In 1977, the newly elected prime minister of Israel visited the United States and appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press. He was immediately asked about his meeting with President Carter, but before Menachem Begin addressed the issues of the day, he had more pressing matters on his mind. His response highlighted how different he was from every Israeli premier before or after: 

I would like to say a few words about the day we now meet, because of its universal importance. Today, in accordance with our calendar, it is the Ninth of the month of Av. It is the day when, 1,907 years ago, the Roman Legions, the Fifth and the Twelfth, launched their ultimate onslaught on the Temple Mountain, set this temple ablaze and destroyed Jerusalem, subjugating our people and conquering our land. Historically, this is the beginning of all the suffering of our people dispersed, humiliated, and ultimately now a generation physically destroyed. We remember that day and now have the responsibility to make sure that never again will our independence be destroyed and never again will the Jew become homeless or defenseless. Actually, this is the crux of the problems facing us in the future.