All too often, when I discuss with other religious Jews matters pertaining to the integrity of the land of Israel, I am told: "True, all the Israeli politicians are more or less the same - protecting Jewish lives is not their number one priority - but someone has to run the country. We can't just not vote and let the country run on cruise control!" Without getting into a discussion about whether or not little Israel wouldn't be better off at this point with a small dose of anarchy (hey, the people would be forced to take matters into their own hands in the fight against terrorism, and they would no doubt do an exceedingly better job than our last few ?insecurity cabinets? have done; most likely, run-of-the-mill civilian fighters would not build cages around themselves, but would instead, take up arms and teach our enemies a thing or two about Jihad), those who make this argument are missing the whole point.
Instead of scratching our heads trying to figure out which politician is the better of two (or more) evils, the entire country should be asking itself how these clowns got to their positions in the first place. The real problem is not that there's nobody to vote for, but that Israeli society has produced the very politicians who are now destroying her (may G-d protect us). Any nation that produces prime ministers, defense ministers, foreign ministers, etc., who refer to restraint as strength, to a suicide mission as a peace process, to an arch-terrorist as a partner, to a Jewish settlement as a problem, to a society of cold-blooded murderers as a poor and frustrated people, has got to ask itself where it has gone wrong. A democratically elected government of Jews that ignores reality for the sake of a dream, that favors agreements with Washington over the blood of its citizens, that supports the establishment of a regime bent on its destruction, can only be the product of a severely confused people. Granted, 2000 years of exile, with its endless trials and tribulation are to blame for this, but the problem is not going to fix itself.
It's time to recognize the fact that our choice of leaders says a lot about ourselves. Healthy people don't choose unhealthy leaders. They don't create, and they certainly don't maintain, an unhealthy political climate. In a healthy environment, people who would cater to the enemy never make it to positions of leadership. If we the people, time and again, produce "leaders" who are puppets of the US at best, and outright traitors to the Jewish people at worst, then there is obviously something very wrong with our methods. We cannot continue to walk around in a daze, mumbling, "Well, who else are we going to vote for?" We've got to create a climate in which the only ones who have any chances of getting elected to leadership are those who are sworn to retaining every millimeter of the Land of Israel. We've got to have leaders who are not afraid to tell foreign governments that G-d gave the Land to the Jewish people.
To those Jews who support the destruction of Jewish towns in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), what is Tel Aviv? What about Chaifa? Jerusalem? By what right, if not by Divine right, do we live in any of these places? Why don't they tell the people the truth - that as far as they are concerned, Uganda would have been just fine. Why do they babble this gibberish about dismantling "the settlements in Yesha", when, according to their view, Tel Aviv is nothing but a highly populated settlement? They must tell the Jewish people what they really believe! They must tell them that they are sorry they were born a Jew, sorry to be occupying "Palestinian" land, sorry that suicide bombing Arabs are dying in the process of carrying out their mission, sorry that they didn't say sorry sooner, and just... sorry! However, if they cannot find it within in them to do these things, then they should stop hocking-a-chainik (Yiddish for nonsensical babble that drives people bananas) about Yesha.
Anyone who knows anything about the major reforms that have taken place in the last decade in totalitarian regimes like Russia and Yugoslavia understands that it was the people themselves who brought these reforms about. A significant shift in the Israeli "mob mentality," can affect similar reforms in Israel, albeit in a non-violent manner. Why wait until more Jewish blood is spilled, G-d forbid?
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants a "Palestinian" state (never mind the fact that there's no such thing as a Palestinian)? Then let him be the first one to move there. As for the infatuation that many Jews seem to have with Binyamin Netanyahu - it is absurd. How can it not be absurd to anyone who remembers how he capitulated at Wye Plantation, how he transferred Hevron to Jibril Rajoub, how he abandoned Jonathan Pollard, despite his promise that negotiations were contingent upon Pollard's release, how he told a group of Chabad rabbis, to whom he swore that he would not give away any land to foreign authorities, that the Palestinian Authority is not a foreign authority. With a foreign minister like Bibi, who needs enemies? Why is Bibi now calling for Arafat's expulsion rather than his assassination? Furthermore, why is Sharon - who supports the establishment of a Palestinian state - considering the possibility of offering Bibi a state ministry, if the latter truly opposes such a state? Isn't that like hiring someone to thwart your intentions?
Time to wake up and smell the coffee. What we need is a critical change of perspective among the masses - one that would force the passing of legislation that ensures the security of our people. Doubtless, this will happen if things continue their present course, G-d forbid. The only question is when. How much more do we have to suffer before we boil over?
