon, the defense minister; and Begin probably knew by then who he was messing with."

What was the conflict about? Did you feel alone?

"On the contrary, I felt that I was expressing a widespread opinion."