Editing Menachem Begin (section)

==Prime Minister of Israel==
{{Conservatism in Israel|Politicians}}

===1977 electoral victory===
[[File:Menachem Begin 1978.jpg|thumb|Menachem Begin in 1978]]

{{Main|1977 Israeli legislative election}}
On 17 May 1977, the Likud, headed by Begin, won the [[1977 Israeli legislative election|Knesset elections]] by a landslide, becoming the biggest party in the [[Knesset]]. Popularly known as the ''Mahapakh'' ("upheaval"), the election results had seismic ramifications as for the first time in Israeli history a party other than the Alignment/Mapai was in a position to form a government, effectively ending the left's hitherto unrivalled domination over Israeli politics. Likud's electoral victory signified a fundamental restructuring of Israeli society in which the founding socialist Ashkenazi elite was being replaced by a coalition representing marginalized [[Mizrahi Jews|Mizrahi]] and Jewish-religious communities, promoting a socially conservative and [[economic liberalism|economically liberal]] agenda.

[[File:Menachem Begin and Moshe Dayan exits from an aircraft.JPEG|thumb|left|upright|Begin and [[Moshe Dayan]] exit from an aircraft at [[Andrews Air Force Base]], [[Maryland]], United States]]
The Likud campaign leading up to the election centered on Begin's personality. Demonized by the Alignment as [[totalitarian]] and extremist, his self-portrayal as a humble and pious leader struck a chord with many who felt abandoned by the ruling party's ideology. In the predominantly [[Mizrahi Jews|Mizrahi]] working class urban neighborhoods and peripheral towns, the Likud won overwhelming majorities, while disillusionment with the Alignment's corruption prompted many middle and upper class voters to support the newly founded [[centrism|centrist]] [[Democratic Movement for Change]] ("Dash") headed by [[Yigael Yadin]]. Dash won 15 seats out of 120, largely at the expense of the Alignment, which was led by [[Shimon Peres]] and had shrunk from 51 to 32 seats. Well aware of his momentous achievement and employing his trademark sense for drama, when speaking that night in the Likud headquarters Begin quoted from the [[Gettysburg Address]] and the [[Torah]], referring to his victory as a 'turning point in the history of the Jewish people'.

With 43 seats, the Likud still required the support of other parties in order to reach a parliamentary majority that would enable it to form a government under [[Politics of Israel|Israel's proportionate representation parliamentary system]]. Though able to form a narrow coalition with smaller Jewish religious and [[Haredi Judaism|ultra-orthodox]] parties, Begin also sought support from centrist elements in the Knesset to provide his government with greater public legitimacy. He controversially offered the foreign affairs portfolio to [[Moshe Dayan]], a former [[Ramatkal|IDF Chief of Staff]] and [[Defense Minister of Israel|Defense Minister]], and a prominent Alignment politician identified with the old establishment. Dash eventually joined his government several months later, thus providing it with the broad support of almost two thirds of the Knesset. While prime ministerial adviser, [[Yehuda Avner]], served as Begin's speech writer.

On 19 June 1977, Likud signed a coalition agreement with the [[National Religious Party]] (which held twelve seats) and the [[Agudat Yisrael]] party. Without defections, the coalition of Likud and these two parties created the narrowest-possible majority in a full Knesset (61 seats).<ref>{{cite web |title=Israel forms coalition |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/224909931 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=The Orlando Sentinel |agency=Washington Post Dispatch |access-date=26 May 2022 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=20 June 1977}}</ref> After eight hours of debate, Begin's government was officially approved in a Knesset vote on 21 June 1977, making him the new [[prime minister of Israel]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Begin Takes Israeli Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/39041837 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=The Times (San Mateo, California) |agency=The Associated Press |access-date=26 May 2022 |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=21 June 1977}}</ref>

===Socioeconomic policies===
[[File:Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Menahem Begin with Ariel Sharon.jpg|thumb|Prime Minister Menahem Begin (left) meets with Agriculture Minister [[Ariel Sharon]] at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. August 1977]]
As Prime Minister, Begin presided over various reforms in the domestic field. Tuition fees for secondary education were eliminated and compulsory education was extended to the tenth grade,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ewXm2afBe0AC&pg=PA60 Policy Implementation of Social Welfare in the 1980s] By Frederick A. Lazin. Google Books.</ref> while new social programmes were introduced such as long-term care insurance<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2010-2011/asia/israel.html|title=Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific, 2010 - Israel|website=www.ssa.gov|access-date=14 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809204159/https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2010-2011/asia/israel.html|archive-date=9 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> and a national income support system.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=aHTZxre-2MMC&pg=PA173 Public Policy in Israel] By David Nachmias and Gila Menachem. Google Books.</ref> A [[Television in Israel|ban on color television]] that had been imposed to enforce social equality was abolished, and the minimum age for a driver's license was lowered to 17.<ref name=benn/>

