Begin's Israel: The End of an Era?

THE RESIGNATION OF MENACHEM BEGIN AS PRIME MINISTER IN SEPTEMBER 1983 MAY NOT USHER IN AN ENTIRELY NEW ERA IN ISRAEL'S POLITICS, OR BRING ABOUT A VOLTE-FACE IN ITS POLICIES, BUT IT IS NONETHELESS SIGNIFICANT. IN THE TWENTY YEARS SINCE BEN GURION'S SECOND AND FINAL RESIGNATION FROM THE PREMIERSHIP IN 1963, OBSERVERS HAVE CLAIMED TIME AND AGAIN THAT THE GENERATION OF ISRAEL'S FOUNDING FATHERS NO LONGER PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE COUNTRY'S POLITICAL LIFE. (INDEED. SOME WERE INCLINED TO VIEW BEGIN'S SIX YEARS IN OFFICE AS A RELAPSE INTO A BYGONE AGE.) THIS TIME HOWEVER THERE CAN BE LITTLE DOUBT THAT THIS GROUP HAS FINALLY LEFT THE POLITICAL STAGE. BEGIN'S DEPARTURE IS THE END OF AN ERA IN OTHER RESPECTS AS WELL. DESPITE THE DIFFERENCES IN PERSONALITY AMONG THE COUNTRY'S EARLY LEADERS, THEY ALL, INCLUDING BEGIN, HAD IN COMMON A CERTAIN CHARISMATIC APPEAL AND OTHER LEADERSHIP QUALITIES. IT SEEMS LIKELY HOWEVER THAT FOR SOME TIME TO COME AND WHICHEVER PARTY OR PARTIES ARE IN POWER, ISRAEL'S POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IS GOING TO BE FAR MORE PEDESTRIAN IN STYLE, THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY UNINSPIRED, AND AND MUCH MORE TECHNOCRATIC IN APPROACH, THOUGH NOT TOTALLY LACKING IN IDEOLOGY.