Menachem Begin (AP/File) (AP/File)
Menachem Begin

Thirty years ago, the Israeli prime minister slammed what he termed German “hostility.” His words are still relevant, as Germany and other European nations continue to pressure Israel to make room for a Palestinian state.

Just this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a meeting with the German foreign minister over his insistence on also meeting with anti-Israel groups during his visit.

More than three decades ago, Prime Minister Menachem Begin issued a sharp response to Chancellor Helmut Schmidt’s demand for a Palestinian state.

Germany was responsible for the Holocaust that murdered six million Jews – a third of the nation – the legendary Israeli leader reminded Schmidt.

“I come from the underground fighters. I’m not afraid of anyone,” Begin, who led the underground Irgun fighters for the creation of a Jewish state, declared, saying he refuses to put three and a half million Jews in danger of annihilation by succumbing to Schmidt’s demands.

Thirty years later, six million Jews live in the State of Israel.