GB 0099 KCLMA Fifty Years War - Fifty Years War - Israel and the Arabs television documentary archive

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0099 KCLMA Fifty Years War

Title

Fifty Years War - Israel and the Arabs television documentary archive

Date(s)

  • 1948-1998 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

25 boxes (0.25m3)

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Fifty Years War - Israel and the Arabs is a six part television documentary produced by Brian Lapping Associates, a London based television production company, for BBC in association with WGBH. The Executive Producer of the documentary was Brian Lapping, with Norma Percy, Series Producer, and David Ash, Dai Richards, Michael Simkin and Charlie Smith, Producers and Directors.

Archival history

Notes within files indicate that material relating to `off the record' research interviews had been removed from the research files while in the custody of Brook Lapping Associates.
GB 0099 KCLMA Fifty Years War 1948-1998 Collection level 25 boxes (0.25m3) Brian Lapping Associates

Fifty Years War - Israel and the Arabs is a six part television documentary produced by Brian Lapping Associates, a London based television production company, for BBC in association with WGBH. The Executive Producer of the documentary was Brian Lapping, with Norma Percy, Series Producer, and David Ash, Dai Richards, Michael Simkin and Charlie Smith, Producers and Directors.

Notes within files indicate that material relating to `off the record' research interviews had been removed from the research files while in the custody of Brook Lapping Associates.

Presented to the Centre by David Alter, Brian Lapping Associates, 15 July 1999.

The collection includes 147 transcripts of interviews, mostly uncut (questions are sometimes omitted), recorded in the making of a six part television documentary 'The Fifty Years War - Israel and the Arabs' which examines the conflict and peace initiatives arising from Israel's relations with her Arab neighbours and the Palestinians, May 1948 -1998. It also contains video cassettes of the completed documentary, as well as files, video and audio cassettes, press cuttings, and published works gathered in the research and production of the documentary.

Interviews were conducted with eyewitnesses from Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, USSR, USA and the former British Mandated Territory of Palestine, recount their memories and describe their involvement in events including the partition of Palestine (1947), Israel's declaration of independence (1948), the Suez crisis (1956), the Six Day War (1967), the Yom Kippur War (1973), the Camp David talks between Israel and Egypt (1978), the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon (1976, 1982), and the Oslo Agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) (1993-1995).

Interviewees include political, military, diplomatic, academic and civilian persons, notably Miriam Eshkol, widow of Levi Eshkol, Israeli Prime Minister 1963-1969; Maj Gen Ehud Barak, Israeli Defence Force (IDF), Israeli Chief of General Staff 1991-1995, Minister for the Interior 1995, and Minister for Foreign Affairs 1995-1996; Yair Hirschfeld, Israeli academic at Haifa University; Shimon Peres, Israeli Prime Minister 1977, 1984-1986, 1995-1996, Foreign Minister 1986-1988, 1992-1995, and Minister of Defence 1974-1977; Maj Gen. Ariel Sharon (IDF), Israeli Minister of Defense 1981-1983, Industry and Trade1984-1990, and Construction 1990-1992; Gideon Rafael, Israeli diplomat and representative to the UN, and Foreign Ministry official 1958-1978; Maj Gen Ezer Weizman (IDF), Chief of Operations of the General Staff 1967, Deputy Chief of Staff 1967, and Minister of Defence 1977-1980; George Habash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala), economic assistant to Yasir Arafat and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Minister of Finance; Hanan Ashwari, Palestinian academic and campaigner for Palestinian rights; Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator; Faisal Husseini, Jerusalem PLO representative; Walid Moualem, Syrian Ambassador to the US 1990- ; Farouk Al-Shar'a, Syrian Foreign Minister 1984-; Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian President 1954-1970; Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 1978; Shams el-din Badran, Egyptian War Minister 1967; General Muhammed Fawzi, Egyptian Chief of Staff 1967 and Defence Minister 1968-1971; Mohammad Jafaar al Numeiri, President of The Sudan 1969-1971, 1971-1985; Jihan Sadat, widow of Anwar al Sadat, President of Egypt 1970-1981; Hussein, King of Jordan 1952-1999; Zeid Al Rifai, Jordan Prime Minister 1973-1976; Josef Abu Khalil, Maronite Phalange party, and adviser to Bashir Gemayel; Shafiq Al Wazzan, Lebanon Prime Minister and Minister for the Interior 1980-1984; Terje Rød Larsen, Norwegian Socialist; Intissar al-Wazir (Umm Jihad), widow of Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), PLO official; James Addison Baker, US Secretary of State 1989-1992; James Earl (Jimmy) Carter, US President 1977-1981; Warren Christopher, US Secretary of State 1993-1997; Dennis Ross, Director of Policy Planning Staff, US Department of State 1989-1992, Special Middle East Coordinator, US State Department 1994-; and Anatoly Dobrynin, Soviet Ambassador to the US 1962-1986.

The collection is arranged in sections as outlined above, with the interview transcripts arranged in alphabetical order by country of residence.

Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of a letter of introduction.

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.
Predominantly English with a small amount of material in Hebrew, Arabic, Rumanian.

Summary guide entry on-line and due to be published in hard copy. Detailed catalogue available on-line and in hard copy in the College Archives reading room.

