Menachem Begin quotes

Menachem Begin was an Israeli politician and founder of the Likud party, who served as Prime Minister of Israel. Known for signing the historic peace treaty with Egypt, he played a key role in shaping Israel's modern history. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts toward peace in the Middle East. Here are 20 of his quotes:

Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family. It is the advancement of man, the victory of a just cause, the triumph of truth. Peace is all of these and more and more. (Menachem Begin)
Israel is still the only country in the world against which there is a written document to the effect that it must disappear. View quote
Menachem Begin
The Partition of Palestine is illegal. It will never be recognized .... Jerusalem was and will for ever be our capital. Eretz Israel will be restored to the people of Israel. All of it. And for Ever. View quote
Menachem Begin
Israel will not transfer Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza District to any foreign sovereign authority, [because] of the historic right of our nation to this land, [and] the needs of our national security, which demand a capability to defend our State and the lives of our citizens. View quote
Menachem Begin
Palestinians! This is an unacceptable reference. Jews are also Palestinians. He must mean 'Palestinian Arabs'. Conquered territory! Gaza was also conquered by Egypt Sinai settlements! There is a national consensus in Israel that the settlements must stay! View quote
Menachem Begin
In June 1967, we again had a choice. The Egyptian Army concentrations in the Sinai approaches do not prove that Nasser was really about to attack us. We must be honest with ourselves. We decided to attack him. View quote
Menachem Begin
We will defend our children. If the hand of any two-footed animal is raised against them, that hand will be cut off, and our children will grow up in joy in the homes of their parents. View quote
Menachem Begin
We don't need legitimacy. We exist. Therefore we are legitimate. View quote
Menachem Begin
The German debt to the Jewish people can never end, not in this generation and not in any other. View quote
Menachem Begin
Upon completion of the centennial of your birth – and this time only – we have come to address some remarks at your graveside. We report to you, Rosh Betar, that Jerusalem, the city that has become bound together, the eternal capital of Israel and of the Land of Israel, shall not be subjected to any division and is our liberated and indivisible capital and so it shall remain from generation to generation. The western part of the Land of Israel is entirely under our control and it shall not be partitioned anymore. No part of this land shall be given over to a foreign administration, to foreign sovereignty. We believe that a day will come when the two parts of the Land of Israel shall establish, peacefully, in agreement and understanding a covenant of alliance, a free confederation, for the purpose of join cooperation. View quote
Menachem Begin
There will be no fraternal strife while the foe is at the gate. (Menachem Begin)
Don't threaten us with cutting off your aid. It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid. View quote
Menachem Begin
I come to Jerusalem. There, the sky is blue and memory becomes clear. View quote
Menachem Begin
The people of Israel have lived 3,700 years without a memorandum of understanding with America and will continue to live without it another 3,700 years. View quote
Menachem Begin
No one will frighten the large and free Jewish community of the United States. View quote
Menachem Begin
He who threatens us will find us deaf to his threats. We are willing to listen only to rational arguments. View quote
Menachem Begin
The Palestinian Arabs will have their autonomy, we will have our security. We shall live together. View quote
Menachem Begin
After 1957, Israel had to wait 10 full years for its flag to fly again over that liberated portion of the homeland. View quote
Menachem Begin
The difficulties of peace are better than the agony of war. View quote
Menachem Begin
Poles did not like Jews and they were worse than Germans. View quote
Menachem Begin