Menachem Begin, Israeli politician, 1913-1992

Before the creation of the state of Israel, Begin was the leader of the Zionist militant group "Irgun Tzwai Le’umi ". He proclaimed a revolt against the British mandatory government, which was opposed by the Jewish Agency. Begin was elected to the first Knesset, as head of "Herut", the party he founded. Begin's most significant achievement as Prime Minister was the signing of a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, for which he and Anwar Sadat shared the Nobel Prize for Peace. As Israeli military involvement in Lebanon deepened, and eventually remained unsuccessful, Begin resigned in 1983.