Subjects: Government

Menachem Begin Calls for the Evacuation of Soviet Jewry

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A speech Begin gave at the Knesset after the Munich Massacre. All of Israel is in mourning. Nothing like this has happened before in the more-than-1000 year history of the Olympics. The government must abandon the philosophy of just retaliating when Israelis and Jews are attacked. It needs to take offensive action against the terrorists so that they are unable to kill again. After the Holocaust, Jews need to be sure that Israel is defending them and that they can defend themselves. An international convention is a good idea, but it would take years to be ratified and implemented by the various countries of the world, and as the terrorist threat exists now, it must be dealt with now militarily. Gahal also asks the government to rescind the ban on the death penalty in Israel. Eretz Israel belongs to the Jews, and Israel cannot give concessions to or make peace with terrorists who only want to destroy it.

The Jarring Mission

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Begin describes the recent struggles within the Government. He first discusses the U.S. -Israel relationship and how it needs constant clarification. However, positive change in the relationship happened. Begin describes the decisions made in 1970 regarding Dr. Gunnar Jarring’s peace efforts based on the Rogers Initiative. Ultimately, the U.S. agreed with Israel’s views, including William Rogers. Begin then shares that in Rabin’s most recent trip to Israel, he did not visit his superior, Foreign Minister Abba Eban. A reason for this could be because documents Rabin marked as “Top Secret” were handed over for publication. Begin contemplates who could have leaked the documents and believes it is a national scandal with serious international repercussions. Begin then goes into more detail how it is problematic that Ministers publically share their voting decisions. Begin fears that “administration which acts in this matter is endangering the foundations of Israel’s statehood.”

There is a Crisis in Gahal

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Begin goes into detail about the recent crisis happening between the Herut-Liberal Bloc. The Liberal Party abandoned the Bloc and collaborated with the Labor Party on a draft bill proposed by the Labor Party. This draft bill was “to change the present electoral system” starting from the Ninth Knesset. Herut members expressed to Liberal Party members that voting to give the draft bill a Knesset majority would hurt the Herut-Liberal Bloc. Liberal Party members assured that there would not be a majority; however, they lied. After there was a majority of 61 votes, Liberal Party members expressed no remorse because it was a principle of theirs to alter the electoral system. That is why they negotiated with the Labor Party. Begin then goes into what the future will look like now that the Government has an absolute majority. It will take years before there can be an alternative party leading Israel’s Government. This threatens the notion that Israel is a democracy.

Ben Aharon’s Regime Means Slavery, Poverty for All

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Begin criticizes Yitzhak Ben Aharon for his communist economic and social views. Begin shares how Ben Aharon threatened to resign after being angered by the Prime Minister. However, Labor Party Ministers convinced him to withdraw his resignation. A few weeks after, some of these same Labor Party Ministers attacked him for his economic and social views. They claimed that they “were surprised to learn about Mr. Ben Aharon’s ideas,” while Begin argues that everyone else knew about it. Begin continues to attack Ben Aharon’s eagerness to make Israel a socialist State. Begin is afraid of such a State because it would lead the country into a form of slavery, where almost everyone is in poverty.