CAROLINE GLICK BLOG
September 23, 2014
Despite the dangers mounting all around us, as we approach Rosh Hashana 5775, for Jews in Israel, in many ways things have never been better.
On Sunday night, President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke at the 10th-anniversary celebration marking the founding of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. In his remarks, Rivlin described the impact of what he referred to as the “revolution” Menachem Begin led in Israeli society.
Through his victory in the 1977 Knesset elections, which marked the end of the Labor Party’s monopoly on power, Rivlin explained, Begin began the process of expanding the definition of what it means to be an Israeli. Until Begin rose to the premiership, entire sectors of society, Mizrahim from Arab countries, new olim, religious Zionists and haredim had been shunned by the establishment.
Begin changed that. Begin opened the doors to everyone, facilitating their entry into society on their own terms, transforming Israel from a melting pot, where everyone was supposed to aspire to become a member of the in-group, into a multicultural society, where all expressions of Israeli-ism were welcome…….
ArchitectGuy on Israel 