Later in his speech, Begin said, “You should not be shocked by the accusation that was mentioned here by MK Nurock, that the prisoners were tortured. It is not my intention to establish this as a fact; I do not know whether there was indeed torture that took place. I do know, however, that the members of your secret police include people who collaborated with the British secret police, sadistic people who tortured the prisoners under their control. Why, then, should you be shocked? Why should you pretend that it is unthinkable? Haven’t there been trials in Israel concerning the use of torture? I am not making accusations; I am merely saying that I want facts, and I want the court to rule on these matters. If you have evidence, then why did you use the emergency provisions of the law? And if you don’t have evidence, then what allowed you to open a concentration camp in Israel? What you have done is a shameful act of terror, a deliberate act that brings more disgrace upon this state than all the crimes that Brit HaKanoim has committed or planned to commit. For today, there is a concentration camp in the State of Israel.”
“It is for the state’s protection,” Moshe Sharett said.
“No,” Begin replied. “It is not for the protection of the state; it is to undermine the security of the state and to besmirch its name. There are no concentration camps that guarantee the security of a country. A camp of this sort would undermine the security of any country. Acts of terror committed by the government bring other acts of terror in their wake. Experience should have taught you that. We are the people who fought the British government and violated its laws, and we called on the youths to ignore your orders because you were collaborating with the British. We call on everyone to respect the laws of the Knesset, but we warn you that this path is fraught with danger. You have done something heinous: You have opened a concentration camp in Israel.”
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