Menachem Begin

Menachem Begin became prime minister in 1977, marking the first time the right-wing Likud came to power after decades of Labor dominance. Begin had been a former underground leader of the Irgun and became a symbol of the political rise of Jews from opposition movements and many Mizrahi voters.

His greatest achievement was the peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, Israel’s first peace treaty with an Arab country. He also ordered the strike on Iraq’s nuclear reactor in 1981 and led Israel during the 1982 Lebanon War, which became highly controversial. From a Jewish-history perspective, Begin represents both historic peace and a major political shift in Israeli society.