Sunday, August 4, 2013

The Values Behind the Talks



by Dr. Haim Shine


There is room for some real concern during these days of peace negotiations. Unfortunately, I do not share the belief that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his buddies will do the dirty work for us by being obstinate and reject every offer, ensuring that another American attempt to score a diplomatic victory at our expense ends up directly in history's recycling bin. Past attempts have exacted a heavy, bloody toll. 

The American motivation to achieve a breakthrough is immense, because their global status is at an all-time low. Abbas and his friends are well aware of Israeli society's Achilles heel, thanks to certain experts among us who have been advising the Palestinians, and meanwhile there are groups within Israeli society that seek to project an air of weakness and exhaustion. 

Anyone who thinks that the idea of holding a national referendum on any future peace agreement will serve as an iron-clad defense against extensive territorial concessions is dead wrong. If Moses had held a referendum on whether the Israelites should enter the Promised Land after 40 years in the desert, I am convinced that the majority of the people, including the leaders, would have been happy to remain in the desert, eat food that came from the sky without having to work for it, and enjoy the security of God's pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. If Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion had held a referendum on whether to declare the establishment of the State of Israel, knowing that the very declaration would bring about the deaths of thousands the very next day, most of the people would have likely preferred to put it off. 

If only Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had held a referendum on whether to hand the Gush Katif settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip over to the Palestinians, I am certain that most of Israel's citizens would have chosen to give the land back out of some delusion that peace was at hand. But the Jews don't have the luxury of a second chance. We were left a small people, under constant threat, and it is our leaders' duty to make decisions based on vision and beliefs and what is best for the people rather than what the people think they want at any given time. 

The Israeli Right, which has been leading the country for many years now, urgently needs to clarify to the public the historical and national aspects of our right to the land of our forefathers and the security considerations that require us to retain our control over Judea and Samaria. We have been so occupied with housing prices and cottage cheese that we have forgotten that the return to Israel is the return of the Jews to history, with all the responsibility that this entails. 

Taking our destiny into our own hands means strengthening the already strong foundations of our glorious people, knowing that this is where we were born, and no one will kick us out, and knowing that a body cannot survive without a heart. The heart of the Jewish nation is Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron. Anyone who agrees to relinquish the heart is in essence relinquishing the entire body. 

I recently heard Amir Benayoun's emotionally moving and wonderful song "Be'anva Vebegaon" ("With Humility and Pride"). Benayoun is one of the greatest Jewish artists of our generation, and has been standing at the gates for several years now, expressing the voice of faith and hope in the eternity of Israel. His impressive song, about late Prime Minister Menachem Begin, touches on the beliefs of the distinguished leader who taught us a thing or two about dedication and how to be fully connected to Zion and Jerusalem and, most importantly, to love the Jews. 

On days like these, it is important to go back to Begin's legacy and his enormous faith in the people of Israel and the Jews' ability to overcome any challenge and complete any mission as long as we have a true vision. Most Israelis -- the silent majority -- love the country and our forefathers and feel connected to this land with every fiber of their beings. Most people understand the significance of this connection and expect their leaders to come out and say that they are not wrong.


Dr. Haim Shine

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=5239

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

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