- This article is about the Zionist youth movement. 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. Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement A Zionist Youth movement is an organization formed for Jewish children and adolescents for educational social and ideological development Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Ze'ev Jabotinsky MBE (זאב ז'בוטינסקי Зеэв Жаботинский born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky on 18 October 1880 Betar members played important roles in the fight against the British during the Mandate, and in the creation of Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. It has been traditionally linked to the original Herut and then Likud Israeli political parties. This article is about the political party For other uses see Herut (disambiguation. Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel.
Contents |
History
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". Joseph Trumpeldor (b December 1, 1880, d March 1 1920, יוסף טרומפלדור Иосиф Трумпельдор was an early Tel Hai (תל חי meaning "Hill of Life" in Hebrew Talha in Arabic) is the modern name of a settlement in northern Israel the site of an early battle
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, Betar, showing that Betar was intent to create a new generation of Jewish warriors. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Betar was the last standing Jewish fortress in the Bar Kochba revolt of the 2nd century AD destroyed by the Roman army on Tisha B'av In order to produce the needed acronym, the normal spelling of Trumpeldor's name in Hebrew was changed - תרומפלדור instead of טרומפלדור.
During World War II, Betar members, former Polish officers, founded Żydowski Związek Walki (Jewish Fighting Union) which fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Żydowski Związek Wojskowy ( ŻZW, Polish for Jewish Military Union) was an underground resistance organization operating during The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (German "Aufstand im Warschauer Ghetto", Polish "Powstanie w getcie warszawskim") was the Jewish
In the campaign for Israel's creation in British controlled Palestine, many Betar members fought in the militant Irgun against British rule. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Irgun (ארגון shorthand for HaIrgun HaTzva'i HaLe'umi BeEretz Yisra'el, he הארגון הצבאי הלאומי בארץ ישראל "National Military Organization Some graduates from Betar Poland even joined Abraham Stern's more radical Lehi militant group. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Members of Betar were also instrumental in setting up Israel's navy.
Many of Israel's most prominent public figures on the Right have been graduates of Betar, including former Prime Ministers Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, current Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and former Defence Minister Moshe Arens. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (מְנַחֵם בְּגִין Mieczysław Biegun Менахем Вольфович Бегин 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992 was the sixth prime minister of the State of Israel (יִצְחָק שָׁמִיר born Icchak Jaziernicki on 15 October 1915 was Prime Minister of Israel from 1983 to 1984 and again from 1986 to 1992 Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Tzipora Malka "Tzipi" Livni (ציפורה מלכה "ציפי" לבני born 8 July 1958 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is Foreign Affairs Minister Professor Moshe Arens (משה ארנס born 27 December 1925 in Kaunas, Lithuania) is an Israeli politician Current Kadima Member of Knesset Yoel Hasson is a former national head of Betar in Israel. Kadima (קדימה lit Forward) is a political party in Israel. Yoel Hasson (יואל חסון born 4 April 1972) is an Israeli Politician and a member of the Knesset for Kadima. This leads some Israelis to see a connection between Betar and the ruling Kadima party as overshadowing Betar's traditional relationship with Likud.
Today, the Betar Movement is active is primarily involved in Jewish and Zionist activism. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the Tagar, Betar's young adult movement, was active on many university campuses throughout North America during the 1980s as part of the Revisionist Zionist Association. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Although Betar has suffered a drastic decline in membership and activities since the 1970s, the movement continues to boast a few strong branches. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. The most notable of these are the Betar chapters of Australia and Cleveland, Ohio. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads
Regional Activities
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. This article is about the political party For other uses see Herut (disambiguation. 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 Bnei Akiva youth movements (tied to the National Religious Party), they remained a secular movement and never took the initiative that their counterparts did in settling the West Bank and Gaza. Gush Emunim (גוש אמונים Block the faithful) was an Israeli political movement Bnei Akiva (בני עקיבא founded in the British Mandate of Palestine in 1929 is the largest religious Zionist Youth movement in the world today The National Religious Party (מפלגה דתית לאומית Miflaga Datit Leumit, commonly known in Israel by its Hebrew acronym Mafdal, (Hebrew מפד"ל 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. (מְנַחֵם בְּגִין Mieczysław Biegun Менахем Вольфович Бегин 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992 was the sixth prime minister of the State of Israel This article is about the political party For other uses see Herut (disambiguation. Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. In US politics the term Secular Right refers to but is not exclusive to the libertarian, socially liberal or non-religious wing of most conservative
As the Likud party, under Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, moved away from the traditional values of Revisionist Zionism, Betar drew criticism from many on the political right. (בִּנְיָמִין "ביבי" נְתַנְיָהוּ Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, born October 21 1949, Tel Aviv) was Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement Old-time Herut supporters, viewing themselves as ideological purists, have claimed that Betar had turned into a breeding grounds for opportunistic youth seeking political careers. In the late 1990s, when Benny Begin broke away from Likud to form Herut – The National Movement. Ze'ev Binyamin "Benny" Begin, PhD (זאב בנימין "בני" בגין born 1 March 1943) is a former Israeli politician and Herut – The National Movement (חרות – התנועה הלאומית Herut – HaTenoa'a HaLeumit) commonly known as just Herut, is a minor right-wing This trend has continued in many countries around the world, and can be seen on Betar's central website.
