Party politics: the influence of young people on the dominance of the Herut movement in Likud 1973-1977

• In Event: Political Involvement of Youth in the Sixties and Seventies in Israel

Abstract

The Likud movement, spearheaded by Menachem Begin, was established in anticipation of the eighth Knesset election in 1973 [before the 1973 War]. Interestingly, Begin found himself drawn into the establishment process somewhat inadvertently, despite his initial reservations. The impetus behind the formation of Likud, driven by figures like Ariel Sharon and Ezer Weizman, was to establish an alternative party to power while reducing the dominance of Herut and Menachem because they were perceived as extreme and dogmatic.
Exploring how the Herut leadership responded to the threat to its hegemony within both Herut and Likud, and analyzing Menachem Begin's leadership amidst these shifts, constitutes the focal point of my lecture. Specifically, I will delve into the role of youth within the Herut movement and their paradoxical impact on bolstering the existing leadership, particularly under Begin. Despite their criticisms of the elder statesmen, the activism of these young members not only consolidated the standing of the established leadership within the party but also shaped Herut's pivotal role within Likud.
In the lecture, I will outline the various youth factions active within the Herut movement, the place of the young people in internal processes in the party, and their influence on the position of Herut and its leaders within the Likud. In this rule, the increase in their power in the student unions will be shown against the background of what is happening in the party, as well as the place of the 'sons of...' and the leadership of the Beitar movement in the party ethos.

Author

• Ofira Gruweis-Kovalsky, Zefat Academic College