People|Prime Ministers
Menachem Begin was a militant turned statesman who led Israel’s right wing, signed peace with Egypt, and shifted Israeli politics with his 1977 election victory.
Menachem Begin was born in 1913 in Brest-Litovsk (now Belarus) and became one of the most consequential figures in Israeli history. A passionate Zionist, he joined the Polish Betar youth movement and later commanded the Irgun (Etzel), a right-wing Jewish underground militia in Mandatory Palestine. Begin led operations against British rule, including the bombing of the King David Hotel in 1946.
After independence, Begin founded the Herut party, which evolved into Likud. He spent nearly three decades in the opposition before winning the 1977 elections—ending the political dominance of the Labor Zionists and becoming Israel’s first right-wing Prime Minister.
Begin’s premiership was marked by historic achievements and deep controversies. In 1978, he signed the Camp David Accords with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, leading to the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab nation. For this, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize.
At the same time, Begin authorized the 1982 Lebanon War and the annexation of the Golan Heights. The Sabra and Shatila massacre, carried out by Christian militias under Israeli watch, severely damaged his international standing. Distraught by the war and his wife’s death, Begin resigned in 1983 and withdrew from public life.
Begin remains a polarizing figure—revered for his dedication to Jewish self-determination, but criticized for hardline tactics and militarism.
Begin Heritage Center, Knesset Archives, Israel State Archives
