The age of prophecy is over
The age of prophecy is over

Last week MK Moshe Gafni (Torah Judaism) charged that Jews’ visits to the Temple Mount at this time were “stupid provocations causing state immeasurable damage” and Gafni prophesied that this could lead Israel to war.

But before considering this prophesy of doom, and without discussing halakhic reasons that prevent Jews from visiting the mount, let’s take a close look at the fate of other prophecies, choosing those made in the past by that very same MK :

On October 25, 2004, Moshe Gafni revealed this prophecy regarding "peace in our time" as promised by Ariel Sharon’s "Disengagement" Plan:

"There are those who claim that if we leave the Gaza Strip the border will come closer [that is, Gaza’s terror will “come closer” to Israel]. By the way, they said similar things regarding Lebanon. They said that if we leave Lebanon there will be missiles on Zichron Yaakov. [But] there are no katyushas falling on Kiryat Shmona, and soldiers are not dying in Lebanon."

This prophesy of Gafni’s turned out to be wrong. Shortly after the implementation of the Disengagement, Israel’s Shin Bet cited a rise of 300% in terrorist attacks out of Gaza. The Second Lebanon War broke, and within three weeks of fighting 121 IDF soldiers were killed as Hezbollah missiles rained down on Israel, killing an additional 44 civilians and wounding 1,384. Israel sustained billions of dollars of damage (over 1.5% of Israel’s GDP).

Israel’s unilateral retreats from Lebanon and Gaza only emboldened its enemies. Today, control of Gaza’s border is entrusted to Hamas, effectively placing most of Israel’s Jews, from north to south, within terrorist kill zones.

In an interview after announcing his decision to support the Sharon coalition, “MK Gafni Explains Decision to Join Government,” Gafni admitted that without his support Sharon’s government would fall: “True, I agree that it is more likely that there would have been new elections." That is, Gafni chose to save Sharon's government along with its cause célèbre, the Disengagement Plan, allowing the expulsion of nearly 10 thousand Jews from their homes, the destruction of their lives and livelihoods, the destruction of their yeshivas, shuls, cheders and mikvahs, along with their dead disinterred.

On January 10, 2005, in exchange for three-hundred million shekels, Gafni’s vote ushered in Sharon’s New Government by a majority of two (58 MKs for and 56 against), betraying the instructions of Gedolei Yisrael not to support the "Disengagement."

Instead of taking responsibility for this, Gafni blamed the victims, “They got their just deserts from Heaven on the spot: They spoke against the Torah, acted against the Torah, immediately, within a couple of months their government decided upon the Disengagement Plan” (Hamodia Directors Forum, July 2, 2013).

Perhaps we should put these prophecies into the dustbin of history lest they again embolden Israel's enemies.