As Myanmar’s big army boss Min Aung Hlaing visits Israel this week, let’s step back and look at the friendship that started the strange diplomatic relationship in the first place.
Historian Thant Myint-U has posted an old video clip of former prime minister U Nu speaking to former Israeli leader David Ben-Gurion. The two were close. U Nu was the first foreign prime minister to visit Israel in 1955, and Burma was one of the first countries in Asia to recognize the Jewish state.
Both men were interested in Buddhism and it is said that Ben-Gurion stayed at U Nu’s home and meditated there. You can read more about the relationship here.
The frankly hilarious video is a conversation moderated by famed broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow. U Nu speaks from Hong Kong Burma, Ben-Gurion from Jerusalem.
It seems to have taken part in the late 1950s or mid-1960s and was part of an ongoing feature called “Small World.”
Ignoring all protocol of a televised and moderated news show, Ben-Gurion shouts into the microphone when talking to his pal, and makes U Nu crack up several times.
“Shalom Mister U Nu!” Ben-Gurion says.
“Shalom Mister Ben-Gurion,” U Nu replies, in his soft voice.
“Oh, you hear me?” Ben-Gurion says, sounding genuinely surprised.
After asking how U Nu is faring, Ben-Gurion asks how his wife is doing, and “is she with you?”
It only gets better from there.
When Murrow shifts the conversation to talk about a book that U Nu translated by Andrew Carnegie, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Ben-Gurion ribs him.
“And did you make many friends by that?”
“Yes, it is still very popular in our country.”
U Nu plays along and cracks up several times, though he disagrees with Ben-Gurion about Buddhism.
“Buddhism is not pessimistic it is optimistic! We put special emphasis not on suffering but on getting out of suffering,” he said.
This goes on for almost 15 minutes, including a debate about meditation between the two leaders.
When Murrow asks Ben-Gurion who else he would like to talk to, he says “with any decent fellow.”
Please enjoy.
Photo / YouTube
