Subjects: Security

PM Begin in an interview with Eric Breindel, Rolling Stone Magazine, Jerusalem

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In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Begin emphasized the need of an opposition in a democracy, and described the voting process to condemn the PLO’s invitation to the Geneva conference. Later, he discussed how the Holocaust shaped his national security view and how it affected mankind, and addressed his failure to reject the Reparations Agreement. He then responded to the claims that he was an ex-terrorist, stating that the fight for liberation and the underground’s military operations are not similar to the PLO’s acts of terrorism. Finally, he discussed the relationship between Israel and the Soviet Union over the years, as well as Herzl’s aim of ending anti-Semitism.

A Lesson in Democracy

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Upon taking office I gave an oath of allegiance before the Knesset to the effect that I would faithfully fulfil my duty as Prime Minister of Israel.  And, Mr. Sacher, I intend to do my best and utmost to fulfil my duty for the constitutional duration of the 9th Parliament.  I shall do so as … Continued

A Lesson in Democracy

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Since I became a disciple of Jabotinsky at the age of 15—it is now fifty years ago—I learned from him, and believe this with all my heart, that Eretz Yisrael belongs to all the Jewish people and not only to that portion of our people that lives here. However, it is my duty to state … Continued

Looking Back on 30 Years of Struggle and Change

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A reprinting of a chapter from Begin’s book, THE REVOLT, which appeared in the New York Post as part of a series of reprints. This chapter was appended to cover new information revealed over the decades. His description of his experiences as a prisoner of the Soviets, widely denounced by Communists as propaganda, has been acknowledged as truth. Soviet Jews have renounced Communism for Zionism in large numbers. Begin had accused the British of not wanting the Jews of Europe to be saved in the 1949s, and recently revealed documents show how the British prevented the Red Cross from saving 40,000 Jews from Hungary because they might have gone to Palestine. And after Begin always maintained that Israel’s rightful borders included all of Biblical Israel and that any other borders were artificial, in 1967 Israel finally regained Judea and Samaria, erasing the artificial line.

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.