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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