Menachem Begin was born in Russia, grew up in Poland, and devoted himself to hardline Zionist Ze'ev Jabotinsky. During WW2, he was imprisoned by the Soviets, served in the Polish army, and lost most of his family in the Holocaust. Later he commanded forces who massacred Palestinians at Deir Yassin and cleansed them from Jaffa, and as Israeli P.M. he pursued Arafat in Lebanon saying he was Hitler in his bunker.
But:
His grandson grew up in Israel.
"Murderous blood flows in Israeli arteries," says the grandson of former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
Avindav Begin, who is also the son of the current Likud Knesset member Benny Begin, refuses to stand during the Israeli national anthem "Hatikva" and participates in protests against the Apartheid Wall. He does not see himself as a Jew or a Zionist and believes that his grandfather did not make real peace with Egypt. He also is not worried about being the target of rotten eggs after his inflammatory interview with Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot.
The newspaper said in a lengthy report: "(Avindav) Begin examines the psychological roots of the Jewish-Arab conflict in his new book 'End the Conflict,' which was published recently in both Hebrew and Arabic. He suggests a radical solution to spare all religious, national and ideological sectors, encouraging everyone to live together as human beings....
How do you feel about the 700 people who were killed in the 1982 war that was initiated by Israel and led by your grandfather?
There were actually 30,000 Lebanese and Palestinians killed, mostly unarmed people who cannot be compared with Israeli soldiers because the people did not fight at all. I think that there is no need for any war, including the War of Nov. 6, 1973.
Do you think that the conflict will continue?
I protest in Bil'in (in the West Bank) because I reside here, not in Kosovo, it is one hour from my house. I want to remove the wall and bring Arnit back to farm his field. (After reading an advertisement on the Internet, Begin joined a protest four years ago near the Apartheid Wall in Bil'in and established a close relationship with Wajeyh Arnit, a father of 10 children and a contractor who worked in Israel. His son Rani was paralyzed by a bullet fired by Israeli troops.)
It is a rare but certainly great to see this change in the grandson, this is why I called it Begins “legacy” dies in his posterity, elsewhere. It is the feel good news for the day.
It is certainly good news for the day, and a good omen for the very slow change in Israeli society that is taking place
I wouldn’t have the courage to dispute my grandfather’s views, and I applaud Avindav Begin for doing it.
WOW! It was truly written in the Bible through the wisdom of Solomon; ‘ a father builds, a son rejects it…’ Begin had work with his life and future on what he believed right for the rebuilding of the Jewish state Israel, his grandson, totally rejected them. His grandson must be a true- bloodied Israeli, just like the ancient Israelites during the days of Jeremiah…Avindav, Begin’s grandson does not deserve to have another Israel. For his grandson’s sake, let us erase the present-day Israel from the map! ‘Palestine’ must be proud of Begin’s grandson. He must live in ‘Palestine’.
Were is the hammer? I would be happy to volunteer to destroy it myself with joy Avindav’s family house!
‘Perhaps it would take centuries, if not forever, for the Palestinians to convince the ‘world’ to destroy Israel, but I would be happy to destroy Avindav’s house in a week…’
“His grandson must be a true- bloodied Israeli, just like the ancient Israelites during the days of Jeremiah”
Exactly, that’s what I keep telling everyone! I mean, c’mon, we have a history with this “Jewish State” stuff, and it isn’t good.
Compare the Ghandi-esque Avindav Begin to that nazi Tzipi Livni.
They both have politics and infamy in their background.
One of them will end up behind bars one of these days. Guess who that would be.
Kudos to Avindav Begin! He sounds like a great guy. Unfortunately, the kindest thing I can say about his grandfather, is that I hold him in higher regard than I do Ariel Sharon, Bibi Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman.
Why do you hold Begin in higher regard? Every Egyptian national, just like Avinda, will tell you the peace with Egypt that Begin orchestrated is a fake one.
All Israeli leaders, every single one them, is a fucking murderer.
RE: “Why do you hold Begin in higher regard?” – Taxi
ME: Begin certainly had his faults, but at least he wasn’t a pompous ass!
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Lebanon invasion
Main article: 1982 Invasion of Lebanon
On 6 June 1982, Begin’s government authorized the Israel Defense Forces’ invasion of Lebanon, in response to the attempted assassination of the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov. Operation Peace for Galilee’s stated objective was to force the PLO out of rocket range of Israel’s northern border. Begin was hoping for a short and limited Israeli involvement that would destroy the PLO’s political and military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, effectively reshaping the balance of Lebanese power in favor of the Christian Militias who were allied with Israel. Nevertheless, fighting soon escalated into war with Palestinian and Lebanese militias, as well as the Syrian military, and the IDF progressed as far as Beirut, well beyond the 40 km limit initially authorized by the government….