Betar's chief disadvantage was the predominance of other youth groups. Belonging to the left wing and the Kibbutz movement, Hashomer Hatzair ("Young Guard" - Socialist Zionist), HaNoar haOved vehaLomed ("the Working and Learning Youth" - Labor Zionist), and Habonim Dror (Freedom Builders - Socialist/Labor Zionist), had taken most Israeli youth in throughout the 1950s-70s. A kibbutz ( Hebrew: קיבוץ קִבּוּץ lit "gathering clustering" plural kibbutzim) is a collective community in Hashomer Hatzair (השומר הצעיר also transliterated Hashomer Hatsair or HaShomer HaTzair, translating as The Youth Guard) is a Socialist Histadrut HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (הסתדרות הנוער העובד והלומד lit Habonim Dror (הבונים דרור Translation 'The Builders - Freedom' is a Secular Socialist-Zionist Youth movement formed by the merger Alongside them were the Tzofim (Scouts) and Bnei Akiva. Today Betar remains a marginal youth movement in both Israel and the Diaspora, and has remained far from the power that its parent movement, the Likud, had on the country. Many Betar members, however, have become important political figures in both the Likud and Kadima parties.
Betar sponsors sports clubs, the most notable is the popular Beitar Jerusalem (or sometimes spelt Betar Jerusalem) football (soccer) club. Beitar Jerusalem FC (מועדון כדורגל בית"ר ירושלים Mōadōn Kadūregel Beitár Yerushaláyim) is an Israeli Football (soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered
Canada
Betar in Toronto opposes the propagation of allegations of Israeli apartheid by advocacy organizations in Canada. In February 2006, Tagar at the University of Toronto produced "Know Radical Islam Week" featuring civil rights activist Nonie Darwish, former Sudanese slave Simon Deng, a Muslim activist speaking on gay rights in the Middle East, Dr. This article is about the University of Toronto's St George Campus Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only Nonie Darwish (نوني درويش is an Egyptian born American writer and public speaker Salim Mansur and presentations by Honest Reporting and Palestinian Media Watch. Salim Mansur is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Palestinian Media Watch (PMW is an organization established in 1996 that monitors Palestinian Arabic media and schoolbooks [1] [2] [3] and was also co-sponsored by groups like the Toronto Secular Alliance. The Toronto Secular Alliance (TSA was a citywide secularist organization which began as a Student organization based at the University of Toronto. Betar in Toronto and Montreal have also worked with such off-campus organizations as the Canadian Coalition for Democracies to promote the importance of secular, participatory politics in Canada. The Canadian Coalition for Democracies ( CCD) is a Canadian political action organization that advocates greater support for Israel India and several other states In March 2007, Betar-Tagar at the University of Toronto changed its name to Zionists at U of T.
Betar-Tagar was active in Montreal and Toronto during the 1980s Lebanon-Israel conflict. A revival of Betar occurred in Montreal on November 9th, 2006. Entitled "Taking Liberties: Terrorism in the West," the event featured keynote speaker Dr. Salim Mansur and was the first film screening of Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West at McGill University. Salim Mansur is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. It was co-organized with Conservative McGill students. [4][5] Again at McGill University in March 2007, Betar Montreal held "Radical Islam Awareness Week," a three day conference featuring former Sudanese slave Simon Deng, Canadian lawyer and security specialist David B. Harris and John Thompson of the Mackenzie Institute. David B Harris is a Canadian lawyer He is the former chief of strategic planning for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The Mackenzie Institute for the Study of Terrorism Revolution and Propaganda is a Think tank in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Concurrent with the 2007 Montreal program, Betar in Toronto held "Freedom and Democracy Week" at the University of Toronto. Speakers included co-founder of the Western Standard newspaper Ezra Levant and Jonah Goldberg of the National Review. The Western Standard ( is a Calgary Alberta -based Libertarian - conservative publication that billed itself as Canada 's only conservative Ezra Levant (born 1972 is a Canadian blogger author journalist lawyer and conservative political activist Jonah Jacob Goldberg (born March 21, 1969) is an American syndicated columnist and author National Review ( NR) is a biweekly Magazine and Web site, founded by the late author William F [6]
United States
Betar has had a Shaliach in New York City and Cleveland Ohio. The Cleveland chapter offers a fall and spring camp that is open to all cities.
