When reading the news from Eretz Yisroel, I often gasp, sigh or cry, sometimes I even yelp or scream, but I have never actually felt sick. Never, that is, until a little over a week ago, when I saw a headline stating that the Honorable Mr.Yosef Lapid was voicing an opinion about Netzarim.
Look, some things are pure? and a person associated with anti-Godliness, has to know enough to stay away.
One person looks at a mountain and gazes up to the summit. Another person looks in the water near the base of the mountain and sees the mountain?s reflection. If this person does not realize that what he is seeing is an illusion, he will think the summit of the mountain is at the bottom.
There are some issues concerning which Mr. Lapid does not know reality from illusion, up from down, nor wrong from right. One of those issues is Netzarim, amongst the summit of settlements.
Once the Oslo War started, I wanted to learn more about Aza, a part of Eretz Yisroel I had known very little about. So I put the word ?Gaza? in my search engine and found myself reading quite an encouraging report about the Jewish settlement and progress in the Gaza Strip. Soon enough, I realized I was reading Arab propaganda. But just like the Malaysian Prime Minister gave a back handed compliment by saying that a handful of Jews are more competent than a world full of Arabs, so was this anti-Jewish report giving impressive statistics about Jews and their progress in Aza.
They described in detail the strategic importance of the community of Netzarim. If Mr. Lapid wants to have an opinion about Netzarim - I wish he wouldn?t - then he would be well advised to be at least as informed as those who have full intentions to obliterate him and his country. Otherwise, he is just not a match for them and his opinion is inept.
The whole world says that the settlements are an obstacle to peace. For those who interpret peace to mean: all the Jews should ?rest in peace? - G-d forbid - then the settlements are in fact the biggest obstacle.
But for those who want Jews to live, and specifically, want Jews to live on the land of their inheritance, then an obstacle to ?peace? is needed. The settlements are that obstacle.
The settlements obstruct the government from dismantling the country. I do not have to tell the readers of Arutz Sheva that giving up Yesha would mean disaster for the entire country. Give the enemies Netzarim, and all they have to do is make a ?one-eighty? and invade Sderot.
And yet, this is what the government would like to do. Only the settlements and settlers are in the way. They are the strongest obstacle to the process of destruction, labeled ?peace,? stronger than any politician or political movement.
And what settlement, besides Netzarim, could be more representative of the role of obstacle to ?peace?? Netzarim has an important strategic location and is isolated to the point of the residents needing an army escort to reach other Jewish communities.
By its existence, Netzarim provides the army an excuse to be right inside Arab areas, with access to the coast, places we need to monitor and patrol. Unfortunately, the army needs to use a settlement as an excuse, because otherwise the pressure would be too great, the politicians would pull the army out. (Yes, I know Lapid recommends leaving a small army presence. But the laws of nature are that one concession brings another.)
By its existence, Netzarim provides the soldiers the ability to withstand the hardships of being in such a precarious location. Having residents to guard is much more rewarding and stimulating than being stranded in an army post where staying alert would be very tricky. The interaction with residents is important to the soldiers. Every evening, the men of Netzarim take refreshments to the soldiers. A cup of ice coffee and some home made cake goes a long way to keeping the soldiers alert, as well as feeling appreciated.
By its existence, Netzarim is guarding a section of the Holy Land given to the Jews by the creator of the world. The Code of Jewish Law, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 329:6, states that when an enemy comes to a border town, even if there is no immediate danger to life, since allowing them control of the border town puts the entire land in danger, we are to take up arms, even in violation of the Shabbos, in order to stop them. The Lubavitcher Rebbe states that today, every area in Eretz Yisroel is considered a border town.
Netzarim, providing an opening to the coast, even more so.
The settlements in Yesha and in the Jordan Valley are essential to the security of Jews in Eretz Yisroel, as are their satellite outposts. Imagining life in Eretz Yisroel without them is exactly that, imagination. How could we protect ourselves without our precious ?obstacles to peace??
The residents of Netzarim assumed a challenging task when they chose to settle there. The last three years have proven to be a challenge well beyond what anyone could have anticipated. And yet, the residents are not running away, they are not even despondent. They are rising to the challenge, rising to the summit, caressed by the clouds.... Could someone get Yosef Lapid?s opinion outta? here?
