“Fascist” Menachem Begin was a Champion of Individual Rights and the Rule of Law

Even today, I see people on social media denouncing former Israeli PM Menachem Begin as a “Fascist,” echoing critiques made by his Socialist Zionist rivals, famously including Albert Einstein and Hannah Arendt.

The Fascist label was obviously unfair. After all, Begin sat peacefully in opposition in the Knesset for almost three decades, was elected PM, and then voluntarily resigned. This is not the behavior of a Fascist.

But I didn’t know much more than that about Begin’s political career. So I found a new article by Maya Mark, about Begin’s struggle against Emergency Law during Israel’s early years, of great interest. Mark focuses on Begin’s opposition to emergency legislation that limited due process and other rights, and concludes that it was a product of sincere commitment to liberal democracy. That said, his own party was a potential target of the government, so there was an element of self-interest as well.

And that’s why I found this paragraph especially intriguing:

As Israel’s political regime was taking shape, Begin consistently argued that it lacked effective checks and balances, failed to adequately protect individual rights, and concentrated excessive authority in the executive branch. Under his leadership, Herut advanced a constitutional vision that stood in sharp contrast to that of the ruling government, advocating for a formal constitution that included a comprehensive bill of rights. His commitment to democratic values was further reflected in his persistent campaign to abolish the military government imposed on Israel’s Arab citizens—a stance grounded in both liberal and democratic ideals.

In a footnote, Maya notes that Begin’s opposition to military rule in the Arab part of the Galilee “entailed significant political costs within his right-wing constituency.”

So much as a I suspected, Ben-Gurion and his Labor Party were closer to Fascism than Begin and his Herut Party. It was B-G who instituted emergency legislation, prolonged military government in the Galilee, state control of major industries, and other statist policies associated with Fascism. Nevertheless, B-G was also ultimately a democrat, even if a flawed one. But like other Socialists of his era, B-G had little healthy skepticism of state power; Begin, heir to a more liberal tradition, did.