Menachem Begin grew up in Russia and studied in Poland, where he joined Zionist forces to fight anti-Semitism. He moved to Palestine in 1940 and became the commander of the Irgun, a guerilla force responsible for terrorist acts against Arab and British military and civilian posts. Elected to the Knesset in 1949, Begin represented the conservatives, and by 1973 he was head of the Likud party. In 1977 he formed a coalition government and served as Prime Minister until 1983. As Prime Minister, Begin signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979 (sharing the Nobel Prize with Anwar Sadat), but was criticized for the 1982 invasion and occupation of Lebanon (led by Ariel Sharon). After he resigned, Begin lived in relative seclusion until his death.
