- In full:
- Menachem Wolfovitch Begin
- Born:
- August 16, 1913, Brest-Litovsk, Russia [now in Belarus]
- Died:
- March 9, 1992, Tel AvivāYafo, Israel (aged 78)
- Title / Office:
- prime minister (1977-1983), Israel
- Political Affiliation:
- Likud
- Awards And Honors:
- Nobel Prize (1978)
Menachem Begin
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Who was Menachem Begin?
Menachem Begin, born in Brest-Litovsk, Russia (now in Belarus), on August 16, 1913, was a significant Zionist leader and served as Israel's prime minister from 1977 to 1983.
Begin's early life involved Zionist activism and leadership within the Betar youth movement. After escaping Warsaw during the German invasion in 1939, he eventually made his way to Palestine in 1942 and became the commander of the militant Irgun Zvai Leumi from 1943 to 1948. Following Israelās independence in 1948, Begin founded the Herut Party and led the opposition in the Knesset until 1967.
A notable achievement during his premiership was the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, which led to him sharing the 1978 Nobel Prize for Peace with Egyptian President Anwar el-SÄdÄt. Despite this, Begin faced challenges, including the controversial invasion of Lebanon in 1982, which contributed to his resignation in 1983.
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What role did Menachem Begin have in the government of Israel?
Menachem Begin served as the Prime Minister of Israel from 1977 to 1983. His leadership marked a significant shift in Israeli politics, as his Likud Party's victory in 1977 was the first time a non-Labour-led government took power. Begin's government was known for its firm stance on retaining the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Despite this, he engaged in negotiations with Egyptian President Anwar el-SÄdÄt, leading to the Camp David Accords in 1978 and a peace treaty in 1979. This treaty saw Israel return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in exchange for diplomatic recognition, earning Begin and SÄdÄt the Nobel Prize for Peace.
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Which major political party did Menachem Begin lead?
Menachem Begin led the Likud party, a major political force in Israel. Likud, meaning "Unity", was formed in 1973, with Begin as joint chairman. At its founding, the Likud coalition was dominated by the Gahal bloc, which consisted of the Herut ("Freedom") party and the Liberal Party. Begin, who had been the leader of the Irgun Zvai Leumi, headed the Herut party. The Likud party achieved a significant electoral victory on May 17, 1977, leading to Begin forming a government on June 21.
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What historic peace agreement did Menachem Begin sign as prime minister?
As prime minister, Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords on September 17, 1978, a historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. Brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the accords led to the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab neighbor. Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat were awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1978 for their efforts. The treaty, signed in 1979, saw Israel withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for Egypt's diplomatic recognition and normalized relations.
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How did Menachem Begin's policies affect Israel's relationship with its neighbors?
Under Menachem Begin, Israel's relations with its neighbors saw both progress and increased tensions. The Camp David Accords, brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter, led to a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, the first of its kind with an Arab neighbor, for which Begin shared the Nobel Prize for Peace. In return for full diplomatic recognition, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.
However, Begin's firm stance on retaining the West Bank and Gaza Strip and his government's increased settlement activity there, coupled with the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to oust the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), strained relations with other Arab nations and drew international criticism. While Egypt maintained the treaty, it was described as a "cold" peace, with limited normalization.
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What lasting impacts did Menachem Begin have on Israeli society and politics?
Menachem Begin, as prime minister of Israel from 1977 to 1983, left a significant mark on Israeli society and politics. A Zionist leader, he headed the Likud Party and is known for his firm stance on retaining the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Begin is also known for negotiating peace with Egypt. The Camp David Accords that he reached with Egyptian President Anwar el-SÄdÄt led to the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, for which they jointly received the Nobel Prize for Peace. Under this treaty, Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for diplomatic recognition from Egypt.
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Menachem Begin (born August 16, 1913, Brest-Litovsk, Russia [now in Belarus]ādied March 9, 1992, Tel AvivāYafo, Israel) was a Zionist leader who was prime minister of Israel from 1977 to 1983. Begin was the corecipient, with Egyptian Pres. Anwar el-SÄdÄt, of the 1978 Nobel Prize for Peace for their achievement of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that was formally signed in 1979.
(Read Britannicaās 1980 interview with Anwar Sadat.)
Begin received a law degree from the University of Warsaw in 1935. Active in the Zionist movement throughout the 1930s, he became (1938) the leader of the Polish branch of the Betar youth movement, dedicated to the establishment of a Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan River. When the Germans invaded Warsaw in 1939, he escaped to Vilnius; his parents and a brother died in concentration camps. The Soviet authorities deported Begin to Siberia in 1940, but in 1941 he was released and joined the Polish army in exile, with which he went to Palestine in 1942.
Begin joined the militant Irgun Zvai Leumi and was its commander from 1943 to 1948. After Israelās independence in 1948 the Irgun formed the įø¤erut (āFreedomā) Party with Begin as its head and leader of the opposition in the Knesset (Parliament) until 1967. Begin joined the National Unity government (1967ā70) as a minister without portfolio and in 1973 became joint chairman of the Likud (āUnityā) coalition.
On May 17, 1977, the Likud Party won a national electoral victory and on June 21 Begin formed a government. He was perhaps best known for his uncompromising stand on the question of retaining the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which had been occupied by Israel during the Arab-Israeli War of 1967. Prodded by U.S. Pres. Jimmy Carter, however, Begin negotiated with Pres. Anwar el-SÄdÄt of Egypt for peace in the Middle East, and the agreements they reached, known as the Camp David Accords (September 17, 1978), led directly to a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that was signed on March 26, 1979. Under the terms of the treaty, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula, which it had occupied since the 1967 war, to Egypt in exchange for full diplomatic recognition. Begin and SÄdÄt were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1978.
Begin formed another coalition government after the general election of 1981. Despite his willingness to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt under the terms of the peace agreement, he remained resolutely opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In June 1982 his government mounted an invasion of Lebanon in an effort to oust the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from its bases there. The PLO was driven from Lebanon, but the deaths of numerous Palestinian civilians there turned world opinion against Israel. Israelās continuing involvement in Lebanon, and the death of Beginās wife in November 1982, were probably among the factors that prompted him to resign from office in October 1983.