Beigin Says Occupied Territories Part of ‘jewish Homeland,’ Should Be Kept

Menachem Beigin, the Herut Party leader and Cabinet Minister Without-Portfolio, told a student meeting here yesterday that the occupied Arab territories are as much a part of the “historic Jewish homeland” as Israel proper and should not be relinquished because the Arab population will exceed the Jewish one. Mr. Beigin, a staunch advocate of annexation, declared that “no other nation in the world ever relinquished part of its homeland because of a so called demographic problem.” He said, “Our nation whose very soul has been bound up with the land of Israel down through the ages and through every danger cannot do that. Jericho, Hebron and Nablus are part of the homeland Just like Jaffa, Lydda, Acre and Nazareth.” He said the demographic problem could be solved by maintaining a large Jewish majority, partly by immigration.