Menachem Begin, a statesman and former commander of the Irgun Zeva'i Le'ummi (I.Z.L.)., was born and educated in Brest-Litovsk. He graduated law school at Warsaw University. After a short association with Ha-Shomer ha-Za'ir he joined Betar, becoming a member of its leadership in Poland in 1931, and head of the movement in that country in 1938. During the Palestine riots of 1936-38, Begin organized a mass demonstration near the British Embassy in Warsaw and was imprisoned by the Polish police.

When the Germans occupied Warsaw, Begin escaped to Vilna, where he was arrested by the Soviet authorities and sentenced to eight years hard labor in the Arctic region. Because he was a Polish citizen, Begin was released at the end of 1941, and arrived in Palestine in 1942 with the Polish army formed in the U.S.S.R.

Toward the end of 1943, after having been released from the Polish ranks, Begin became commander of I.Z.L., declared "armed warfare" against the Mandatory government at the beginning of 1944, and led a determined underground struggle against the British (who offered a reward for his apprehension). Begin tried, at the same time, to avoid violent clashes within the yishuv. He was on board the I.Z.L. ship Altalena when it approached Tel Aviv with a consignment of arms during the Arab-Israel cease-fire of June 1948 and was shelled by order of the Israel government.

In 1948 Begin founded the Herut Party and became its leader. He led the party's protest campaign against the reparations agreement with West Germany in 1952. He was instrumental in establishing the Gahal faction in the Knesset in 1965. In May 1967, on the eve of the Six-Day War, Begin was named minister without portfolio in the Government of National Unity. However, he and his Gahal colleagues left the government in 1970 when the majority accepted the U.S. initiative for peace talks with the Arabs implying the evacuation by Israel of territories occupied in the course of the Six-Day War.

Following the elections to the Knesset on May 17, 1977, at which the Likkud gained a striking victory, emerging as the largest party, Begin was entrusted by President Katzir with the task of forming the government of which he became prime minister, by establishing a coalition of Likkud, the National Religious Party, Agudat Israel, and later, the Democratic Movement for Change.

He immediately devoted himself to the task of establishing peace with the Arab states and his efforts resulted in the dramatic visit of President Anwar Sadat to Jerusalem and his address to the Knesset on November 20, and the inception of the peace negotiations which reached a historic stage with the signing of the Camp David Agreements on Sept. 17, 1978. The succeeding negotiations absorbed much of his energies. Begin's efforts in this direction were recognized by the award to him (jointly with President Anwar Sadat) of the Nobel Prize for Peace for 1978 in October, the ceremony taking place in Oslo on Dec. 10.

Begin's greatest triumph was the landslide vote in the Knesset in favor of the Peace Treaty with Egypt, of 95 against 18 with a few abstentions, on March 22, 1979, and the formal signing of the Peace Treaty in Washington on Monday, March 26.

Following the elections for the Tenth Knesset held on June 30, 1981, Menahem Begin was once again asked to form the government. He presented his coalition government consisting of representatives of Likkud, the National Religious Party, Agudat Israel, and Tami on August 5, 1981.

Begin's writings include Ha-Mered (1950; The Revolt, 1964), which describes the struggle of I.Z.L.; Be-Leilot Levanim (1953; White Nights, 1957), reminiscences of his imprisonment in Russia; and Ba-Mahteret: Ketavim u-Te'udot (4 vol., 1959-61), a collection of writings from his days in the underground.