How Israel Almost Destroyed Itself Before It Even Began

Before the State of Israel was born, it nearly tore itself apart. But Menachem Begin — known as a radical, a zealot, and even a danger — chose unity over vengeance, making the gut-wrenching decision to stop Jews from turning their guns on each other, even as bullets flew and ships burned.

His greatest victory? The war he stopped.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:37 Begin’s life in WWII Europe
01:42 Joining and leading the Etzel/Irgun
02:58 The Saison (The Hunting Season)
04:58 The Hebrew Resistance Movement
05:27 The King David Hotel bombing
10:13 The Altalena Affair
14:59 Begin’s political career

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Recommended video—1948 Israeli War of Independence
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Sources:
-Begin, Menachem. The Revolt: Story of the Irgun. W.H. Allen, 1951.
-Avner, Yehuda. The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership. Toby Press, 2010.
-Menachem Begin Heritage Center.
-Peres, Shimon, and Landau, David. “Uncivil.” Tablet Magazine. October 25, 2011.
-https://youtu.be/BzjNA5AZHsU
-https://youtu.be/FzYupY2WfmU
-https://youtu.be/c5YSqBlid-M
-https://youtu.be/fFUakW2cIeA
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Image and footage credits:
David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries
© IWM WPN 173, E 29943, WPN 184, WPN 245, WPN 215, WPN 275
Israel Government Press Office: Zoltan Kluger, Hans Pinn
Dan Hadani Collection, The Pritzker Family National Photography Collection, The National Library of Israel
U.S. Holocaust Museum Memorial
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Executive Producers:
Michael Steinhardt

Co-Executive Producers:
Marc Shmuel Levine
Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum

Gold Level:
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
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Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires, www.livrariasafra.com.br, @safralivraria

About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
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