Begin's economic policies sought to liberalize Israel's [[socialism|socialist]] economy towards a more free-market approach, and he appointed [[Simha Erlich]] as Finance Minister. Erlich unveiled a new economic policy that became known as the "economic transformation". Under the new plan, the exchange rate would from then on be determined by market forces rather than the government, subsidies for many consumer products were cancelled, [[foreign exchange controls]] were eased, the [[Value added tax|VAT]] tax was raised while the travel tax was cancelled, and customs duties were lowered to encourage imports of more products. The plan generated some improvement; cheap and high-quality imported products began to fill consumer shelves, the business sector benefited greatly, and the stock market recorded rising share prices. However, the program did not improve the lives of the Israeli people as Begin had hoped. The combination of the increased VAT, the end of subsidies, and a rise in the U.S. dollar exchange rate set off a wave of inflation and price increases. In particular, the fact that government spending was not significantly reduced in tandem with the liberalization program triggered a massive bout of inflation. On 17 July 1978, the Israeli cabinet met to discuss rising inflation, but Begin, declaring that "you cannot manage economics over the housewife's back", halted all proposals. In the end, the government decided not to take any actions and allow inflation to ride its course. Begin and his other ministers did not internalize the full meaning of the liberalization plan. As a result, he blocked attempts by Erlich to lower government spending and government plans to privatize public-sector enterprises out of fear of harming the weaker sectors of society, allowing the privatization of only eighteen government companies during his six-year tenure.<ref name=benn>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/misc/iphone-article/for-better-or-worse-begin-s-legacy-is-embedded-in-israel-s-economy.premium-1.526153|title=Article Iphone View Element|newspaper=Haaretz}}</ref><ref>Shilon, Avi: ''Menachem Begin: A Life''</ref> In 1983, shortly before Begin's resignation, a major [[1983 Israel bank stock crisis|financial crisis]] hit Israel after the stocks of the country's four largest banks collapsed and were subsequently nationalized by the state. Inflation would continue rapidly rising past Begin's tenure, and was only brought under control after the [[1985 Israel Economic Stabilization Plan]], which among other things greatly curbed government spending, was introduced. The years of rampant inflation devastated the economic power of the powerful [[Histadrut]] labor federation and the [[kibbutz]]im, which would help Israel's approach towards a free-market economy.<ref name=benn/>

Begin's government has been credited with starting a trend that would move Israel towards a capitalist economy that would see the rise of a consumer culture and a pursuit of wealth and higher living standards, replacing a culture that scorned capitalism and valued social, as well as government restrictions to enforce equality.<ref name=benn/>

In terms of social justice, however, the legacy of the Begin Government was arguably a questionable one. In 1980, the state Social Security Institute estimated that from 1977 to 1980 the number of babies born in poverty doubled, while there had been a 300% increase in the number of families with four to five children below the poverty line. Additionally, the number of families with more than five children below the poverty line went up by 400,% while child poverty estimates suggested that from 1977 to 1981 the number of children living below the poverty line had risen from 3.8% to 8.4%,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=nGNMBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA241 Discord in Zion: Conflict Between Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews in Israel] G. N. Giladi, 1990. Google Books.</ref> while officials at the National Institute of Insurance estimated that the incidence of poverty had doubled during Begin's five years in office.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ad_zCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5|title=Data and Policy Change: The Fragility of Data in the Policy Context|first=David|last=Dery|date=11 November 2013|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-94-009-2187-0|via=Google Books}}</ref>

===Camp David accords===
[[File:Sadat and Begin clean3.jpg|right|thumb|Egyptian President [[Anwar Sadat]] and Menachem Begin acknowledge applause during a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., during which President [[Jimmy Carter]] announced the results of the [[Camp David Accords]], 18 September 1978.]]

In 1978, Begin, aided by Foreign Minister [[Moshe Dayan]] and Defense Minister [[Ezer Weizman]], came to Washington and Camp David to negotiate the [[Camp David Accords (1978)|Camp David Accords]], leading to the 1979 [[Egypt–Israel peace treaty]] with Egyptian President, [[Anwar Sadat]]. Before going to Washington to meet President Carter, Begin visited Rabbi [[Menachem M. Schneerson]] for his advice.<ref>{{YouTube|JPQuAQH7uKA|Begin Visits New York Before Camp David}}</ref> Under the terms of the treaty, brokered by US President [[Jimmy Carter]], Israel was to hand over the [[Sinai Peninsula]] in its entirety to Egypt. The peace treaty with Egypt was a watershed moment in Middle Eastern history, as it was the first time an [[Arab]] state recognized Israel's legitimacy whereas Israel effectively accepted the [[land for peace]] principle as blueprint for resolving the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]]. Given Egypt's prominent position within the [[Arab World]], especially as Israel's biggest and most powerful enemy, the treaty had far reaching strategic and [[geopolitics|geopolitical]] implications.

