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Dayan Says Israel Too Strong to Succumb to ‘Massada Complex’

Defense Minister Moshe Dayan warned Israelis today not to succumb to the "Massada complex," the kind of siege mentality many people believe is endemic to Israel. "We are strong enough to resist any attacks from our enemies." Gen. Dayan declared. He spoke appropriately at the ancient fortress of Massada towering over the Dead Sea, the […]

April 13, 1973
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Defense Minister Moshe Dayan warned Israelis today not to succumb to the "Massada complex," the kind of siege mentality many people believe is endemic to Israel. "We are strong enough to resist any attacks from our enemies." Gen. Dayan declared.

He spoke appropriately at the ancient fortress of Massada towering over the Dead Sea, the site where 1900 years ago 900 Jewish zealots committed suicide rather than surrender to the Roman Legions that besieged them. The occasion was a gathering of some 2000 Israeli youngsters to mark the anniversary of Massada’s fall.

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