At a time when the public is questioning its leadership, a few from the civilian and military communities stopped to pay tribute to a national icon, Moshe Dayan.

At 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 50 people gathered at his grave in Nahalal to mark the 25th anniversary of his passing on October 15, 1981. Uzi Dayan, a retired general and Moshe Dayan´s nephew, read the Kaddish all the while a light rain sprinkled down on the solemn remembrance.

Yael Dayan, Moshe Dayan´s daughter and a former member of the Knesset, recalled how her father "was a leader who had originality and courage, what leadership is conformed from."

"Twenty-five years seems like yesterday," she added, pointing out that in Israel´s short history, it is not a long time at all.

Dayan´s memorial also put modern events into perspective. With the second Lebanon war and the criticism of the political and military leadership still fresh in Israelis´ minds, many recalled similar feelings after the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

"Today it is important to remember what it is like when there is a lack of leadership," Yael Dayan said, recalling the feelings of losing her father. She also said this anniversary was different because many of the people who came regularly missed the occasion, in particular former prime minister Ariel Sharon.

Moshe Dayan´s life story is the textbook Israeli leaders´ biography.

After joining the Hagana at the age of 14, he took part in Israel´s armed conflicts until 1953, when he was elected chief of staff of the armed forces. He led the armed forces in the Sinai Campaign of 1957 and shortly afterwards began his career in politics.

As defense minister in 1967, he helped lead Israel to another victory over the united Arab armies. The 1973 Yom Kippur War was his most controversial moment, bringing him criticism from some and praise from others.

"I´m very comfortable on the position we take now on the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We will vigorously pursue what we regard to be a fair and equitable political position," he said.

Kampfner won the Foreign Press Association award for film of the year and journalist of the year in 2002 for his two-part film on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, called "The Ugly War."

Also in that year, the New Statesman angered the Jewish community and was forced to issue an apology after it featured a star of David stabbing the union jack on its front cover, under the headline "A Kosher Conspiracy?"

David Triesman, then the British Labor party´s general secretary, accused the publication of anti-Semitism in response to the image.

"Your front cover must be one of the most offensive images I have seen. It gathers together a symbol of Jewishness (not of Israel), conspiracy and wealth in ways candidly redolent of the extreme Right.

"I have read - agreed and disagreed with - the New Statesman for 40 years. I never thought I would come to regard it as anti-Semitic. But I do today," he stated.

Cambridge University Professor Stefan C. Reif, in a letter to the publication at the time, said the cover "was in the best traditions of Nazi Germany´s Der Sturmer, as were the generalizations made about wealthy and powerful Jews."

In his apology, former editor Peter Wilby said: "We (or more precisely, I) got it wrong. The cover was not intended to be anti- Semitic; the New Statesman is vigorously opposed to racism in all its forms... we shall try to present our views with greater sensitivity." (© 1995 - 2006 The Jerusalem Post. 10/16/06)