Why did Israel shift from a state based on pioneering egalitarianism and “”making the desert bloom”” to one which is chiefly known for its military prowess? Colin Shindler examines Israel’s shift to the right at the hands of Menachem Begin, the supposed “”disciple”” of Vladimir Jabotinsky. He demonstrates through previously unpublished sources how Israel drifted away from Jabotinsky’s ideas towards a maximalist Zionism promoted by Begin.