Rare Menachem Begin Letter on the “Liberated Territories” — August 1967

A rare and historically significant official typed letter with an original handwritten signature from the office of Menachem Begin, dated August 1, 1967 — less than two months after the end of the Six-Day War.

The letter was sent from “M. Begin – Minister’s Office” during Begin’s service in Israel’s National Unity Government under Prime Minister Levi Eshkol. At the time, Begin was leader of the Gahal opposition bloc and had joined the emergency government formed during the tense days preceding the war.

In this remarkable document, Begin addresses the issue of Jewish settlement in the territories captured during the war, writing:

“Indeed, a government decision is required in order to establish settlements in the liberated territories.
I have already expressed my positive opinion regarding this important national undertaking.”

The wording is historically striking. Begin refers to the areas captured in June 1967 as “the liberated territories” rather than “occupied territories,” reflecting the dominant national mood among large parts of Israeli society immediately after the war and Begin’s own ideological worldview regarding Judea and Samaria.

The letter was written during the earliest phase of what would later become the Israeli settlement movement. Historically, the first post-1967 settlements were established under Israel’s Labor government, including the reestablishment of Kfar Etzion in September 1967, shortly after this letter was written. At this stage, the future of the newly captured territories remained entirely undecided, and debates regarding sovereignty, settlement, and borders had only begun.

As a contemporary firsthand political document from the immediate aftermath of the Six-Day War, this letter captures a pivotal historical moment:

• the euphoric atmosphere following Israel’s dramatic victory,
• the reunification of Jerusalem,
• the emerging debate over the future of Judea and Samaria,
• and the earliest public discussions regarding Jewish resettlement in the newly captured territories.

An exceptional and historically evocative item linking Menachem Begin to one of the defining political and ideological transformations in modern Israeli history.

Date: August 1, 1967
Origin: Office of Minister Menachem Begin, Government of Israel
Medium: Typed letter with handwritten signature
Language: Hebrew
Condition: Very good archival condition with expected age toning and filing folds.