Justice and Force

Excerpt from a speech given by Menachem Begin before the Herut National Council, April 23, 1970

"It is an interesting paradox. As is well known, when we, the Jews, rose up to fight for the freedom of our nation, we employed the methods of force. This is a fact. Because of this there were those who said that we were devotees of physical force. This is an illusion, an error, completely misleading. On the contrary - a man who fights for a just cause, shows his scorn for the power of physical force. If he believed in its power, and respected it, how would he be capable of fighting? What force did we have at our disposal at the time when we raised the banner of revolt? What was the power that stood against us? An empire - 130,000 soldiers and police. And we did not roam the world. We were here, we did not leave this country even for one day.

Force? All the force was on the other side. What did we have? But this is the phenomenon that repeats itself time and time again in history. One believes in a just cause, one has justice and truth by one`s side. Belief in moral force, which drives human history forward, and thus did the few rise up against the many, the weak against the strong, throughout human history. Were it not so, they would be slaves even today.

Of course, also today humanity is divided between the light and the gloom, between liberty and servitude, but the war between them is continuous, unceasing, and from time to time light triumphs over darkness and freedom over slavery.

This is the truth with regard to our position. We never placed our faith in physical force. We believed in justice. And look at Dr. (Nahum) Goldman* He too says that we are right. With a forgiving smile, with head bowed mercifully, he says: I too want the whole Land of Israel. And it is true, that if we have rights over Jaffa, we also have rights over Hebron. And it is true that Jerusalem is ours in its entirety. He even adds: I also want part of Transjordan.

But - they won`t give it to us. What does this mean: they won`t give it to us. The Western Land of Israel is in our hands. Who will not give? The Arabs won`t give, the great powers won`t give. We have rights over the whole Land of Israel. And if we have rights, then justice is with us. So what is the conclusion? That justice must give way before force? Very interesting. Has the militarist spirit of 1915 risen from the grave?

And this is typical. One who scorns Jewish justice, along with Jewish force-and the need to guard it and develop it, since we have learned that Jewish justice without Jewish force will be destroyed- lowers his head before foreign force. They won`t give - then away with justice, and force will triumph. Against justice.

If we had adopted such a philosophy in our generation, how would we have risen up? What did we yet possess 25 years ago, how did we reach the summit in those days? We were not deterred by force. `They won`t give`. Who will not give? An empire was here. Who helped us? Who gave us a single bullet for our war?

When did we not stand alone? Why did we win? Thanks to our belief in the justice of our cause, and thanks to a simple change. We decided not to place our trust in the defence of `all humanity`, nor to request the `generosity of the Arabs.` Smoke will rise, the darkest smoke of the fires, if we fail to take our destiny in our hands, if we fail to believe in the justice of our cause, and if we do not surround that justice with renewed Hebrew force. "

* Dr. Nahum Goldman, Chairman of the WZO at that time, was an early advocate of extensive territorial compromise.