Look, some things are pure? and a person associated with anti-Godliness, has to know enough to stay away.
One person looks at a mountain and gazes up to the summit. Another person looks in the water near the base of the mountain and sees the mountain?s reflection. If this person does not realize that what he is seeing is an illusion, he will think the summit of the mountain is at the bottom.
There are some issues concerning which Mr. Lapid does not know reality from illusion, up from down, nor wrong from right. One of those issues is Netzarim, amongst the summit of settlements.
Once the Oslo War started, I wanted to learn more about Aza, a part of Eretz Yisroel I had known very little about. So I put the word ?Gaza? in my search engine and found myself reading quite an encouraging report about the Jewish settlement and progress in the Gaza Strip. Soon enough, I realized I was reading Arab propaganda. But just like the Malaysian Prime Minister gave a back handed compliment by saying that a handful of Jews are more competent than a world full of Arabs, so was this anti-Jewish report giving impressive statistics about Jews and their progress in Aza.
They described in detail the strategic importance of the community of Netzarim. If Mr. Lapid wants to have an opinion about Netzarim - I wish he wouldn?t - then he would be well advised to be at least as informed as those who have full intentions to obliterate him and his country. Otherwise, he is just not a match for them and his opinion is inept.
The whole world says that the settlements are an obstacle to peace. For those who interpret peace to mean: all the Jews should ?rest in peace? - G-d forbid - then the settlements are in fact the biggest obstacle.
But for those who want Jews to live, and specifically, want Jews to live on the land of their inheritance, then an obstacle to ?peace? is needed. The settlements are that obstacle.
The settlements obstruct the government from dismantling the country. I do not have to tell the readers of Arutz Sheva that giving up Yesha would mean disaster for the entire country. Give the enemies Netzarim, and all they have to do is make a ?one-eighty? and invade Sderot.
And yet, this is what the government would like to do. Only the settlements and settlers are in the way. They are the strongest obstacle to the process of destruction, labeled ?peace,? stronger than any politician or political movement.
And what settlement, besides Netzarim, could be more representative of the role of obstacle to ?peace?? Netzarim has an important strategic location and is isolated to the point of the residents needing an army escort to reach other Jewish communities.
By its existence, Netzarim provides the army an excuse to be right inside Arab areas, with access to the coast, places we need to monitor and patrol. Unfortunately, the army needs to use a settlement as an excuse, because otherwise the pressure would be too great, the politicians would pull the army out. (Yes, I know Lapid recommends leaving a small army presence. But the laws of nature are that one concession brings another.)
By its existence, Netzarim provides the soldiers the ability to withstand the hardships of being in such a precarious location. Having residents to guard is much more rewarding and stimulating than being stranded in an army post where staying alert would be very tricky. The interaction with residents is important to the soldiers. Every evening, the men of Netzarim take refreshments to the soldiers. A cup of ice coffee and some home made cake goes a long way to keeping the soldiers alert, as well as feeling appreciated.
By its existence, Netzarim is guarding a section of the Holy Land given to the Jews by the creator of the world. The Code of Jewish Law, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 329:6, states that when an enemy comes to a border town, even if there is no immediate danger to life, since allowing them control of the border town puts the entire land in danger, we are to take up arms, even in violation of the Shabbos, in order to stop them. The Lubavitcher Rebbe states that today, every area in Eretz Yisroel is considered a border town.
Netzarim, providing an opening to the coast, even more so.
The settlements in Yesha and in the Jordan Valley are essential to the security of Jews in Eretz Yisroel, as are their satellite outposts. Imagining life in Eretz Yisroel without them is exactly that, imagination. How could we protect ourselves without our precious ?obstacles to peace??
The residents of Netzarim assumed a challenging task when they chose to settle there. The last three years have proven to be a challenge well beyond what anyone could have anticipated. And yet, the residents are not running away, they are not even despondent. They are rising to the challenge, rising to the summit, caressed by the clouds.... Could someone get Yosef Lapid?s opinion outta? here?