Menachem Begin Biography Quotes 1 Report mistakes

Early Life and Formation
Menachem Begin was born on August 16, 1913, in Brest-Litovsk (Brisk), then in the Russian Empire and later part of interwar Poland. Raised in a deeply Zionist family, he joined the Betar youth movement founded by Ze ev Jabotinsky, whose blend of Jewish national pride, self-defense, and liberal nationalism shaped Begin s worldview. He studied law at the University of Warsaw while rising swiftly through Betar s ranks, organizing chapters and honing the oratory that would define his political life. The German invasion of Poland in 1939 scattered his world; much of his family perished in the Holocaust, a trauma that left a permanent imprint on his leadership and moral vocabulary.

War, Soviet Imprisonment, and Arrival in Palestine
Begin fled east to Vilna but was arrested by the Soviet NKVD in 1940 and sentenced to hard labor in the Gulag. Released in 1941 under the Sikorski-Mayski Agreement, he joined the Polish Anders Army, moving through Persia to the Middle East. In 1942 he reached Mandatory Palestine, where he soon left military service and immersed himself in the underground struggle for Jewish statehood.

Irgun Leadership and the Revolt Against the British
In 1943 Begin assumed command of the Irgun (Etzel), directing an armed campaign against British rule. He believed Britain had closed Palestine to Jews during their hour of desperate need, and he steered Irgun operations with a mixture of secrecy, discipline, and propaganda. The 1946 bombing of the King David Hotel, carried out by the Irgun against a central British administrative site, became one of the most controversial actions of the mandate era. During the 1947-1948 war, Irgun and the smaller Lehi fought alongside the Haganah, though their independent operations, including the battle in Deir Yassin, fueled fierce argument at home and abroad. After Israel declared independence in 1948, a deadly confrontation erupted over the Irgun arms ship Altalena. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion ordered the newly formed Israel Defense Forces to assert state authority; shots were fired and the ship burned off Tel Aviv. Begin forbade his men to return fire, a restraint remembered as decisive in averting civil war; among the officers on the government side was Yitzhak Rabin.

Founding Herut and Years in Opposition
Begin transformed the Irgun s political base into the Herut party, championing a vigorous nationalism, civil liberties, and a market-oriented economy, and calling for the unity of the Land of Israel. He sparred with the ruling Mapai-led establishment around Ben-Gurion, Levi Eshkol, and Golda Meir, often marginalized but steadily building a loyal constituency, including many Jews from Middle Eastern and North African backgrounds who felt excluded by the old elites. After the Six-Day War, Begin served as a minister without portfolio in national unity governments, then returned to the opposition, where he helped assemble a broader alliance. In 1973 Herut joined with the Liberals and others to form Likud, with Begin as its guiding force and Yitzhak Shamir among his closest allies.

The 1977 Political Upheaval and Coalition Building
In 1977 Likud won a historic victory known as the Mahapach, ending decades of Labor rule. Begin formed a coalition that included religious parties and centrists, appointing Moshe Dayan as foreign minister and Ezer Weizman as defense minister. His relationship with rivals such as Shimon Peres and Rabin was sharp but respectful, and he emphasized the dignity of the opposition in a democracy he had long defended from the minority benches.

Camp David, Peace with Egypt, and the Nobel Prize
The 1977 visit of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Jerusalem opened an unprecedented diplomatic channel. Begin negotiated with Sadat under the mediation of U.S. President Jimmy Carter at Camp David in 1978, producing a framework that led to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. Israel withdrew from Sinai and dismantled settlements there, while strategic relations with Egypt transformed the regional balance. For this achievement, Begin and Sadat shared the Nobel Peace Prize, even as negotiations over Palestinian autonomy remained unresolved and contentious. Moshe Dayan later resigned, frustrated by the stalemate, and Weizman also left the government.

Domestic Policies and Strategic Doctrine
At home, Begin oversaw market liberalization, an assertive social ethos that gave new voice to previously marginalized communities, and an expansive settlement policy in territories captured in 1967. He articulated what became known as the Begin Doctrine: Israel would act preemptively to prevent hostile states from acquiring nuclear weapons. In 1981 the Israeli Air Force destroyed Iraq s Osirak reactor in a strike Begin defended as necessary for national survival. That same year, the Knesset passed the Golan Heights Law, entrenching Israeli jurisdiction over the plateau and prompting international criticism, including from the United States under President Ronald Reagan.

Lebanon War, Crisis, and Resignation
In 1982 Begin launched Operation Peace for Galilee, aimed at pushing the PLO away from Israel s northern border. Defense Minister Ariel Sharon drove the operation far beyond its initial scope, culminating in the siege of Beirut. The massacre of Palestinians at Sabra and Shatila by Lebanese militias shocked Israel and the world. The Kahan Commission found Sharon indirectly responsible and recommended his removal as defense minister; Begin accepted the findings. The war, the public protests it triggered, and the death of his wife, Aliza, later that year deepened his sense of isolation. In 1983 he resigned the premiership and withdrew from public life, and Yitzhak Shamir succeeded him.

Personal Life and Character
Begin cultivated a reputation for personal austerity, rigorous legality, and a profound respect for democratic institutions. He championed the authority of the Supreme Court, famously affirming, There are judges in Jerusalem, when the court ruled against a government-backed settlement. His bond with his wife Aliza and their family, including their son Ze ev Binyamin (Benny) Begin, sustained him through decades of struggle. The Holocaust s shadow, the memory of his parents and brother murdered in Europe, and the years of underground resistance informed both his fierceness in defense matters and his capacity for strategic compromise, as with Egypt.

Later Years and Legacy
After leaving office, Begin lived quietly in Jerusalem, rarely appearing in public. He died on March 9, 1992, and, by his wish, was buried on the Mount of Olives beside Aliza, rather than in the country s official pantheon. Menachem Begin s legacy is a tapestry of paradoxes: underground commander and Nobel laureate; unyielding nationalist and peacemaker with Egypt; tribune of the opposition who legitimized political alternation in Israel; architect of bold military doctrine and defender of judicial restraint. Around him moved a cast of leaders who marked Israel s formative decades, from Ben-Gurion and Rabin to Dayan, Weizman, Sharon, Shamir, Peres, Carter, and Sadat. His imprint on Israeli democracy, foreign policy, and political culture remains vivid, debated, and enduring.

Our collection contains 1 quotes who is written by Menachem, under the main topics: War.

Other people realated to Menachem: Jimmy Carter (President), Moshe Dayan (Soldier), Natan Sharansky (Writer), David Ben-Gurion (Statesman), Walter F. Mondale (Lawyer), Yitzhak Shamir (Statesman), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Public Servant), Anwar Sadat (Statesman), Ariel Sharon (Leader), Moshe Katsav (Statesman)