Begin recounts a number of times he and other Zionists have been slandered in the world media, including Ha’aretz, with various false and aggressive quotes attributed to them. He then calls on all parties in Israel to embrace love of Eretz Israel and put a moratorium on name calling.
Begin takes the opportunity, at a meeting of the World Congress, to urge members to reaffirm the historic right to settle the land of Israel. He promises equal rights to all inhabitants, but warns that attempts to find a “solution of the Palestinian people’s problem” are veiled attempts to destroy the Jewish people. He allays fears of a demographic threat, noting that earlier projections of the numbers of olim were inaccurate and explaining why aliyah is often different from regular emigration.
A discussion of the legal framework for annexing Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip after the Six-Day War. In it, Begin draws comparisons to other situations involving territory seized during war, such as Alsace-Lorraine and the Japanese islands of Sikoto and Habomay, conquered by Russia during World War II. Begin’s main thesis is that it is entirely acceptable to maintain control of the liberated territories, as they are inseparable parts of the historical land of Israel.
In response to Foreign Minister Abba Eban’s declaration that Israel seeks only secure borders, not annexation, Begin argued that one cannot annex part of one’s Motherland. He further notes that the Jarring letter and all similar proposals are dangerous to Israel’s survival, drawing a comparison to the conflict between India and Pakistan.
A speech Begin gave in America in 1972. The world wants to forget, but Israel and the Jews will not forget how the Arab armies massed on Israel’s borders with the declared intention of destroying the Jewish State. Thankfully Israel was wise enough to launch a preemptive strike and come out of the war with relatively few casualties and more territory. There are those who say Israel should give back virtually all of the land, but doing so would put Israel’s population centers in the range of the rockets and artillery of the enemy. The PLO and similar organizations attempt to carry out a genocide of Jews, as evidenced by their attacks on civilians and by their own statements. But Jews should never be afraid any more. Israel spends nearly a third of its GNP on defense, and so needs the aid of American Jewry. With their help, Israel and world Jewry will be preserved for eternity.