Almost overnight, Begin's public image of an irresponsible nationalist radical was transformed into that of a statesman of historic proportions. This image was reinforced by international recognition which culminated with him being awarded, together with Sadat, the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 1978.

Yet while establishing Begin as a leader with broad public appeal, the peace treaty with Egypt was met with fierce criticism within his own Likud party. His devout followers found it difficult to reconcile Begin's history as a keen promoter of the [[Greater Israel]] agenda with his willingness to relinquish occupied territory. Agreeing to the removal of [[Israeli settlements]] from the Sinai was perceived by many as a clear departure from Likud's [[Revisionist Zionism|Revisionist]] ideology. Several prominent Likud members, most notably [[Yitzhak Shamir]], objected to the treaty and abstained when it was ratified with an overwhelming majority in the Knesset, achieved only thanks to support from the opposition. A small group of hardliners within Likud, associated with [[Gush Emunim]] Jewish settlement movement, eventually decided to split and form the [[Tehiya]] party in 1979. They led the ''Movement for Stopping the Withdrawal from Sinai'', violently clashing with IDF soldiers during the forceful eviction of [[Yamit]] settlement in April 1982. Despite the traumatic scenes from Yamit, political support for the treaty did not diminish and the Sinai was handed over to Egypt in 1982.

[[File:Begin Brzezinski Camp David Chess.jpg|right|thumb|Prime Minister Menachem Begin engages [[Zbigniew Brzezinski]] in a game of [[chess]] at [[Camp David]], 1978.]]
Begin was less resolute in implementing the section of the Camp David Accord calling for [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] self-rule in the [[West Bank]] and [[Gaza Strip]]. He appointed [[Agriculture Minister of Israel|Agriculture Minister]] [[Ariel Sharon]] to implement a large scale expansion of Jewish settlements in the [[Israeli-occupied territories]], a policy intended to make future territorial concessions in these areas effectively impossible.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} Begin refocused Israeli settlement strategy from populating peripheral areas in accordance with the [[Allon Plan]], to building Jewish settlements in areas of Biblical and historic significance. When the settlement of [[Elon Moreh]] was established on the outskirts of [[Nablus]] in 1979, following years of campaigning by Gush Emunim, Begin declared that there are "many more Elon Morehs to come." During his term dozens of new settlements were built, and Jewish population in the West Bank and Gaza more than quadrupled.

===Bombing Iraqi nuclear reactor===
{{Main|Operation Opera|Begin Doctrine}}
[[File:Menachem Begin at UN General Assembly (1982).jpg|thumb|Begin speaking at the [[United Nations General Assembly]] (1982)]]
Begin took [[Saddam Hussein]]'s [[Anti-Zionism|anti-Zionist]] threats seriously and therefore took aim at [[Iraq]], which was building a [[nuclear reactor]] named Osirak or Tammuz 1 with [[France|French]] and [[Italy|Italian]] assistance. When Begin took office, preparations were intensified. Begin authorized the construction of a full-scale model of the Iraqi reactor which Israeli pilots could practice bombing.<ref>Simons, Geoff: ''Iraq: From Summer to Saddam''. St. Martin's Press, 1996, p. 320</ref> Israel attempted to negotiate with France and Italy to cut off assistance and with the United States to obtain assurances that the program would be halted. The negotiations failed. Begin considered the diplomatic option fruitless, and worried that prolonging the attack would lead to a fatal inability to act in response to the perceived threat.