Betar offers summer and winter tours of Israel. It is one of the few movements that offer students a change to visit Judea and Samaria. Both programs allow students to spend time at Kedumin, Itamar, Alon Moreh, Sderot, East Jerusalem and Hebron. They have officially adopted Kedumin as a sister city and spend an extensive time volunteering in that city. The winter tour is for college age students and runs in late December.
In addition to its programs for younger students it also has an affiliated program for college age students called Tagar.
Betar strongly promotes the idea of Aliya, Jewish immigration to Israel [7][8][9].
UK
Betar UK is an active movement with the main branch being located in London with over 100 members and 500+ supporters. It is involved in pro-Israel activism including self defense classes for youths, government lobbying, countering perceived UK media bias against Israel and has held regular weekly demonstrations on Thursday evenings for the past 5 years outside Marks and Spencers in Oxford Street to counter the weekly anti Israel demonstrations/pickets boycotting Israeli goods and distributing anti Israel literature.
Australia
Betar Australia Inc. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. is an active movement which has branches in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland Each of these branches conducts activities and functions and holds camps for Jewish youth in each state.
Betar Australia was established in 1948 in Melbourne. Later expanded to Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, the Queensland branch celebrated its 50th Reunion in 2006.
The largest Betar Australia snif (local organization) can be found in Queensland, on Australia's East Coast. Betar Sydney's maon (home) has been located in Beit Herzl on Old South Head Rd in the Eastern Suburbs since the early 1980s. The Sydney movement has experienced periods of increase and decline, but probably reached its zenith in the early 1990s. During that time, winter camps regularly attracted over 220 chanichim (campers). Summer camps were also large, often held in conjunction with the rest of Betar Australia. Several federal camps were held during that time, including Jamboree in Toowoomba, Queensland. Toowoomba (nicknamed 'The Garden City' is a City in South East Queensland, Australia.
Betar also holds annual seminars for senior chanichim as well as educational and training conventions for the senior leaders.
Betar has always been at the forefront of activism in the Australian Jewish communities. From its first protests against the pro-Nazi German pianist Walter Gieseking in Melbourne in 1952 by releasing pigeons and stink bombs during one of his concerts through the battling neo-Nazi groups in the 1960s to spearheading the Sydney Jewish community to protests on behalf of Soviet Jewry in the 1970s and 80s. Betar Sydney was closely involved in the annual protest outside the Soviet Consulate in Trelawney St, Woollahra each Pesach, as well as mass protests outside the Bolshoi Ballet, the Moscow Circus on Ice (at the Sydney Entertainment Centre) and during the visit to Canberra and Sydney of Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze. Woollahra is a Suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Bolshoi Theatre (Большой театр Bol'shoy Teatr Great Theatre) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by famed architect Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze (ედუარდ შევარდნაძე ɛduɑrd ʃɛvɑrdnɑdzɛ (born 25 January 1928 in Mamati, Lanchkhuti In later years, Betar took the initiative to organize community protests outside the Iraqi Embassy in Canberra during the First Gulf War and the Iranian Embassy to protest Iranian state sponsorship of terrorism. Betar also marched in front of the German Consulate in Sydney to protest rising anti-Semitism in the then-newly-reunified Germany. In 2004 Betar Sydney was active in protesting Dr. Hanan Ashrawi's receiving of the then Sydney Premier's peace prize.
Betar Australia Inc. is strong in sending Jewish Australian youth to Israel on long-term programs, in January 2008 sending 9 school-leavers on the year long program, Shnat Hachshara, as recognised by the Australian Zionist Youth Council.
Protests
Russia
Dr. Michael Shtern was imprisoned by the Russian Communists because his sons were openly Zionists. In an effort to free Shtern due to his sickening condition, a group of seven people from Betar, led by Fred Pierce and including Elie Yossef, offered to exchange themselves and serve out his sentence instead of Shtern. Elie Yossef (also Eli Joseph אֵלִי יוֹסֵף is a London-born Israeli educator and political activist The Russian government later deported all of the peaceful protesters.
See also
- Kadima
- Likud
- Revisionist Zionism
- Ze'ev Jabotinsky
- Zionist youth movement
- Betar Jerusalem FC
- Ronn Torossian
References
- ^ University of Toronto News, Feb 7, 2006
- ^ National Post, 'Radical Islam week' sparks U of T furor, by Peter Kuitenbrouwer, February 06, 2006
- ^ Toronto Sun, Feb 7, 2006
- ^ Taking Liberties, Feb 9, 2006
- ^ Jewish Tribune, November 2006
- ^ Israel's Grassroots Defenders, March 2006
- ^ Betar Website
- ^ Betar America
- ^ Betar England
External links
- Betar Argentina Website
- Betar Australia website
- Betar Australia nostalgia website
- Betar Brazil website
- Betar UK website
- Betar Uruguay Website
- Betar Canada website
- Betar CIS website
- Betar Southern Africa Web site
- Betar USA website
- Betar USA website
- Betar France Web Site
- World Betar Web site
- Tagar Zionist Student Activist Movement
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic