Posted on 12/25/23
Jerusalem, Israel - Dec. 25, 2023 - Ze'ev Binyamin "Benny" Begin זֶאֵב בִּנְיָמִין "בֶּנִי" בֶּגִין , was born March 1, 1943. The Israeli geologist and former politician was a member of the Knesset and served as an Israeli Minister in various governments over the years. Begin announced his retirement from politics in July 2022, saying it was due to his age. The son of former Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin, Benny Begin has a unique view of history.
In an interview with Haaretz in 2009, Begin explained his opposition to a Palestinian state, proposing instead an Arab autonomy under Israeli control, since "without security control in Samaria, Judea and Gaza there will be no security in Tel Aviv, either." He concluded with his belief - must "live together with people who do not want us."
Begin is currently associated with The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a non-profit press monitoring and analysis organization founded in 1997. It publishes and distributes free copies of media reports that have been translated into English—primarily from Arabic and Persian, but also from Urdu, Turkish, Pashto, and Russian.
On Sunday evening, December 24, at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, Benny Begin presented "A Short History of the Gaza Strip" in English.
From the Ottoman Empire to the development of the Suez Canal, to 1916 and Sykes-Picot, World War I with the Battle of Beer Sheva, involving landing on the Gaza coast and the involvement of Turkey and Germany, Begin shared illustrative maps.
Photos included the mosaic from the 6th-century synagogue in Gaza, and of the Margolin family who owned a hotel in Gaza where the Jews found refuge from the 1929 riots and were able to safely escape.
From the time in 1946 when overnight 11 kibbutzim were established to the establishment of Israel in 1948, to the 1992 PLO takeover after Oslo,
Begin supplied graphics that are included in the photo essay, plus current quotes of Moussa Abu Mazouk.
At the end of the formal presentation, Begin sat and answered questions from the audience. The evening was facilitated by Paul Gross of the Begin Center, broadcast live on Zoom, and should be available from the Menachem Begin Heritage Center.
MEMRI has a regular email available to see their important translations of what Hamas and PA officials are saying in Arabic.
