Subjects: Greater Land of Israel

Begin on future of Herut Party

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A speech by Begin to a Betar conference in South Africa in 1953. Begin is proud of the delegates to the conference for their allegiance and dedication. He says that Herut must not give up on the goal of a constitution for Israel, even if the idea is unpopular, because it is a necessity. Begin rejects the usage of the terms ‘left’ and ‘right’ as applied to political parties, as they were developed arbitrarily. He argues that Herut will defend the middle class from Mapai’s attempts to destroy it. Herut must be a party for all Jews in Israel. Herut supports the supremacy of the law and the independence of the judiciary. Herut is against the concept of civil marriages because it would lead to two different societies in Israel. The road for Betar and Herut may be long and hard, but their members should remember that Jabotinsky did not live to see the creation of the State of Israel either. They may yet achieve their goals despite their hardships.

Menachem Begin Answers the Questions People are Asking

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While Begin is on tour in Latin America, he participants in an interview with “Die Yiddishe Zeitung.” The interview starts with discussing the important role Diaspora Jews have in Israeli policies, and specifically references to the Jewish-German financial agreement. Begin shares that while being in the Irgun, he viewed himself as a politician and today, as a politician, he also views himself as a fighter. Begin speaks about the importance of liberating the Homeland in its entirety, and that this can be possible with favorable foreign policy. There is a question regarding the relationship between the current Government and the decrease of immigration and Begin mentions that he wants to receive immigrants from both the USA and North African countries. Lastly, Begin speaks about Jabotinsky’s ability to have both logic and warm feelings; therefore, revisionism, like its leader is both a political theory and temperament.

Israel Will Yet Be Wholly Free

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Begin speaks about the liberation of the Homeland in its entirety. He first emphasizes the mutually exclusivity between the concentration of the Jewish nation and the liberation of the Homeland. He talks about the Jewish Agency’s efforts to partition the Homeland. Begin then focuses on what needs to happen to liberate the rest of the Homeland. The conditions are the desire to liberate and political circumstances. He shifts his attention to David Ben Gurion’s and Moshe Sharett’s method of foreign policy. Begin argues that they and the Government “persist in the belief that diplomacy is identified not with wisdom but with bluff…” This threatens the potential for the Homeland to be completely liberated, and therefore, it is up to the people of Israel to hold on strongly to the hope for freedom.

Israel–and the Juggernaut

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Begin starts with a metaphor to perhaps show that the consistent reign over Israel is constantly being controlled by a different person, or country. After briefly bashing David Ben-Gurion for assisting the British Mandate in preventing liberation of the Homeland, he refocuses on specific incidents where Herut argued for or against an issue, and Mapai did not listen. These examples include when Herut argued that the Government should recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and when Herut believed in Israel’s birthright. Begin shifts to talk about Ben-Gurion and Moshe Sharrett’s weak foreign policy. Since they do not stand their ground, Begin argues that “no foreign nation [or the UN] can take such Government seriously.” At the end, Begin touches upon the economy and that the Government is attempting to make its citizens dependants.

The Liberation of Eretz Israel

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Begin speaks about the liberation of the Homeland in its entirety. He first emphasizes the mutually exclusivity between the concentration of the Jewish nation and the liberation of the Homeland. He talks about the Jewish Agency’s efforts to partition the Homeland and mentions that if the Jewish Agency had been successful, the country would not have been able to absorb the mass Jewish immigration. The Jewish Agency was not successful because of the British and Arab war efforts during the War of Independence. Begin then focuses on what needs to happen to liberate the rest of the Homeland. The conditions are a will to liberate and a political “constellation.” Begin argues that “it is not right to say that the liberation of the remaining parts of the Homeland are dependent only on war.” He does acknowledge that Jews, however, should be prepared to fight. He concludes saying that both the Government and Britain are preventing liberation of the Homeland.