What are JTF members' views of Menachem Begin?

[Xoce]

Enlighten me!

[zachor_ve_kavod]

I was thinking about writing a musical piece about Menachem Begin.  I would dedicate it "to the memory of a once great man".

Begin was a great man, in my opinion, but he had a weakness in him.  His story is a tragic one.  He knew what arabs were and he fought for Israeli sovereignty.  He ordered the bombing of the Iraqi nuclear facility, much to the horror and condemnation of the rest of the world.  But ultimately, he allowed himself to be pressured by American Jews to give up the Sinai to Egypt.

As great as he could have remained, that spoiled it.  Camp David is where we learned that Begin was an empty shell.  This also (to me) dispelled any notion of the Likud being a right wing political party.

[spiritus_persona]

He willingly gave up the Sinal.  No world leader willingly gives away land.  We've learned from history that there is no appeasing a nazi.  Give these people an inch and they'll want a mile.

[Xoce]

Positive aspects of him?

Did something change him?  If so, what?

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

A complete sellout and fraud, but before we judge him too harshly we need to remember that 80% of the Israeli people--both the left and the "right"--supported the surrender and ethnic cleansing of the Sinai, and still do. 

[Xoce]

I was thinking about writing a musical piece about Menachem Begin.  I would dedicate it "to the memory of a once great man".

Begin was a great man, in my opinion, but he had a weakness in him.  His story is a tragic one.  He knew what arabs were and he fought for Israeli sovereignty.  He ordered the bombing of the Iraqi nuclear facility, much to the horror and condemnation of the rest of the world.  But ultimately, he allowed himself to be pressured by American Jews to give up the Sinai to Egypt.

As great as he could have remained, that spoiled it.  Camp David is where we learned that Begin was an empty shell.  This also (to me) dispelled any notion of the Likud being a right wing political party.

Thank you for your answer.  I would love to hear your musical piece about Menachem Begin!

[Dr. Dan]

He gave up the sinai...more land than any israeli prime minister...so tell me, how are we supposed to feel?!

[Ze'ev]

He may have only given up the Sinai due to international pressure from both the USA and the USSR to do so.

I don't know all the specific details tho.  I do know he was the heroic commander of the Irgun during the mandate years, and did some good things there.