Subjects: purity of arms

The Underground Arises to Overthrow the British

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A reprinting of a chapter from Begin’s book, THE REVOLT, which appeared as part of a series of reprints of Begin’s book in the New York Post. Begin describes the two most pressing issues facing the Jews during WW2: the Nazi Holocaust and the British closure of Palestine Jews fleeing the Holocaust. This closure made the revolt inevitable. The Etzel had no desire for any conflict with the Arabs of Palestine and warned them to not interfere with the fight against the British. Some Arabs even helped the Irgun in the revolt. It was only after the UN decided to partition Palestine that the Arabs rose up against the Jews. The British thought they were ‘omnipotent’ and therefore a revolt which they could not suppress would be a terrible blow to their prestige, and indeed the Etzel’s revolt was such a blow. The Etzel did not want to use violence, but the British regime left it no choice. It was the Etzel’s commitment to morality that led it to triumph over the superior British forces.

Menachem Begin Speaks to the American People

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Begin is interviewed on “Meet the Press” during his visit to the United States. The interview first focuses on Israel’s relationship with its Arab neighbors and Begin’s stance against concessions prior to peace treaties. Then Begin speaks about why Israel should not be deemed responsible for the breakdown of the Israeli-Egyptian talks. There are questions about Arab refugees, with Yasser Arafat as an example of a refugee from Jerusalem. Begin makes clear that one cannot compare the PLO to Etzel. The interview goes back to discussing Henry Kissinger’s efforts to bring peace in the Middle East. Additionally, Begin expresses concern in U.S. discontinuing its assistance to Israel. Begin also argues that Israel is not isolated by the world. The interview concludes with Begin saying, “…if the Arabs know that Israel is indestructible, they will think about peace. If they know that their artillery can obliterate us, then the chance of peace is lost.”

The Truth About the Altalena

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This article is a verbatim report of the address given by Menachem Begin over the broadcasting station, “The Voice of Freedom,” on Tuesday, June 22nd. He speaks about the details of the “Altalena,” the ship which was organized to bring an abundance of military supply to Israel. He takes his listeners on a journey of “Altalena” from describing the dedication and passion these young men and women invested into this project, to the difficulties it confronted by the government, to the tragic burning of the ship.

Begin Speaks at Israel Bonds Gala

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Prime Minister Begin addresses the Israel Bonds gala and discusses the recent success in defeating the PLO in southern Lebanon. He mentions the great lengths Israel went to avoid inflicting civilian casualties on the Lebanese population, as well as the technological superiority of Israel’s air and ground forces over the Syrian opposition.

Conflict in Lebanon

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A Norwegian documentary on the conflict in Lebanon. Prime Minister Begin is interviewed and discusses the national origins of PLO fighters, their goals and tactics, and what Israel has done to avoid inflicting civilian casualties. The same and additional parts of the documentary are found in document “Conflict in Lebanon 2”.