Betar
From Free net encyclopedia
- This article is about the Zionist youth movement Betar.
- For other uses, see Betar (disambiguation).
The Betar Movement (בית"ר, also spelled Beitar) is a revisionist Zionist youth movement founded in 1923 in Riga, Latvia, by Ze'ev Jabotinsky. Betar members played important roles in the fight against the British during the Mandate, and in the creation of Israel. It has been linked to Herut and Likud and is part of the secular right of Israeli politics.
Contents |
History
During World War II, Betar members, former Polish officers, founded Zydowski Zwiazek Walki (Jewish Fighting Union) which fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
The name Betar בית"ר stands for "Brit Yosef Trumpeldor" ( ברית יוסף תרומפלדור ). Joseph Trumpeldor was a Jewish fighter who fell in the battle of Tel Hai coining the phrase: "Never mind, it is good to die for our country".
Jabotinsky also wanted to connect the name of the first Jewish fighter after 2000 years to the name of the last fort of Jewish uprising against the Roman Empire in the Bar Kokhba's revolt, showing that Betar was intent to create a new generation of Jewish warriors.
Many of Israel's most prominent public figures have been graduates of the Movement, including former Prime Ministers Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Defence Minister Moshe Arens.
Today, the Betar Movement is primarily involved in Jewish and Zionist activism and has chapters worldwide.
Violence in France
In France, members of the Betar have clashed with pro-Arab supporters. The Betar offices were bombed by the leftist FLNC, a Corsican militant organization.
On José Bové's return from a protest in Ramallah, members of Betar assaulted the anti-globalisation activist.
Betar in Israel
Once a vibrant movement tied to the opposition Herut Party, Betar's following in Israel has declined since the 1970s as a result of a changing political situation. One important change was the rise of the religious right-wing in the 1970s. Though Betar had many of the same political goals as the rapidly growing Gush Emunim (Believers' Bloc) and B'nei Akiva youth movements (tied to the National Religious Party; Mafdal), they remained a secular movement and never took the initiative that their counterparts did in settling the West Bank and Gaza. During the 1980s as a result of the Camp David Accords negotiated by Menachem Begin (the leader of Herut and its successor movement, Likud), a similar effect began with the secular right, as more extreme movements appeared there and drew away youth.
Betar's chief disadvantage, which was only made worse by Bnei Akiva's rise, was the predominance of other youth groups. Belonging to the Kibbutz movement, Hashomer Hatzair (Young Guard), HaNoar haOved vehaLomed (the Working and Learning Youth), and Habonim Dror (Free Builders), had taken most Israeli youth in throughout the 1950s-70s. Alongside them were the Tzofim (similar to the Boy Scouts) and Bnei Akiva. Today Betar remains a marginal youth movement in Israel, and far from the power that its father group, Likud, has on the country.
Betar sponsors sports clubs, the most notable is the popular Beitar Jerusalem football (soccer) club.
Betar in Australia
While Betar in Australia operates in Sydney and Melbourne alongside 5 other Zionist youth movements, it is the only movement with a presence in Brisbane, Queensland.