The decision to attack was hotly contested within Begin's government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/programs/npp/index.cfm?fa-proj&id=116 |title=Nuclear Policy - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |access-date=13 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409082243/http://carnegieendowment.org/programs/npp/index.cfm?fa-proj&id=116 |archive-date=9 April 2015 }}</ref> However, in October 1980, the [[Mossad]] informed Begin that the reactor would be fueled and operational by June 1981. This assessment was aided by reconnaissance photos supplied by the United States, and the [[Cabinet of Israel|Israeli cabinet]] voted to approve an attack.<ref>''Striking first: Preemptive and preventive attack in U.S. national security'' – Karl P. Mueller</ref> In June 1981, Begin ordered the destruction of the reactor. On 7 June 1981, the [[Israeli Air Force]] destroyed the reactor in a successful long-range operation called ''[[Operation Opera]]''.<ref name="name of reference goes here">{{cite book|title=The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership|last=Avner|first=Yehuda|author-link=Yehuda Avner|year=2010|publisher=The Toby Press|isbn=978-1-59264-278-6|pages=551–563}}</ref> Soon after, the government and Begin expounded on what came to be known as the [[Begin Doctrine]]: "On no account shall we permit an enemy to develop [[weapons of mass destruction]] (WMD) against the people of Israel." Begin explicitly stated the strike was not an anomaly, but instead called the event "a precedent for every future government in Israel"; it remains a feature of Israeli security planning policy.<ref>[http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/israel/nuclear/ Country Profiles -Israel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006135509/http://www.nti.org/country-profiles/israel/nuclear/ |date=6 October 2014 }}, [[Nuclear Threat Initiative]] (NTI)  updated May 2014</ref> Many foreign governments, including the United States, condemned the operation, and the [[United Nations Security Council]] unanimously passed [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 487|Resolution 487]] condemning it. The Israeli left-wing opposition criticized it also at the time, but mainly for its timing relative to domestic elections only three weeks later, when Likud was reelected.<ref>Perry, Dan. ''Israel and the Quest for Permanence''. McFarland & Co Inc., 1999. p. 46.</ref> The new government [[Golan Heights Law|annexed the Golan Heights]] and banned the [[El Al|national airline]] from flying on [[Shabbat]].<ref name="shabbat">{{cite web | url=http://www.jewishgates.org/history/modhis/elal.stm | title=El-Al, Israel's Airline | publisher=Gates of Jewish Heritage |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010222124207/http://www.jewishgates.org/history/modhis/elal.stm |archive-date = 22 February 2001}}</ref>

===Lebanon invasion===
{{Main|1982 Lebanon War}}
[[File:בגין בבופור.jpg|thumb|right|Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon at the [[Beaufort Castle, Lebanon]] after its [[Battle of the Beaufort|capture]] by IDF forces in June 1982]]
On 6 June 1982, Begin's government authorized the [[Israel Defense Forces]] [[1982 Invasion of Lebanon|invasion of Lebanon]], in response to the attempted assassination of the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, [[Shlomo Argov]]. The objective of Operation ''Peace for Galilee'' 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&nbsp;km limit initially authorized by the government. Israeli forces were successful in driving the PLO out of Lebanon and forcing its leadership to relocate to Tunisia, but the war ultimately failed to achieve its political goals of bringing security to Israel's northern border and creating stability in Lebanon. Begin referred to the invasion as an inevitable act of survival, often comparing [[Yasser Arafat]] to [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]].

====Sabra and Shatila massacre====
Public dissatisfaction reached a peak in September 1982, after the [[Sabra and Shatila Massacre]]. Hundreds of thousands gathered in [[Tel Aviv]] in what was one of the biggest public demonstrations in Israeli history. The [[Kahan Commission]], appointed to investigate the events, issued its report on 9 February 1983, found the government indirectly responsible for the massacre but that Defense Minister [[Ariel Sharon]] "bears personal responsibility." The commission recommended that Sharon be removed from office and never serve in any future Israeli government. Initially, Sharon attempted to remain in office and Begin refused to fire him. But Sharon resigned as Defense Minister after the death of [[Emil Grunzweig]], who was killed by a grenade tossed into a crowd of demonstrators leaving a [[Peace Now]] organized march, which also injured ten others, including the son of an Israeli cabinet minister. Sharon remained in the cabinet as a minister without portfolio. Public pressure on Begin to resign increased.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Schiff |first1= Ze'ev |author-link= Ze'ev Schiff |last2= Ehud |first2= Yaari |author-link2= Ehud Yaari |title= Israel's Lebanon War |publisher= [[Simon & Schuster]] |year= 1984 |isbn= 978-0-671-47991-6 |url= https://archive.org/details/israelslebanonwa0000schi }}</ref>

Begin's disoriented appearance on national television while visiting the [[Battle of the Beaufort (1982)|Beaufort battle]] site raised concerns that he was being misinformed about the war's progress. Asking Sharon whether PLO fighters had ‘machine guns’, Begin seemed out of touch with the nature and scale of the military campaign he had authorized. 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 Begin|Benny]], in favor of the defendants. Sharon lost the case.<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/breaking-the-silence-of-cowards-1.36149 Breaking the silence of cowards] Haaretz, 23 August 2002. Retrieved 26 April 2007</ref>

===Resignation===
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2021}}
After Begin's wife Aliza died in November 1982 while he was away on an official visit to Washington DC, he fell into a deep depression. Begin also became disappointed by the war in Lebanon because he had hoped to sign a peace treaty with the government of President [[Bashir Gemayel]], who was assassinated. Instead, there were mounting Israeli casualties, and protesters outside his office maintained a constant vigil with a sign showing the number of Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon, which was constantly updated. Begin also continued to be plagued by the ill health and occasional hospitalizations that he had endured for years. In October 1983, he resigned, telling his colleagues that "I cannot go on any longer", and handed over the reins of the office of Prime Minister to his old comrade-in-arms [[Yitzhak Shamir]], who had been the leader of the [[Lehi (group)|Lehi]] resistance to the British.