Subjects: Communists

Meet the Press Interview with Menachem Begin 1948

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An interview Begin gave on Meet the Press in New York in 1948. Begin apologizes for his poor English. He is in America on a goodwill mission on behalf of those who fought for liberation against the British and will be returning to Israel before the elections for the constituent assembly, in which he is running on the Herut list. Etzel turned its guns over to the Israeli government when told to and will not raise any arms against a Jewish government. Begin did not meet Col. David Marcus, but he considers him to be a hero and a great commander. Herut has members from Israel’s non-Jewish minorities and does not have a policy of racial exclusion. The UN has utterly failed to live up to its vision, but Begin prays it will become the organization it was meant to be. Herut does not object to the Histadrut or any other labor unions existing, but it does object to the Histadrut also employing the workers in addition to being a union.

Begin outlines economicand social program

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A speech Begin gave in America during the mid-1950s. The essence is democracy is that the rulers change from time to time, and by questioning that principle the government is acting totalitarian. On the political front, if Herut came to power, it would form a constitution. A constitution is necessary to set limits on what the government can do and explicitly tell the citizens their rights and responsibilities. On the social plane Begin favors a free market approach with some government intervention to help narrow the gaps. Herut would work towards the famous ‘5 Mems.’ On the economic lane, Begin focuses on the Histadrut, and how he would break up the monopoly of the Histadrut the way trusts are broken up in America in order to ensure the success of free enterprise and the flow of investment. He would not force the disbandment of any labor unions, as they are necessary to ensure that workers have a high enough standard of living to be consumers.

Geneva Peace Conference Structure

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A press conference held during one of Begin’s visits to meet with President Carter. In it, he discusses the structure of the Geneva Peace Conference and fields questions regarding PLO participation and what to expect before, during and after the conference.

Jim and Tammy in Israel

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A tour of Israel by two American supporters, beginning with an interview with Prime Minister Begin. Begin discusses his hopes for peace, noting that Israel has been at war since its creation, but that other regions have known extensive periods of war and eventually found peace. Begin also talks of the threat that communism poses to the world and urges all free nations to pull back from the brink.

Peace Process with Arab States – Meet the Press

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Prime Minister Begin answers questions from members of the American media on “NBC” on topics related to the continuation of the peace process with Arab states, including the participation of the Palestinian Arabs in the Geneva Conference, the structure of any conclusive peace treaty, and the future of the West Bank.