Subjects: Security

Russia Now Backs War in Middle East

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Begin speaks about the blossoming relationship between Russia and Egypt. He first explains that it is in fact the Labor Movement, not the “Nationalistic-Religious Right,” who prefers territory over peace. He shares what Golda Meir, Yigal Allon, and Moshe Dayan have said to show that even his opponents in the Government recognize the need to make some territorial demands for a viable peace. He also discusses how Israel’s enemies speak about Israel. Despite Sadat’s disinterest in peace with Israel, “the Government had helped to increase Sadat’s prestige internationally.” Begin concludes by reiterating that it is shameful to assume that the Opposition prefers land over peace.

The Inheritance of Our Fathers

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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.

One Can’t ‘Annex’ One’s Own Soil

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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.

Begin on the Justice of Zionism

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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.

Jabotinsky’s Vision Will Yet Come True

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Begin discusses the need to urge Jews from all over the world to make aliyah. He covers a demographic study which turned out to be inaccurate in predicting the situation a few short years after the Six-Day War, since it didn’t account for the changes in aliyah rates. He closes by noting that aliyah is not the same as emigration, because it is often done not to achieve a better life, but to return to their Motherland.