Almost 2½ decades have passed since the death of Menachem Begin, Israel’s sixth prime minister. Still, the former Likud leader who retired suddenly under rather inexplicable circumstances is making a comeback in Israeli politics. On March 9, which marked the 24th anniversary of Begin’s death, it was hard not to notice how politicians used Begin to boost their images.

It is a fascinating phenomenon. Begin's legacy has not only been adopted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Likud leaders, but also by Kulanu chair and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid. But while Kahlon grew up in the Likud and admired Begin as a boy, Lapid’s connection to the right-wing leader is not particularly clear, considering that most of his supporters have center-left views. Nevertheless, even Lapid is making an effort to claim Begin as one of his own. What is it about Begin, the man considered responsible for the fiascos of the Lebanon War, that has made him into a banner to draw potential voters? Or perhaps more accurately, why do politicians think this of him?

To answer that question, it is worth looking at how Lapid uses Begin for his own purposes. In a March 11 Facebook post, he described a meeting he held in Ashkelon the night before. His hosts were the Zrihan family, which he described as having deep Likud roots. He wrote, “'Just like you,’ I told them, ‘I grew up in a home that worshiped Menachem Begin. His strength lay in his refusal to accept that something was impossible.' We can separate ourselves from the Palestinians. We can improve the education of our children. We can fight corruption. We can lower prices.”

It is not by chance that Lapid has turned himself into a Begin acolyte. As part of his effort to draw more moderate voters from the Likud, he is using the image of a right-wing national leader who was admired by Mizrahi Jews living in the Israeli periphery. With Lapid soaring in the polls, Begin's image is exactly what he needs to win the support of Likud Mizrahi voters. On the other hand, there is no real basis for Lapid to claim Begin’s legacy. It borders on a complete distortion of the former leader’s character and beliefs.