Love of Jews

The issue of releasing the Jewish political prisoners is a reliable yardstick in measuring “Love of Jews” (Ahavat Yisrael.) What person with a Jewish heart can bear to see Jews, who acted out of nationalist motives, decay in prison while Arab murderers are set free. Only a Jew who has something dead inside of him cannot identify with the plight of the Jewish prisoners who acted out of pain, retaliation and sometimes self-defense.

Yet, we see so many right-wingers adamantly against their release. Elyakim HaEtzni, considered an extreme right-winger is against releasing the Jewish prisoners, as is the new “savior” Benny Begin. Benny Alon as well says he has a “moral problem” with helping them. We can see from this that there is sometimes no connection between nationalism or “love of land” and “love of Jews”. All the staunch Zionists (including religious ones) don’t even mention Jonathan Pollard anymore. He is simply not in their consciousness. For so many YESHA types, Eretz Yisrael is the only goal that stands before them, while Ahavat Yisrael falls by the wayside. (The attitude of so many of them is that Pollard is an “American”, and anyway, aren’t all Americans crazy?) This is their level of Ahavat Yisrael. Even their slogan “Ahavat Chinam” (unconditional love) is reserved strictly for the secularists, and is only a manipulation to placate the secularists and further the cause for strengthening the settlement enterprise. For this reason, their “Ahavat Chinam” does not extend to the “Haredim”, since the “Haredim”are not settlement supporters.

Note: The point here is not to take away from the importance of settlements,but there is a disproportionate emphasis on this one subject, while other values are ignored. When a Jew is murdered by an Arab, they scream for more settlements instead of for vengeance or the expulsion of the Arabs. Another example: Several years ago when the Russian Jews were coming out of the Soviet Union and going to America instead of Israel, many wanted the Soviets to shut their gates to these Jews, since they are not making Aliyah to Israel. But true “Ahavat Yisrael” would dictate that we should want those Soviet Jews freed in any case, even if they don’t come to Israel. Again, the ideal of Zionism does not have to overshadow the value of “Ahavat Yisrael”. That is why Rabbi Kahane fought anti-semitism in the exile, even if he knew that the ultimate answer is Aliyah to Israel.

On Hevron

As we come down to the critical moments for Hebron, we feel it is important to make two comments concerning the message that has been conveyed by the settlement leaders in the struggle for Hebron.

I have no doubt that many think this is the proper strategy. But no. Firstly, by use of such tactics, one misses the point, which is to communicate the clear and uncompromising message that it is forbidden IN ANYWAY to retreat from Hebron, and one who retreats from Hebron will eventually retreat from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, thereby bringing on a Holocaust to the Jews in Israel, G-d forbid. This is the perfect opportunity to successfully communicate this clear and proud message, when all eyes of the world are upon Hebron, and it is a pity to pass it up.

Beyond all this, even from a practical point of view, their approach will not succeed in preventing the withdrawal. The security argument comes off sounding wimpy, as if the Jews of Hebron are asking for favors, instead of conveying that it is the settlers of Hebron who are doing the favor for all the residents of Israel, and not the other way around. But unfortunately, what is happening by emphasizing the security argument, is that more and more people are becoming convinced that there is no choice other than to evacuate the Jews of Hebron, and so to speak, solve the problem. After all, it it boils down to security, why not just leave in the first place.

The second mistake in the way the struggle is being carried out is unfortunately nothing new. It is as old as the YESHA settlement movement itself. And that is the attempt to delude us, that all which is needed is to acquire one more building, or build one more house, or bring more Jews to walk around the dangerous area of Hebron. They still do not grasp that as long as Arabs live in Hebron or in the Land of Israel, there is no chance for peace or for Jewish settlements – not in Hebron, and not in Tel Aviv. It was nice to see tens of thousands of Jews in Hebron two weeks ago. But we also saw a Hillul Hashem that hundreds and maybe thousands of soldiers and police had to walk around scared in Hebron, in order to protect the Jews from the hundreds of thousands of vipers who live there, and whose very existence threatens the lives of every Jew. For the Torah states: “And if you do not disinherit the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those whom you leave will be thorns in your eyes and thickets in your sides, and they will distress you in the land in which you dwell.” How the settlement leaders have consistently ignored this explicit warning in the Torah, which is also so logical.

The settlers, who have always represented a breath of spiritual fresh air in the material wilderness of the Israeli political scene, could have in a very natural offered a genuine alternative leadership to the Jewish People, who so thirst to be led by men of real faith. But no. They too are stricken with lack of faith, always choosing “to make the best out of a terrible situation”, and never taking the initiative to really solve problems because “the nation is not yet ready”, or other similar excuses.

And so, only a few are ready to say the truth, and they are abused by the wicked regime with administrative detention arrests, restriction orders, and endless trials. The truth is heavy, and so it’s carriers are few. Thus, he who really cares about the fate of Hebron, the fate of Eretz Yisrael, and the fate of Am Yisrael, must join those few who have the courage to speak the truth. Because even if they are relatively small in number, their influence is 10 and 100 times greater than all the parve and unfocused actions that are undertaken by those who do not understand nor want to understand.

