Rivlin and Begin, the loud lonely liberals of Likud

Published: 20 September 2018

Last updated: 4 March 2024

ISRAELI PRESIDENT REUVEN RIVLIN and Knesset member Benny Begin are both esteemed veterans of the Likud. They were both raised on the values of the old Herut party (antecedent of the Likud) and the teachings of revisionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky.

Today, however, they are little more than a disparaged minority in the modern-day Likud, and certainly in the party as it is represented in the Knesset and the government.

On September 5, the two men stood side by side to deliver a resounding critique of the Nationality Law (anchoring the Jewish nature of the State of Israel) and the incessant attacks on the Supreme Court by various members of the government, including the Likud’s own Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It was only natural that they offered their stinging rebuke at the center designated to carry on the legacy of Begin’s father, former Prime Minister Menachem Begin, for whom respect for the official institutions of state ran deep.

Unlike his previous public statements, this time Begin chose sharp, aggressive language in response to remarks by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked one day earlier, attacking the Supreme Court.

FULL STORY The last liberals of the Likud (Al-Monitor)

Photo: Netanyahu and Benny Begin in 2010 (Al-Monitor)