Dr. Zeev Benyamin Begin, the 40-year-old son of Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin, says that the major achievement so far of the Likud government is its settlement policy in Judaea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
“We are now beyond the point of return” as far as Israeli settlements are concerned, Begin said. “But we have to do even more and establish more settlements in order to avoid the establishment of an Arafat state in these areas.”
Begin made his remarks in a conversation with this correspondent last night during a fund-raising reception held here to help raise at least $50,000 to enable an eight-member team of Israeli handicapped youngsters to participate in the 1983 International Summer Special Olympic Games, July 12-18, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The reception was sponsored by AKIM, USA, the American branch of the Association for the Rehabilitation of the Mentally Handicapped in Israel. It was held in the home of Alain and Nora Coblence in Manhattan.
VERY CLOSE TO HIS FATHER
Begin, who strongly resembles his famous father, described his relationship with his father as being “very close.” But he scoffed at the suggestion that he serves as an unofficial advisor to the Premier. “My father has his own advisors,” he said.
Asked if he sees eye to eye with his father on the various issues confronting Israel he said “I happen to be supportive of the views of my father. In fact, I do support his policies ever since I was growing up. But I do not expect my children, for instance, to support all my attitudes when they grow up. We live in a democracy …” The younger Begin has six children.
BEGIN FAMILY IS IMMUNE TO CRITICISM
Begin, who is a geologist and came to the U.S. to participate in a seminar in Nevada at the invitation of the Geological Society of America, said that his father and the rest of the Begin family are by now “immune” to the sharp criticism from various quarters in Israel and abroad against the Begin policies. “But this is a free world and people are entitled to their views, ” he said.
Begin said he is not interested in entering politics. He also said there is a remote possibility that elections will be held in Israel this year, giving the impression that if they were held, his father would run again at the head of the Likud list. He refused, however, to say if his father would be a candidate for Premier in 1985, when the general elections in Israel are scheduled to take place. “It’s a long time from now, ” he said.
Begin said that during his two-week visit to the U.S which ended today, he had felt a change of attitude toward Israel in America. “I did sense a positive climate. People are now aware that the obstacle to peace in the Mideast are the Arabs, because of their unwillingness to enter into direct negotiations with Israel, especially after King Hussein (of Jordan) decided not to enter into negotiations with Israel, ” Begin said.
Begin’s participation in the reciption last night in the effort to help the handicapped was in line with a family tradition started by his late mother, Aliza Begin, who worked for AKIM and served as its honorary president for many years.
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.
