Menachem Begin

Menachem Begin - Former Prime Minister of Israel, Family and Childhood

Violet FieldHome › IsraeliMenachem BeginAugust 16, 1913384 views

0 based on 0 rates
Menachem Begin Biography Stories 

Menachem Begin's Personal Details

Menachem Begin was the former Prime Minister of Israel and winner of Nobel Peace Prize

InformationDetail
BirthdayAugust 16, 1913
Died onMarch 9, 1992
NationalityIsraeli
FamousNobel Peace Prize, Leaders, Prime Ministers, Former Prime Minister of Israel
SpousesAliza Arnold
SiblingsHerzl Begin
Known asMenachem Wolfovitch Begin, Menakhem Vol'fovich Begin, Mieczysław Biegun, Munahayyim Beeghin
ChildrensBenny Begin, Hasia Begin, Leah Begin
Universities
  • 1935 - University of Warsaw
Founder / Co-Founder
  • Herut
  • Likud
  • Gahal
Birth PlaceBrest
ReligionJudaism
GenderMale
FatherZeev Dov
MotherHassia Biegun
Sun SignLeo
Born inBrest
Famous asFormer Prime Minister of Israel
Died at Age78

// Famous Former Prime Minister of Israel

Golda Meir

Golda Meir

Golda Meir was a politician who became Israel’s first woman to be elected the Prime Minister of Israel. This biography of Golda Meir provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Menachem Begin's photo

Who is Menachem Begin?

As the young son of active Zionists in the early twentieth century Poland (then Tsarist Russia), Menachem Begin focused early-on on his life’s central objective. As a law student, he participated actively in groups to further the Jewish cause in the eyes of the world and to defend against the pervasive discrimination toward Jews that prevailed throughout Europe. During his life, Begin encountered and survived severe persecution from groups that included the Nazis of Germany, Communists of the Soviet Union and Islamic foes of the Middle East. Overcoming incredible obstacles, he eventually became a major player on the world stage. At times, he needed to be a peacemaker. At other times he needed to be a ruthless war maker. But almost from birth to his death, his tenacious dedication to the survival of his dream, the free Jewish State of Israel, was his driving passion. Depending on one’s point of view, he has been glorified as a hero and vilified as a demon. All of Begin’s actions as a Jewish leader were driven strictly by his lifelong resolve and he never wavered in his mission. Twenty-three years after his death, Menachem Begin was named the fourth most important person in Israel’s history.

// Famous Leaders

Edi Rama

Edi Rama

Edi Rama is the current Prime Minister of Albania. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Tecumseh

Tecumseh

Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee clan. This biography profiles his childhood, life and timeline.

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the current President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.

Childhood & Early Life

Born August 16, 1913, in Brisk, now Brest-Litovsk, then of Tsarist Russia (now Belarus), Menachem was the youngest of three children. As the son of Zeev Dov and Hassia Biegun, he was born into a family of devout Zionists.

In 1928, Begin joined the ‘Polish Zionist Betar Youth Group’. Betar was a pan-European activist group dedicated to the eventual development of a separate Jewish state that would encompass both sides of the Jordan River, an area occupied by the British-ruled Palestinian State.

Career

While actively participating in Betar, in Poland, Begin earned a law degree at the ‘University of Warsaw’. By 1938, at age 25, he was named the leader of the organization, a position considered to be one of the most important Jewish positions in pre-Nazi European.

Once the Nazis began their occupation of Poland and other parts of Europe, Jews were desperate for escape and safe haven. His parents and brother were captured in 1940 and later died in a Nazi concentration camp.

In 1940, Menachem escaped the Nazis but was soon captured and held by the Soviets. Promptly he was sent to a Siberian work camp, where he was held and then released a year later.

In 1941, he joined a Polish exile group which traveled to British-ruled Palestine to continue their work toward establishing an independent Jewish state.

Starting in 1942, Begin and his compatriots dedicated led numerous raids and terrorist attacks on the ruling British and Palestinians throughout Palestine. The assaults continued for the next three years.In 1943, he became commander of ‘Irgun Zvai Loumi’ party. At one point, the British issued a sizable bounty for his capture.

In 1948, when Israel became a nation, he led the so-called ‘Freedom or Herut Party’, which slowly gained popularity in Israel.

He joined the ‘National Unity Party’ in 1956 whose goal was to form a unified political focus for defending the security of Israel. Begin served as a minister without portfolio a decade later.

On May 17, 1977, after Mr. Begin was elected Prime Minister, he surprised many with an immediate offer of peace and friendship to the surrounding Arab countries, Egypt, Jordan and Syria. He proposed to meet all the neighboring leaders to discuss and finally put an end to the Jewish and Arab bloodshed. The challenge was accepted by Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat.

