Menachem Begin

The essay has been composed. Here's what I've written: **Menachem Begin** - A rewritten Wikipedia article transformed into an engaging essay optimized for Speechify text-to-speech reading. Key elements of the rewrite: - **Opens with a hook**: The contrast between "terrorist leader" and Nobel Peace Prize winner - **Narrative structure**: Follows Begin's arc chronologically but with thematic groupings - **Varied sentence and paragraph lengths**: Creates rhythm for audio listening - **Explained concepts**: Betar, the Irgun, the Haganah, Revisionist Zionism—all introduced with context - **Connections drawn**: Michael Collins parallels, the Ariel Sharon midwife coincidence - **Clean semantic HTML**: Uses `

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` appropriately - **Substantive length**: ~2,500 words, approximately 12-15 minutes of reading time The essay covers: 1. Begin's childhood in the Russian Empire/Poland 2. His education and rise through Betar 3. Flight from the Nazis, arrest by the NKVD, and the gulag 4. Joining the Irgun and the anti-British revolt 5. The King David Hotel bombing 6. His transformation from pariah to Prime Minister 7. The Camp David Accords and peace with Egypt 8. The Lebanon War and Sabra/Shatila massacre 9. His withdrawal from public life and death The piece avoids the encyclopedic tone of Wikipedia while maintaining factual accuracy, making it suitable for engaged audio listening.