From moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem to recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights to signing the Taylor Force Act that puts the breaks on US aid to the Palestinian Authority until they end their evil Pay to Slay program, President Trump has shown himself to be the best friend Jews and the State of Israel have ever had in the White House.
Along with his firm and unwavering stance against anti-Semitism at the UN and its troubling rise here in America we have much to be grateful for and we look forward to seeing him re-elected next November.
With that in mind, it makes no sense that the President, a sharp and sensible leader who is openly interested in the welfare of Jews and Israel, because of his Jewish daughter and grandchildren, would back a plan that endangers millions of Jewish lives and will completely destabilize the already volatile Middle East region.
Contrary to the accolades with which it was announced, the peace plan is no more than double-speak that jeopardizes Jewish residential and property rights in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley because it prohibits the annexation, meaning the incorporation, of these areas into the State of Israel’s national domain.
All too often, Israeli leaders and the media rush in to blame the “settlers” rather than first fact check who is telling the truth – an observation the Lubavitcher Rebbe made long ago to Ariel Sharon...
With regard to sovereignty, if by that one means the application of legal jurisdiction over a territory, the fact is that Israel’s Defense Ministry via a branch called the Civil Administration effectively holds jurisdiction over Area C where the Jews live as per the Oslo Accords designation for their communities.
Lest anyone from Shiloh to Hevron think that, finally, their hometowns were about to become a permanent part of the State of Israel, US Ambassador David Friedman was quick to dismiss the notion: Sovereignty does not equal Annexation. It does, however, mean applying Israeli law to the area, which is not the way the Civil Administration applies its legal jurisdiction and would, in truth, benefit those Israelis living there.
Giving President Trump the benefit of the doubt that he means it when he says no one will have to leave their home, that may not be the case with Israeli politicians. All too often, the Israeli Government has shown itself eager to harass, arrest and detain Judea and Samaria’s hard-working, tax-paying Jewish citizens whenever an Arab or anti-Israel NGO lodges a complaint against one of them.
All too often, Israeli leaders and the media rush in to blame the “settlers” rather than first fact check who is telling the truth – an observation the Lubavitcher Rebbe made long ago to Ariel Sharon in response to his query as to why the Rebbe was not sending his hassidim to live in Hevron or elsewhere.
Two of the most egregious examples are the arrests and unproven accusations against Elisha Odess and Amiran ben Uliel in the Duma Case and the conviction of Elor Azariya who was, in our view, unfairly found guilty for acting swiftly to eliminate a wounded terrorist from exploding what he thought was a bomb-laden suicide belt.
Relinquishing the right to annex all of Judea and Samaria let alone its Jewish cities, towns and the list of 15 smaller “enclaves” named in President Trump’s peace plan is a sure-fire bet that at some point in the future Netanyahu or another Prime Minister will move to sway public opinion that it’s just too dangerous and difficult to keep protecting these places.
Which will be true, because, seriously, does anyone really believe the Jews in Area C are going to be safe surrounded on all sides by a State of "Palestine?" It won’t be long before the Israeli Government decides to forgo sovereignty and the hundreds of thousands of Jews who live there will be pushed onto buses and forcibly expelled.
Anyone who thinks it can’t happen – go back and take a look at what was done to Gush Katif!
The Deal of the Century’s scheme places an avowed enemy smack in the middle of the State of Israel with rights to contiguous territory linking “Palestine’s” southern tip to Gaza through a tunnel - of all things! Not to mention the expanded Gaza Strip that will run along the border with Egypt and two bridges that will cross into Jordan where the majority population is “Palestinian" Arab and extremely hostile to Israel.
“Had they only stood firm during the Camp David talks, they would have succeeded in everything. Building a road across the width of Israel to connect Jordan to the Mediterranean means opening the way for all the Arabs!” (The Rebbe, Motzei Shabbos Parshas Chaya Sarah, 5739/1979)
Expecting Mahmoud Abbas, an unrepentant Holocaust denier, to disarm Hamas and the other terror groups operating in Gaza is ludicrous; during the Knife Intifada, it was his Fatah Fighters and Aksa Martyrs Brigade that openly boasted about the materiel support they were getting from Iran!
All the way back in 1977 following the signing of the Camp David Accords, the Lubavitcher Rebbe declared: “all calculations of capitulation whereby they think they will achieve peace – are uncertain at the most. On the other hand, relinquishing Judea and Samaria puts into mortal danger all of the Jewish People throughout the Land of Israel. This is an absolute certainty. We have a ruling from the Code of Jewish Law: a matter of uncertainty may not outweigh – overrule – that which is a matter of certainty. It is clear: it is forbidden to hand over any parts of the Land of Israel.” (The Rebbe, Parshas Vayeetze, 9 Kislev, 1977)
Do we need a worse proof for this than the disaster that has ensued since the Disengagement/Expulsion from Gush Katif in 2005? How much more so is it certain that upon relinquishing Judea, Samaria, East Jerusalem and parts of the border with Egypt for a Palestinian State, every Jewish life will be in danger, G-d Forbid!
The people who hoodwinked the President into signing off on this deal and the Jewish media, religious and secular, who are not sufficiently sounding the alarm about its dangers have a lot to answer to Hashem and the Jewish People, C’lal Yisroel.
Along with the threat from Hezbollah up north, we must all take heed of the Rebbe’s maxim: Ha Maaseh Hu HaIkar – that taking action is what counts: we must all rise in unison and protest until this peace plan and the ones that came before it become null and void.
The Rebbe often expressed his hope that Israeli leaders would learn from their past mistakes [in giving up land], and, at the very least, give the alternative a chance. Beginning with the Rabbonim and hassidic Rebbeim, the Rebbe called on them to take the lead and publicize the rulings in the Code of Jewish Law that it is forbidden to give away any part of The Land of Israel to non-Jews and what to do when non-Jews besiege a Jewish city: When an enemy approaches (even when it seems he is only asking for nothing more than straw and stubble), Jewish Law demands we stand ready with weapons and go out to war, even on Shabbos, because they are on the border; we must let “there befall upon them fear and trepidation”. that in Hilchot Shabbat, Orach Chaim, ch. 329.
The Rebbe often expressed his hope that Israeli leaders would learn from their past mistakes, and, at the very least, give the alternative a chance.
Many will ask, how do we shift the script and extract ourselves from the quagmire of Oslo.
We suggest turning to Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut Security and Diplomatic Plan that in our opinion echoes the Rebbe’s words in spirit and form. While, Crown Heights Women for the Safety and Integrity of Israel does not endorse any party or candidate for Knesset, we do call on those in the running to study Zehut’s peace plan!
Simultaneously as the details for restoring Law and Order and security come into place, the Rebbe encouraged Israel to settle everywhere in a peaceful manner, quickly and quietly. This the Rebbe said will demonstrate to the World that we truly believe the Land of Israel is our G-d Given eternal heritage and garner their deepest respect for speaking and living the truth.
May the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Vision for achieving true peace bring peace upon the Land without delay!