As we put away our menorahs, until next Chanukah, we would do well to reflect on the story of the Chashmonaim, and their indomitable spirit. Like them, we should fear neither the enemies all around us, nor the enemies within. Let us proclaim unequivocally: "Who is for G-d - to me!" Who is for Palestine - to Uganda!
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Alexander Zushe Kohn is the founder of the Brooklyn-based QuiteWrite Judaic Writing Service, and can be reached at QuiteWrite@juno.com.
Instead of scratching our heads trying to figure out which politician is the better of two (or more) evils, the entire country should be asking itself how these clowns got to their positions in the first place. The real problem is not that there's nobody to vote for, but that Israeli society has produced the very politicians who are now destroying her (may G-d protect us). Any nation that produces prime ministers, defense ministers, foreign ministers, etc., who refer to restraint as strength, to a suicide mission as a peace process, to an arch-terrorist as a partner, to a Jewish settlement as a problem, to a society of cold-blooded murderers as a poor and frustrated people, has got to ask itself where it has gone wrong. A democratically elected government of Jews that ignores reality for the sake of a dream, that favors agreements with Washington over the blood of its citizens, that supports the establishment of a regime bent on its destruction, can only be the product of a severely confused people. Granted, 2000 years of exile, with its endless trials and tribulation are to blame for this, but the problem is not going to fix itself.
It's time to recognize the fact that our choice of leaders says a lot about ourselves. Healthy people don't choose unhealthy leaders. They don't create, and they certainly don't maintain, an unhealthy political climate. In a healthy environment, people who would cater to the enemy never make it to positions of leadership. If we the people, time and again, produce "leaders" who are puppets of the US at best, and outright traitors to the Jewish people at worst, then there is obviously something very wrong with our methods. We cannot continue to walk around in a daze, mumbling, "Well, who else are we going to vote for?" We've got to create a climate in which the only ones who have any chances of getting elected to leadership are those who are sworn to retaining every millimeter of the Land of Israel. We've got to have leaders who are not afraid to tell foreign governments that G-d gave the Land to the Jewish people.
To those Jews who support the destruction of Jewish towns in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza), what is Tel Aviv? What about Chaifa? Jerusalem? By what right, if not by Divine right, do we live in any of these places? Why don't they tell the people the truth - that as far as they are concerned, Uganda would have been just fine. Why do they babble this gibberish about dismantling "the settlements in Yesha", when, according to their view, Tel Aviv is nothing but a highly populated settlement? They must tell the Jewish people what they really believe! They must tell them that they are sorry they were born a Jew, sorry to be occupying "Palestinian" land, sorry that suicide bombing Arabs are dying in the process of carrying out their mission, sorry that they didn't say sorry sooner, and just... sorry! However, if they cannot find it within in them to do these things, then they should stop hocking-a-chainik (Yiddish for nonsensical babble that drives people bananas) about Yesha.
Anyone who knows anything about the major reforms that have taken place in the last decade in totalitarian regimes like Russia and Yugoslavia understands that it was the people themselves who brought these reforms about. A significant shift in the Israeli "mob mentality," can affect similar reforms in Israel, albeit in a non-violent manner. Why wait until more Jewish blood is spilled, G-d forbid?
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants a "Palestinian" state (never mind the fact that there's no such thing as a Palestinian)? Then let him be the first one to move there. As for the infatuation that many Jews seem to have with Binyamin Netanyahu - it is absurd. How can it not be absurd to anyone who remembers how he capitulated at Wye Plantation, how he transferred Hevron to Jibril Rajoub, how he abandoned Jonathan Pollard, despite his promise that negotiations were contingent upon Pollard's release, how he told a group of Chabad rabbis, to whom he swore that he would not give away any land to foreign authorities, that the Palestinian Authority is not a foreign authority. With a foreign minister like Bibi, who needs enemies? Why is Bibi now calling for Arafat's expulsion rather than his assassination? Furthermore, why is Sharon - who supports the establishment of a Palestinian state - considering the possibility of offering Bibi a state ministry, if the latter truly opposes such a state? Isn't that like hiring someone to thwart your intentions?
Time to wake up and smell the coffee. What we need is a critical change of perspective among the masses - one that would force the passing of legislation that ensures the security of our people. Doubtless, this will happen if things continue their present course, G-d forbid. The only question is when. How much more do we have to suffer before we boil over?
As we put away our menorahs, until next Chanukah, we would do well to reflect on the story of the Chashmonaim, and their indomitable spirit. Like them, we should fear neither the enemies all around us, nor the enemies within. Let us proclaim unequivocally: "Who is for G-d - to me!" Who is for Palestine - to Uganda!
--------------------------------------------------------
Alexander Zushe Kohn is the founder of the Brooklyn-based QuiteWrite Judaic Writing Service, and can be reached at QuiteWrite@juno.com.