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Av 14, 5765, 8/19/2005
Where to Point the Finger
The scenes of the past few days have been nothing short of frightening.
The sight of Israeli soldiers dragging Jews out of synagogues, or young Israeli children weeping on buses as they bid farewell to their homes, should leave us all shaken to the very core of our being.
 It would be easy to point the finger at Sharon, at the Likud, at the Government - and they surely are to blame for inflicting this disgraceful expulsion on our brothers and sisters in Gush Katif - but as believing Jews we know that it is not all that simple.
We know that if G-d has allowed this to happen, it is because WE are doing something wrong, something very, very wrong, that warrants reflection, repair and repentance.
Each of us, as individuals and as communities, must examine our own deeds and our own behavior, and correct whatever it is that we are failing at. And we should make sure to channel the anger, the bitterness and the fury that we feel into positive and productive efforts aimed at one goal and one goal only: to heal our people and our Land.
Shabbat Shalom - and may the scenes of this past week in Gush Katif never again be repeated.
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Av 11, 5765, 8/16/2005
Look Who's Celebrating
If remarks made by a senior Hamas leader the other day are any indication, then Israel’s planned withdrawal from Gaza is already providing terror groups in the region with a great deal of encouragement to continue with their lethal and inhumane struggle against the Jewish state.
Speaking to the London-based al-Hayat newspaper, Hamas chieftain Khaled Mashaal could barely conceal his glee over the prospect of an Israeli retreat. The withdrawal, Mashaal said, is “the beginning of the end for Israel”.
“Resistance is a strategic choice,” he added, “because the withdrawal from Gaza is the first step on the way to completing the liberation.”
It would be easy, of course, to dismiss Mashaal’s remarks as the little more than exaggerated posturing by the terror group he represents, which wants to claim credit for chasing Israel out of the area.
But that would be a mistake, because what matters here is what lesson groups such as Hamas are drawing from the Israeli retreat – and it is clear from Mashaal’s comments that they view it as tangible proof that they are making progress in their plan to eliminate the Jewish state.
You can tell a lot about a political or historical event by looking at who’s celebrating it – and in this case it should be obvious that anything which gives Hamas encouragement is most assuredly a dangerous and foolhardy mistake.
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Av 10, 5765, 8/15/2005
Read His Lips
In remarks to the press the other day, US President George W. Bush unwittingly laid out a convincing reason why an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza is not a wise move.
Referring to mounting pressure on the Administration to pull out US forces from Iraq, Bush said:
"I also have heard the voices of those saying, pull out now, and I've thought about their cry, and their sincere desire to reduce the loss of life by pulling our troops out. I just strongly disagree. Pulling the troops out would send a terrible signal to the enemy. Immediate withdrawal would say to the Zarqawis of the world, and the terrorists of the world, and the bombers who take innocent life around the world, you know, the United States is weak; and all we've got to do is intimidate and they'll leave."
All you need to do is replace the word “Zarqawis” with “Abu Mazens”, and “the United States” with “Israel”, in the President’s remarks, and you have a darned good reason why the proposed Israeli retreat is a mistake of strategic and historic proportions.
Instead of punishing Palestinian terrorism, the Gaza withdrawal rewards it in an unprecedented manner.
Too bad that Bush and his pal Sharon refuse to acknowledge this basic truth – but the saddest part of all is that it is the people of Israel who will inevitably pay the price for their folly.
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Fundamentally Freund
by Michael Freund
An Alternative Approach to Israeli Political Commentary
Michael Freund is Founder and Chairman of Shavei Israel, returning "lost Jews" to the Jewish people.
Previously, he served as Deputy Director of Communications & Policy Planning under former premier Benjamin Netanyahu.
A native of New York, he holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University and a BA from Princeton University.
He has lived in Israel for the past decade.
Shavei Israel
For Our People's Return
www.shavei.org |