…Begin’s disoriented appearance on national television while visiting the Beaufort battle site raised concerns that he was being misinformed about the war’s progress…Almost a decade later, Haaretz reporter Uzi Benziman published a series of articles accusing Sharon of intentionally deceiving Begin about the operation’s initial objectives, and continuously misleading him as the war progressed. Sharon sued both the newspaper and Benziman for libel in 1991. The trial lasted 11 years, with one of the highlights being the deposition of Begin’s son, Benny, in favor of the defendants. Sharon lost the case.[26]
[edit]Retirement from public life
Begin himself retired from politics in August 1983 and handed over the reins of the office of Prime Minister to his old friend-in-arms Yitzhak Shamir…The death of his wife Aliza in Israel while he was away on an official visit to Washington DC, added to his own mounting depression. After his wife’s death, Begin would rarely leave his apartment, and then usually to visit her grave-site to say the traditional Kaddish prayer for the departed. His seclusion was watched over by his children and his lifetime personal secretary Yechiel Kadishai, who monitored all official requests for meetings.
[edit]Death
Begin died in Tel Aviv in 1992, followed by a simple ceremony and burial on the Mount of Olives. He asked to be buried there instead of Mount Herzl, where most Israeli leaders are laid to rest, because he wanted to be buried beside Meir Feinstein of Irgun and Moshe Barazani of Lehi, who committed suicide in jail while awaiting execution by the British.[27]
link to en.wikipedia.org
Dickerson3870,
I hear where you’re coming from.
I just happen to know quite a few people who were in Lebanon during the brutal invasion that he launched. To their minds he’s connected with the death of some 23,000 Lebanese, mostly civilian, who perished during the Israeli occupation. He and Sharon are the interchangeable butchers of Beirut.
His self-imposed isolation in his later years tells me he’s a sad criminal who died with regret and ennui. His choice of grave site proves it.
1. I would highly recommend that anyone who hasn’t yet, watch the film Jimmy Carter Man from Plains (2007).
2. The peace treaty between Israel and Egypt was actually bought. It was bought in the sense that the US guaranteed each country permanent economic and military aid, as well as special security arrangements with the United States. These were not “benefits” earned as a result of signing the peace treaty, but incentives to sign a peace treaty.
The reason such incentives were needed was due to Begin’s own reluctance. At the time, Anwar Sadat visited Israel prior to any peace treaty. He honored Israel by delivering a moving speech at the Knesset at the time. That was a significant symbolic move for two reasons. The first reason was Egypt’s standing in the region, particularly among Arab states. It was the political and cultural center of Arab nationalism in those years. For the president of such a country to visit Israel and deliver a speech, a conciliatory speech, in the Knesset meant that Anwar Sadat was putting his own neck and career on the line. That move should have been viewed as a monumental one by Menachem Begin. Bear in mind this was mere years after a bloody war between the two states. Not only that, but Egypt, in general, and Sadat, in particular were both making several concessions, including the demilitarization of the Sinai Peninsula.
But, instead, Menachem Begin went to Camp David with an attitude of “I’m doing Sadat and Carter a favor”. It wasn’t until Jimmy Carter effectively begged Begin, that the latter agreed to sign a peace treaty.
That’s why Israel is refusing the current Arab peace initiative because Israel, not only prefers making peace from a position of absolute power, but it needs to be assured that its peace partner has been brought to his proverbial knees before Israel agrees to “generously” enter any such peace treaty.
Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem was based on secret talks held between Dayan (Begin’s foreign minister) and Sadat’s representative Hassan Tuhami in Morocco. To give no credit to Begin for the peace with Egypt shows a biased view of history.
“a biased view of history”
Unlike Zionism, of course, which is predicated on an accurate and objective view of history.
Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem was based on secret talks held between Dayan (Begin’s foreign minister) and Sadat’s representative Hassan Tuhami in Morocco. To give no credit to Begin for the peace with Egypt shows a biased view of history.
So they dragged Sadat to Jerusalem to show that “he’s in our pockets”. Do you prefer that view?
Early life
I had thought he was born is Poland but in a way I guess it was. Interesting that it was source of Sharon family as well.
“”Begin was born to Zeev Dov and Hassia Biegun in Brest-Litovsk, (Brisk), a town then part of the Russian Empire which was known for its Talmudic scholars. He was the youngest of three children. [3] On his mother’s side he was descended from distinguished rabbis. His father, a timber merchant, was a community leader, a passionate Zionist, and an admirer of Theodor Herzl. The midwife who attended his birth was the grandmother of Ariel Sharon. [4]“”