Compiled by Alison Field National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; ISAD(G), Second Edition, 2000. November 2001 Arab-Israeli War (1967) Arab-Israeli War (1973) Baker , James Addison , b 1930 , US Secretary of State Barak , Ehud , b 1942 , Prime Minister of Israel Christopher , Warren , b 1925 , US Secretary of State Dobrynin , Anatoly Fedorovich , b 1919 , Soviet diplomat and statesman Eastern Europe Eshkol , Levi , 1895-1969 , Prime Minister of Israel Eshkol , Miriam , fl 1998 , wife of Levi Eshkol Ghali , Boutros Boutros- , b 1922 , Secretary-General, United Nations x Boutros-Ghali , Boutros Hirshfeld , Yair , fl 1998 , academic at Haifa University Hussein bin Talal , 1935-1999 , King of Jordan International conflicts Israel Jordan Lebanon Middle East Nasser , Gamal Abdel , b 1918 , President of Egypt North America Palestine Peres , Shimon , b 1923 , Prime Minister of Israel PL0 , Palestinian Liberation Organisation x Palestinian Liberation Organisation Qurei , Ahmed (Abu Ala) , b 1937 , Palestinian politician x Abu Ala , Qurei , Ahmed Sadat , Mohamed Anwar , 1918-1981 , President of Egypt Sharon , Ariel , b 1928 , Prime Minster of Israel Suez Crisis (1956) Syrian AR USA USSR War Weizman , Ezer , b 1924 , President of Israel Wars (events)

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Presented to the Centre by David Alter, Brian Lapping Associates, 15 July 1999.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The collection includes 147 transcripts of interviews, mostly uncut (questions are sometimes omitted), recorded in the making of a six part television documentary 'The Fifty Years War - Israel and the Arabs' which examines the conflict and peace initiatives arising from Israel's relations with her Arab neighbours and the Palestinians, May 1948 -1998. It also contains video cassettes of the completed documentary, as well as files, video and audio cassettes, press cuttings, and published works gathered in the research and production of the documentary.

Interviews were conducted with eyewitnesses from Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, USSR, USA and the former British Mandated Territory of Palestine, recount their memories and describe their involvement in events including the partition of Palestine (1947), Israel's declaration of independence (1948), the Suez crisis (1956), the Six Day War (1967), the Yom Kippur War (1973), the Camp David talks between Israel and Egypt (1978), the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon (1976, 1982), and the Oslo Agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) (1993-1995).

Interviewees include political, military, diplomatic, academic and civilian persons, notably Miriam Eshkol, widow of Levi Eshkol, Israeli Prime Minister 1963-1969; Maj Gen Ehud Barak, Israeli Defence Force (IDF), Israeli Chief of General Staff 1991-1995, Minister for the Interior 1995, and Minister for Foreign Affairs 1995-1996; Yair Hirschfeld, Israeli academic at Haifa University; Shimon Peres, Israeli Prime Minister 1977, 1984-1986, 1995-1996, Foreign Minister 1986-1988, 1992-1995, and Minister of Defence 1974-1977; Maj Gen. Ariel Sharon (IDF), Israeli Minister of Defense 1981-1983, Industry and Trade1984-1990, and Construction 1990-1992; Gideon Rafael, Israeli diplomat and representative to the UN, and Foreign Ministry official 1958-1978; Maj Gen Ezer Weizman (IDF), Chief of Operations of the General Staff 1967, Deputy Chief of Staff 1967, and Minister of Defence 1977-1980; George Habash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala), economic assistant to Yasir Arafat and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Minister of Finance; Hanan Ashwari, Palestinian academic and campaigner for Palestinian rights; Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator; Faisal Husseini, Jerusalem PLO representative; Walid Moualem, Syrian Ambassador to the US 1990- ; Farouk Al-Shar'a, Syrian Foreign Minister 1984-; Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian President 1954-1970; Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 1978; Shams el-din Badran, Egyptian War Minister 1967; General Muhammed Fawzi, Egyptian Chief of Staff 1967 and Defence Minister 1968-1971; Mohammad Jafaar al Numeiri, President of The Sudan 1969-1971, 1971-1985; Jihan Sadat, widow of Anwar al Sadat, President of Egypt 1970-1981; Hussein, King of Jordan 1952-1999; Zeid Al Rifai, Jordan Prime Minister 1973-1976; Josef Abu Khalil, Maronite Phalange party, and adviser to Bashir Gemayel; Shafiq Al Wazzan, Lebanon Prime Minister and Minister for the Interior 1980-1984; Terje Rød Larsen, Norwegian Socialist; Intissar al-Wazir (Umm Jihad), widow of Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), PLO official; James Addison Baker, US Secretary of State 1989-1992; James Earl (Jimmy) Carter, US President 1977-1981; Warren Christopher, US Secretary of State 1993-1997; Dennis Ross, Director of Policy Planning Staff, US Department of State 1989-1992, Special Middle East Coordinator, US State Department 1994-; and Anatoly Dobrynin, Soviet Ambassador to the US 1962-1986.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The collection is arranged in sections as outlined above, with the interview transcripts arranged in alphabetical order by country of residence.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of a letter of introduction.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Predominantly English with a small amount of material in Hebrew, Arabic, Rumanian.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Summary guide entry on-line and due to be published in hard copy. Detailed catalogue available on-line and in hard copy in the College Archives reading room.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Rules and/or conventions used

National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; ISAD(G), Second Edition, 2000.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area