The Jewish Answer

Once again Arab murderes have killed a mother and child in the land of Israel. Once again, it is one of the prominent settlement leaders who has been directly hurt. At the risk of sounding cruel, it seems as if the Almighty is trying to send a message directly at them!

Once again the confused Yesha leaders held another media-covered grandoise meeting in which they demanded: “To give the Zionist answer”. Once again, the same nonsense. The “Zionist answer”. It is as if they learn nothing! What is the “Zionist answer” according to them? Expanding settlements…(they don’t dare speak of new settlements anymore!) They are simply stuck in the same mindset of ten years ago! As if another five houses or five hundred houses in Bet-El is the problem or the solution. Why does the “Zionist answer” always begin and end with the concept of settlements? After all, the Torah itself gives the Jewish answer when it commands us: “And you shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein”. And Rashi says: “You shall take possession of it from its inhabitants, and then ‘you shall dwell therein’, then you will be able to remain in it; but if not, you will not be able to remain in it.” That is to say, that if you do not expel the goyim, the settlements will be useless! Here is the Sforno: “When you burn out the inhabitants of the land, Then you will merit to inherit it to your children…” The Torah itself explicitly warns: “But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land…they shall harass you in the land…” Ohr HaChayim: “Not only will they hold on to parts of Israel which you have not yet conquered, but even those parts you have conquered, they will harass you…by saying ‘get out here!'” What Ruach Hakodesh! Why must they be stuck in their same tired perceptions, failing to give the most logical and Zionist answer which is the expulsion of those who have been murdering us in our country for the last 100 years!? The time has arrived to free ourselves from the faulty Zionism of “Mapai”. Zionism is indeed settling the land, but it also includes the expulsion of the foreign inhabitants. The NRP slogan of “Zionism with Nishama” (soul) must be replaced by “Zionism with Nikama” (vengeance).

Excerpts from Shiur

I’m opening up with what is written in Judges, Chapter 3: “Now these are the nations which the Lord left to put Yisrael to the test by them…” It’s a strange verse – that G-d left the nations amongst us to “test us”. But that’s it: the biggest test was always the existence of the goyim in Eretz Yisrael. This was always the key issue which determined whether we would accept the yoke of Heaven and expel them, or not. Each time, for one reason or another, it was the crucial test, and the criterion for true belief. Of course, in this generation, one can see how this is the issue that tests us. How few people are willing to self-sacrifice on this issue. Everyone is getting themselves organized for their private struggle. Hebron is worrying about Hebron, Gush Ezion knows it is in trouble and they are gearing themselves for battle over Gush Ezion. The same thing with the Jordan Valley settlements. The same thing with the Temple Mount. Everybody on their own personal battle, but no one tackles this issue, even though it is the only thing that can really save us. But it isn’t nice, you get labeled racist for it.

Let’s face it. To struggle every day to get 30 boys to learn in Shchem is not the battle. Shchem is already lost – what are you doing? Is this where the efforts of our best people should lie? To build five more houses in Hebron? OK – let some people worry about it. But everyone! All of the finest and dedicated Jews around have to put their efforts into this. The government doesn’t really care about five more houses. They can deal with it – it doesn’t really hinder them – it’s only a little thorn in their sides. Why make this the grand goal? Does it matter anymore if we get to enter the Temple Mount in groups of fives instead of twos? And maybe one day they’ll even let us have a minyan in some corner where nobody sees! All the good Jews who fight for this are doing a great mitzvah – but can’t some of these good Jews fight on the larger front – The battle of Judaism vs. Hellenism which is so accentuated by the Arab problem. What’s the worse that can happen – they will be called a racist? At least if you win, you save the entire picture. But if your entire goal is to add five more houses in Hebron, than you end up sucumbing to the hellenists in order to find favor in their eyes – that is, to denounce “extremist” Jews, to compromise on ideology – after all, you set your goal as five more houses, and so this is what you have to do to get it. The problem is, people don’t want a bad stigma. But the fact is, the leftist hates the settlers in Hebron exactly like they hate the Kahanists.

Our job is to speak the truth and fight the major battle. We don’t care if we are called racists. There is this new slogan, “words can kill”. Words can also “make one live”. Our goal is to spread words of truth among the people. Only this can bring the change…

Uzi Landau

Uzi Landau, who has always been one of the last true ideologues remaining in the Likud and through the years has succeeded, relatively speaking, not to sell out his personal ideals, has finally bit the dust like the rest of them.

In an interview with “Mabat” (before the elections), Landau proclaimed proudly in almost prophetic fashion that, “To Gaza and Shchem we will not return!” If he had made such a statement less enthusiastically and just to please Bibi, we might understand. But having said it with such fervor, we now understand that the politician in him has finally got the best of him.

Not only has the famous Betar cry, “Two sides to the Jordan, they are both ours” become a mockery, but now even the side of the Jordan which is left -“To Gaza and Shchem we will not return!” Perhaps the time has arrived that we understood that the nationalistic cry, “Two sides of the Jordan” without faith in God and a connection to the Jewish sources never had a chance in the first place.