7 Quotes & Sayings By Menachem Begin

Menachem Begin (Hebrew: מנחם בית; born Meir David Berger; 22 December 1913 – 14 January 1992) was an Israeli politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of Israel. His political career spanned the premiership of five Israeli prime ministers, spanning three decades. Begin's first position of power was as leader of the Irgun, a Zionist paramilitary organisation that waged a campaign of bombings and assassinations against the British authorities in Palestine during the period known as The Emergency (1939–1943). He resigned from this position on 15 May 1948, as a consequence of the assassination by Jews of Lord Moyne, a British minister in the Middle East Read more

In the mid-1940s, Begin co-founded Herut, a pro-Israel right-wing party. After being denied a place in the Knesset, Herut was admitted to the Knesset in January 1951 as a replacement for another right-wing party that had been banned. Begin became Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and held several cabinet posts during his years in government.

He resigned from office in April 1974 as a result of the Yom Kippur War, but remained a member of the ruling Likud party until 1977. In 1978 he founded Yisrael BaAliyah ("Israel is rising"), which soon became Israel's major nationalist movement. Begin opposed an agreement which would have resulted in full Egyptian–Israeli peace as it would have diminished Israel's security control over its borders against Egypt and Jordan. Begin is credited with moving Israel towards a more conservative stance on domestic issues such as taxes and welfare, whilst tending to favour free market economics and deregulation on international trade and finance issues – policies that were popular amongst American conservatives – but which were viewed by many Israelis as out-of-touch with their national needs. In September 1991 he resigned from Likud to found Gahal (The Way), an unsuccessful centrist party.

In 1992 he retired from politics and founded Menachem Begins Heritage Foundation. One year later he published his autobiography "The Revolt".

1
The ancient Jewish people gave the world the vision of eternal peace, of universal disarmament, of abolishing the teaching and learning of war. Menachem Begin
2
Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family. It is the advancement of man, the victory of a just cause, the triumph of truth. Menachem Begin
3
There are those who say we must rescind the Golan Heights law that was passed in the Knesset. To rescind is a concept from the days of the Inquisition. Our forefathers were burned at the stake and would not rescind their faith. Menachem Begin
4
My colleagues and I have gone in the footsteps of our predecessors since the very first day we were called by our people to care for their future. We went any place, we looked for any avenue, we made any effort to bring about negotiations between Israel and its neighbors, negotiations without which peace remains an abstract desire. Menachem Begin
5
In peace, the Middle East, the ancient cradle of civilization, will become invigorated and transformed. Throughout its lands there will be freedom of movement of people, of ideas, of goods. Menachem Begin
6
We do not covet one inch of Lebanese territory, and the basis for the peace treaty between our two countries will be the international border, which exists now, between Rosh Haniqra and Ras en Naqura. Menachem Begin