From the Past

Abba Eban at Lehigh, 1967, Brown & White Photo

The news in the Middle East reminded me again of an opportunity I had when in college. As part of the campus radio station I was part of a news conference with then Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban. The picture at right from the campus paper, The Brown and White, shows Eban with me sitting in the front row at the local public TV station's taping.

All these years later I remember one part of what he said to the reporters about negotiations in the midst of war and conflict. They must always, he told us, be done in private, even secret, away from the glare of the press. Otherwise everyone will play to the media and not be serious.

Abba Eban, 1915 - 2002
Born in Cape Town, South Africa
In his career he was Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, Education  Minister, 
Deputy Prime Minister, and ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations. He was also
Vice President of the United Nations General Assembly
and President of the Weizmann Institute of Science.