Former Premier Menachem Begin Sunday rejected a proposal that he add his signature to Israel’s Declaration of Independence. The proposal was raised by Deputy Housing Minister Moshe Katzav in a letter to Premier Yitzhak; Shamir. Katzav said that Begin was denied the privilege of signing the Declaration in 1948 because the Labor establishment was opposed to the Irgun, which Begin had led during the pre-State days. Reacting to the proposal, Begin told Maariv: “One cannot add a signature retrospectively. Those who signed, signed. Those who didn’t sign, didn’t sign.” Begin said the proposal surprised him. He said that had Katzav consulted him in advance, he would have asked him not to raise it. Shamir told Katzav he would “consider” the proposal.
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