As a result, secret meetings were held that led to a state visit by Sadat to Jerusalem. Negotiations culminated in the ‘Camp David Accord’ in 1978, facilitated by US President Jimmy Carter. The Accord ended the long-standing war between Israel and Egypt, returned the Sinai to the Egyptians and created an open relationship between the countries.

As a result of their landmark negotiations, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat jointly received the ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ in 1978.

In 1981, Begin ordered a severe military response on the ‘Palestinian Liberation Organization’ (PLO), then operating in Lebanon. The response effectively removed the PLO presence for a time.

In 1982, Syrian influence prevented the possibility of a full peace between Lebanon and Israel.

During his term of office until his retirement in 1982, Prime Minister Begin adamantly opposed the establishment of a neighboring Palestinian state. He made clear that Israel could never cede the territories of Judea, Samaria or Gaza because of their historic significance.

In 1983, he resigned his office. His wife Aliza had died the year before and the pressures of office had left him in a weakened physical state.

Major Works

His book ‘The Revolt’, written in 1951, is a recount of the struggle against the British and the development of an independent Jewish state prior to the establishment of Israel.

‘White Nights’, is a story of his imprisonment in Russia depicting the hopelessness and separation of incarceration in such a remote location, was published in 1957. The autobiographical account originally published in Hebrew was later translated to English.

Awards & Achievements

Begin was co-recipient of the ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ along with Anwar Sadat for their work in achieving a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt.

In 2005, Begin was listed fourth among history’s ‘200 Greatest Israelis’ by Israeli historians and intellectuals because of his life-long struggle to establish and maintain an independent Jewish state.

Personal Life and Legacy

Shortly after his wife Aliza died in 1982, he retired and returned to an apartment, leaving only to visit his wife’s grave. They left a son, two daughters and 9 grandchildren.

Menachem Begin will be remembered primarily for the peace initiative between Israel and Egypt in 1978, as well as his lifetime of commitment to the creation and preservation of Israel.

Trivia

This famous politician delivered his first political speech in 1923 at the age of thirteen.He served as an interpreter for the British Army in Palestine, having learned English from BBC radio broadcasts.

// Famous Prime Ministers

Edi Rama

Edi Rama

Edi Rama is the current Prime Minister of Albania. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Leo Varadkar

Leo Varadkar

Cam Leo Varadkar is the current Taoiseach—the Prime Minister—of the Republic of Ireland. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts about his life.

Otto von Bismarck

Otto von Bismarck

Otto von Bismarck served as the Chancellor of Germany and the Prime Minister of Prussia. He unified the German states into a powerful German empire. This biography profiles his childhood, political career, life, achievements and timeline.

