In many ways, the story of the four giants of Israeli politics—David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir, Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Rabin—is the story of Israel’s birth, trials, tribulations, and triumphs.
Each faced major challenges in the years before Israeli independence was declared in May 1948. As prime ministers they had significant, yet completely different, roles in the formation and development of the state. And they were not always in agreement. In this four-part series, Ralph Nurnberger, a professor of international relations at Georgetown University, explores these leaders’ stories and their historical impact.
Session Topic
Menachem Begin
Begin strongly backed expansion of Israel and was ideologically opposed to territorial compromises, but sat down with Egyptian president Anwar Sadat at Camp David to cede land for peace.
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