Begin: "Beyond the Pale"

TIME'S Jerusalem bureau chief Donald Neff assesses Menachem Begin on the first anniversary of his premiership:

It was just a year ago that the former guerrilla leader and ultranationalist Menachem Begin came to power -- and all the worst fears, and more, of his critics have since come to pass. More than any other man, Begin has set back the chances for peace in the Middle East. He has proved inflexible, myopic, hard-lining and probably deceptive, especially in his dealings with Washington.

Under Begin, the slow erosion of relations between Washington and Jerusalem that start ed with the new Carter Administration have accelerated sharply. Begin has proved unbending in his determination to establish new settlements, even though the U.S. has urged him to go slowly. Under his aegis, 23 new settlements have been authorized or constructed on the West Bank alone, including the "archaeological dig" at Shiloh. In the previous ten years of Labor Party rule, only 28 West Bank settlements were established.

Probably the greatest irritant in the Washington-Jerusalem relationship is Begin's refusal to admit that U.N. Resolution 242 applies to the West Bank, that hilly desert area that he calls part of the Jews' homeland by "natural and eternal right." The hope was that when he came to power, he would recognize the historic necessity of giving up the West Bank with its 692,000 Palestinian in habitants. A year later, observers wondered whether even such an optimist as U.S. Ambassador Samuel Lewis any longer held out hope that Begin will change. Israel's leader truly believes that the West Bank is more important than peace or, to put it another way, that there can be no peace and security without maintaining Israeli troops on the West Bank. Among Israelis, that is a widely shared opinion, and Begin loses no points at home for his adamant stand.

During his twelve months in power, Begin has emerged as a mystic, a legalist, a man totally insensitive to any problems beyond those of Jewish Israel. He is tiresomely preachy in his talks with non-Israeli leaders, repeating to the point of boredom his odd fact-and-fiction litany of Jewish biblical and legal rights, his self-justification for Irgun atrocities and his blend of self-righteous arrogance.

Foreign visitors more often than not come out of his presence with a look of glazed incredulity. British Foreign Secretary David Owen almost certainly did say after one meeting with Begin, "I can't stand that man." Though American diplomats put up a good front about their feelings toward him, other ambassadors are less restrained. One, when asked at a private party what he thought of Begin, observed, "He's beyond the pale."

Indeed, many Israelis are saying the same thing today, mainly because they believe he is seriously ill. Stories and speculation abound about his deteriorating health. He is known to have a bad heart condition and diabetes, and rumored to have just about everything else. Two weeks ago, he remained home for three days, supposedly resting, but widely believed to be ailing.

Given the external criticism of Begin's policies, not to mention the state his health, it might be reasonable to conclude that he may not be in office much longer. But that is not necessarily true. Despite the overseas criticism and the cracks in his own government, most political observers in Jerusalem are convinced that for the moment Begin's political standing remains solid and secure.

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