Menachem Begin's awards

YearNameAward

Other

0Nobel Peace Prize

Menachem Begin biography timelines

  • // 16th Aug 1913
    Born August 16, 1913, in Brisk, now Brest-Litovsk, then of Tsarist Russia (now Belarus), Menachem was the youngest of three children. As the son of Zeev Dov and Hassia Biegun, he was born into a family of devout Zionists.
  • // 1923
    This famous politician delivered his first political speech in 1923 at the age of thirteen.He served as an interpreter for the British Army in Palestine, having learned English from BBC radio broadcasts.
  • // 1928
    In 1928, Begin joined the ‘Polish Zionist Betar Youth Group’. Betar was a pan-European activist group dedicated to the eventual development of a separate Jewish state that would encompass both sides of the Jordan River, an area occupied by the British-ruled Palestinian State.
  • // 1938
    While actively participating in Betar, in Poland, Begin earned a law degree at the ‘University of Warsaw’. By 1938, at age 25, he was named the leader of the organization, a position considered to be one of the most important Jewish positions in pre-Nazi European.
  • // 1940
    Once the Nazis began their occupation of Poland and other parts of Europe, Jews were desperate for escape and safe haven. His parents and brother were captured in 1940 and later died in a Nazi concentration camp.
  • // 1940
    In 1940, Menachem escaped the Nazis but was soon captured and held by the Soviets. Promptly he was sent to a Siberian work camp, where he was held and then released a year later.
  • // 1941
    In 1941, he joined a Polish exile group which traveled to British-ruled Palestine to continue their work toward establishing an independent Jewish state.
  • // 1942 To 1943
    Starting in 1942, Begin and his compatriots dedicated led numerous raids and terrorist attacks on the ruling British and Palestinians throughout Palestine. The assaults continued for the next three years.In 1943, he became commander of ‘Irgun Zvai Loumi’ party. At one point, the British issued a sizable bounty for his capture.
  • // 1948
    In 1948, when Israel became a nation, he led the so-called ‘Freedom or Herut Party’, which slowly gained popularity in Israel.
  • // 1951
    His book ‘The Revolt’, written in 1951, is a recount of the struggle against the British and the development of an independent Jewish state prior to the establishment of Israel.
  • // 1956
    He joined the ‘National Unity Party’ in 1956 whose goal was to form a unified political focus for defending the security of Israel. Begin served as a minister without portfolio a decade later.
  • // 1957
    ‘White Nights’, is a story of his imprisonment in Russia depicting the hopelessness and separation of incarceration in such a remote location, was published in 1957. The autobiographical account originally published in Hebrew was later translated to English.
  • // 17th May 1977
    On May 17, 1977, after Mr. Begin was elected Prime Minister, he surprised many with an immediate offer of peace and friendship to the surrounding Arab countries, Egypt, Jordan and Syria. He proposed to meet all the neighboring leaders to discuss and finally put an end to the Jewish and Arab bloodshed. The challenge was accepted by Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat.
  • // 1978
    As a result, secret meetings were held that led to a state visit by Sadat to Jerusalem. Negotiations culminated in the ‘Camp David Accord’ in 1978, facilitated by US President Jimmy Carter. The Accord ended the long-standing war between Israel and Egypt, returned the Sinai to the Egyptians and created an open relationship between the countries.
  • // 1978
    As a result of their landmark negotiations, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat jointly received the ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ in 1978.
  • // 1978
    Menachem Begin will be remembered primarily for the peace initiative between Israel and Egypt in 1978, as well as his lifetime of commitment to the creation and preservation of Israel.
  • // 1981
    In 1981, Begin ordered a severe military response on the ‘Palestinian Liberation Organization’ (PLO), then operating in Lebanon. The response effectively removed the PLO presence for a time.
  • // 1982
    In 1982, Syrian influence prevented the possibility of a full peace between Lebanon and Israel.
  • // 1982
    During his term of office until his retirement in 1982, Prime Minister Begin adamantly opposed the establishment of a neighboring Palestinian state. He made clear that Israel could never cede the territories of Judea, Samaria or Gaza because of their historic significance.
  • // 1982
    Shortly after his wife Aliza died in 1982, he retired and returned to an apartment, leaving only to visit his wife’s grave. They left a son, two daughters and 9 grandchildren.
  • // 1983
    In 1983, he resigned his office. His wife Aliza had died the year before and the pressures of office had left him in a weakened physical state.
  • // 2005
    In 2005, Begin was listed fourth among history’s ‘200 Greatest Israelis’ by Israeli historians and intellectuals because of his life-long struggle to establish and maintain an independent Jewish state.

// Famous Nobel Peace Prize

Emily Greene Balch

Emily Greene Balch

Emily Greene Balch was an American economist, sociologist and pacifist who won the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize. This biography of Emily Greene Balch provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Norman Borlaug

Norman Borlaug

Norman Borlaug was an American biologist known as the “Father of the Green Revolution”. This biography of Norman Borlaug provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer was a German born French theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, and achievements.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa

All through her life, Mother Teresa served people selflessly. Read the biography and learn about Mother Teresa’s childhood, life and timeline.

Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad Yunus is the founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and the recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. This biography of Muhammad Yunus provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was an environmentalist who won the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize Award. Go through this biography to explore details about her life, childhood, and timeline.

Menachem Begin's FAQ

  • What is Menachem Begin birthday?

    Menachem Begin was born at 1913-08-16

  • When was Menachem Begin died?

    Menachem Begin was died at 1992-03-09

  • Where was Menachem Begin died?

    Menachem Begin was died in Tel Aviv

  • Which age was Menachem Begin died?

    Menachem Begin was died at age 78

  • Where is Menachem Begin's birth place?

    Menachem Begin was born in Brest

  • What is Menachem Begin nationalities?

    Menachem Begin's nationalities is Israeli

  • Who is Menachem Begin spouses?

    Menachem Begin's spouses is Aliza Arnold

  • Who is Menachem Begin siblings?

    Menachem Begin's siblings is Herzl Begin

  • Who is Menachem Begin childrens?

    Menachem Begin's childrens is Benny Begin, Hasia Begin, Leah Begin

  • What was Menachem Begin universities?

    Menachem Begin studied at 1935 - University of Warsaw

  • Which company or organization was founded by Menachem Begin?

    Menachem Begin was the founder/co-founder of Herut, Likud, Gahal

  • What is Menachem Begin's religion?

    Menachem Begin's religion is Judaism

  • Who is Menachem Begin's father?

    Menachem Begin's father is Zeev Dov

  • Who is Menachem Begin's mother?

    Menachem Begin's mother is Hassia Biegun

  • What is Menachem Begin's sun sign?

    Menachem Begin is Leo

  • How famous is Menachem Begin?

    Menachem Begin is famouse as Former Prime Minister of Israel