'The Prime Ministers': New book covers Begin, the ‘Altalena,’ and the October 27 election - review

A review of Yehuda Avner's book 'The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership' highlights Menachem Begin's role in preventing civil war during the Altalena affair and the 1944 Irgun-Hagana standoff, framing these as pivotal for Israeli democracy. The review connects these historical events to the upcoming October 27 election, while also covering Avner's career as a speechwriter for multiple prime ministers and personal anecdotes with world leaders like Margaret Thatcher.

This review of Yehuda Avner's 2010 book 'The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership' centers on Menachem Begin's claim that he twice prevented civil war in Israel. The first instance was in 1944, when the Hagana seized Irgun men and handed them to the British; Begin ordered his fighters not to retaliate. The second was the Altalena affair in 1948, when Begin, on the burning deck, shouted at his men not to fire. The review notes that Yitzhak Rabin, who was on the beach ordered to shell the ship, told Avner decades later that his gun crew fired the shell that set her alight. The review connects these events to the upcoming election on October 27, 2026, framing Begin's actions as the foundation of Israeli democracy. It also covers Avner's career as a speechwriter for Eshkol, Meir, Rabin, and Begin, and includes anecdotes about Margaret Thatcher and Jimmy Carter. The review acknowledges Avner's bias, noting that he thought Begin the most exceptional of the four prime ministers, and that the Sabra and Shatila chapter focuses more on the unfairness of coverage than the decision itself.