Premier Menachem Begin was introduced last Friday to his Egyptian namesake, Begin Hanafi, aged three. The two met at the Premier’s office in Jerusalem and posed together for media cameramen.
Little Begin was named in honor of the Israeli leader in the wake of the first Israeli Sinai withdrawal. His father, Samir Hanafi, was watching the withdrawal ceremonies on TV just as his wife gave birth to their son.
The family’s neighbors did not approve of the idea. The Hanafis home was burned and Samir found himself ostracized socially and ousted from his place of work. He nevertheless refused to revoke the child’s name, believing it to be an omen of peace.
At the initiative of Israeli diplomats, father and son were invited to Israel — little Begin as the personal guest of the Premier.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
