“Price tag” vandalism and attacks targeting Arabs could get Jews expelled from Judea and Samaria, Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun has warned.
Rabbi Bin-Nun, one of the founders of the Har Etzion Yeshiva, told Arutz Sheva that previous expulsions of Jews can be attributed to Jewish extremism.
“Our forefathers’ first attempt to settle in Samaria failed because of the actions of Shimon and Levy, that’s why Yaakov [Jacob] left Shechem,” he said, referring to Shimon and Levy’s revenge on the men of Shechem for the rape of their sister.
A similar fate awaits today’s Jews if extremists continue with “price tag” activity, he warned. “Price tag” vandals have targeted Arab-owned property, or IDF property, in response to terrorist attacks or expulsions; some “price tag” attacks have involved physical violence.
Extremists “are destroying the settlement enterprise,” he warned. “It already happened in Yamit and in Gush Katif, and it’s likely to happen in Samaria, all because of these vengeful people.”
“G-d runs the world, not the leftists or the Americans, and He does not like revenge,” Rabbi Bin Nun warned. “We must not take the path of revenge and cruelty.”
It should be noted that many of the “price tag” attacks were not carried out by Israelis from Judea and Samaria, and at least one was committed by Palestinian Arabs, not Jews.
Recently “price tag” vandalism was seen in the town of Dir Istiya. A mosque in the Palestinian Arab town, in Samaria, was set on fire, and on the walls were painted the words, “Revenge for the blood spilled in Kusra” – an apparent reference to a recent attack on Jewish men from Esh Kodesh at the hands of men from Kusra.
Jews from the town of Esh Kodesh have fallen under suspicion for the apparent “price tag” attack. “If it was Jews who did this, then it isn’t ‘Esh Kodesh’ [lit. “holy fire”] but rather ‘Esh Zara’ [lit. “foreign fire”; an offering not authorized by G-d],” Rabbi Bin Nun accused.
Jews must avoid descending to their attackers’ level, he urged. G-d “will not want to give us the land if we are behaving like the Muslims in taking revenge,” he said, adding, “The Palestinians have been losing for decades, over and over, because Allah does not want cruel, vengeful people to succeed.”
More must be done to fight Jewish violence and extremism, he declared. The recent rabbinic petition against such violence “was not enough,” he argued.
“Unfortunately, many people say that what they are doing is not nice, is not OK, but the Arabs are the real bad guys. And I say unequivocally – whoever does something like this [price tag] cannot be included in a prayer quorum (minyan) or called to the Torah,” he continued.
“I pray that the Holy One, Blessed is He, will not find us all guilty because of these extremists,” he concluded.
Rabbi Bin Nun has previously condemned rabbis who made statements appearing to condone violence, and has harshly criticized the Rabbinate for not ensuring a quick and easy get (Jewish divorce) for women whose husbands have separated from them.