Subjects: Security

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.

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.

Why I Wrote The Revolt, Story of the Irgun

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The introduction to Begin’s book, THE REVOLT, published as an op-ed in the American Jewish Review, in which Begin explains why he wrote the book. It was mostly to remind Jews that there are things worth fighting and even dying for. But it was also to remind non-Jews that the ‘fighting Jew’ had returned to the world. Begin devotes the rest of the op-ed to British readers, who would be wary of him as a former ‘terrorist’ and possibly insulted by the words he has for the British authorities and government. He admits to being motivated by hate, but not hate for the British people. In short, it was a hatred of injustice born out of a love of good and justice and of one’s people, so it was a hatred all decent men should share. In the end, under similar circumstances, Begin would lead the revolt all over again.

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.

He Taught Israel to be Free

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Begin focuses on Jabotinsky’s crucial role in creating the Jewish State. He specifically explains how Jabotinsky strengthened the concept of the Hebrew revolt. First, Jabotinsky realized and argued for liquidation of the Diaspora. Then he was passionate about the importance of both spiritual and physical return to the Jewish Homeland. Lastly, Jabotinsky believed in the necessity for a Hebrew army, the Haganah. Begin explains throughout each of these points, Jabotinsky was alone, “surrounded and assaulted from all sides.” Begin concludes with arguing that Jabotinsky changed the way future Jewish generations will talk about Jewish history.