We have just gone through probably the most traumatic event of modern Israel's history. Prime Minister Sharon, in a few short months, has transformed the nation from a proud but troubled state to one of shame, embarrassment and mourning.
For all of the adjectives that could be used to describe Ariel Sharon and his cohorts, "stupid" is not one of them. They knew exactly what they were doing ? not only Sharon, but George Bush, Condoleezza Rice and all the rest who bear the responsibility for this crime of monumental proportions. Aside from the unconscionable devastation done to some of Israel's most beautiful and faithful citizens, for an accomplished general to rid the state of some of its most militarily strategic land - miles of coastal access, hilltops overlooking Ben Gurion Airport - could only have been done on purpose.
There is more to come; and I am not just speaking about the demanding call for more that has come from the vultures descending upon Israel in the hour of her distress. As the world pressures for immediate next steps, the once-beloved IDF has been groomed and prepared for a specific task.
The truth is, there was no need to use IDF soldiers to carry out this dastardly deed; there were more than enough German horses and police prepared by the Sharon government. The use of the IDF was a deliberate attempt to break the morale of the country, to break the morale of the soldiers, and at the same time, a deliberate plan to remold the army and its relationship with the people it protects.
The public no longer trusts its army, and the hope of the leaders was that those soldiers who participated will be either haunted or hardened for the rest of their lives. It was a weeding out of those individuals who would not, or could not, fulfill the evil orders. The goal of the planners is that those who are haunted will be reprogrammed or will fall by the wayside, with no tears shed by the heads of state. Those who are hardened will now be groomed to carry out even more horrendous tasks.
Army leaders have already stated that any one who engaged in protest over the disengagement will not serve in the IDF. Of course not, because the army that is being prepared is one deployed against its people.
There is another, even more terrible possibility for this army in preparation. As impossible as it may seem, an army broken, with no morale or morals, will be ineffectual in protecting the county. Thus, an international "peace keeping" army will have to be called for, to be put into place to "protect" the borders of the "two side-by-side states".
Sound implausible and crazy? Think again. An enormous American army base has just been completed 10 minutes from Ben Gurion Airport. The Knesset invited a foreign country - not just any country, but one whose majority openly long for our demise and who have long assisted the massive weapons flow into Gaza - to patrol a part of our southern border.
There is more. It appears that the hand-over of the northern Samaria communities to the Palestinian Authority includes the northern and parts of the western water aquifers of Israel. The Palestinians will have control over much of Israel's water. It cannot be ignorance.
Sharon, Bush, Rice and their cohorts did not just betray Israel; they have plotted against her deliberately and purposefully. And they are not planning to stop with Gush Katif and Chomesh.
If we don't awaken now, then we will have to endure so much more. There is an enormous task ahead of us, but I believe with all my heart that the so-called leaders have gravely miscalculated the strength and spirit of the people of Israel, and have misunderstood our purpose.
First and foremost, we must take care of the victims of this two-pronged attack. This, of course, means meeting the physical and emotional needs of the displaced - the refugees of Gush Katif - who continue to strengthen us as we try to comfort them. The other victims were the soldiers. Thus, it also means rescuing the IDF from the clutches of such evil; in particular, not letting the soldiers who wept and who are haunted after carrying out the disengagement order slip through the cracks, be reprogrammed or become hardened.
I, for one, am not willing to see the young men and women of this country turned into robots carrying out immoral orders, or to let the IDF be stolen from our midst. How we stop the descent down this slippery slope is, of course, the question on all our minds and I don't pretend to know the answers. But I do know that old adages are often true, and it is said that "where there is a will, there is a way."
If we truly want to stop this suicidal avalanche, there will be a way, and I suspect it will combine the purity of the Gush Katif residents, the passion of the nationalist camp, the courage of our youth and the wisdom of those who have warned us all along. The miracles of HaShem are very often contingent upon our willingness to act.
Until swords are laid down for plowshares, we need the IDF. We need it to defend Israel, we need it to be the unique and special army it has always been, and we need it because it is a very part of us. Let us not let the IDF be transformed into something we won't recognize; let it be an army still in preparation not for evil, but for the people of Israel.
For all of the adjectives that could be used to describe Ariel Sharon and his cohorts, "stupid" is not one of them. They knew exactly what they were doing ? not only Sharon, but George Bush, Condoleezza Rice and all the rest who bear the responsibility for this crime of monumental proportions. Aside from the unconscionable devastation done to some of Israel's most beautiful and faithful citizens, for an accomplished general to rid the state of some of its most militarily strategic land - miles of coastal access, hilltops overlooking Ben Gurion Airport - could only have been done on purpose.
There is more to come; and I am not just speaking about the demanding call for more that has come from the vultures descending upon Israel in the hour of her distress. As the world pressures for immediate next steps, the once-beloved IDF has been groomed and prepared for a specific task.
The truth is, there was no need to use IDF soldiers to carry out this dastardly deed; there were more than enough German horses and police prepared by the Sharon government. The use of the IDF was a deliberate attempt to break the morale of the country, to break the morale of the soldiers, and at the same time, a deliberate plan to remold the army and its relationship with the people it protects.
The public no longer trusts its army, and the hope of the leaders was that those soldiers who participated will be either haunted or hardened for the rest of their lives. It was a weeding out of those individuals who would not, or could not, fulfill the evil orders. The goal of the planners is that those who are haunted will be reprogrammed or will fall by the wayside, with no tears shed by the heads of state. Those who are hardened will now be groomed to carry out even more horrendous tasks.
Army leaders have already stated that any one who engaged in protest over the disengagement will not serve in the IDF. Of course not, because the army that is being prepared is one deployed against its people.
There is another, even more terrible possibility for this army in preparation. As impossible as it may seem, an army broken, with no morale or morals, will be ineffectual in protecting the county. Thus, an international "peace keeping" army will have to be called for, to be put into place to "protect" the borders of the "two side-by-side states".
Sound implausible and crazy? Think again. An enormous American army base has just been completed 10 minutes from Ben Gurion Airport. The Knesset invited a foreign country - not just any country, but one whose majority openly long for our demise and who have long assisted the massive weapons flow into Gaza - to patrol a part of our southern border.
There is more. It appears that the hand-over of the northern Samaria communities to the Palestinian Authority includes the northern and parts of the western water aquifers of Israel. The Palestinians will have control over much of Israel's water. It cannot be ignorance.
Sharon, Bush, Rice and their cohorts did not just betray Israel; they have plotted against her deliberately and purposefully. And they are not planning to stop with Gush Katif and Chomesh.
If we don't awaken now, then we will have to endure so much more. There is an enormous task ahead of us, but I believe with all my heart that the so-called leaders have gravely miscalculated the strength and spirit of the people of Israel, and have misunderstood our purpose.
First and foremost, we must take care of the victims of this two-pronged attack. This, of course, means meeting the physical and emotional needs of the displaced - the refugees of Gush Katif - who continue to strengthen us as we try to comfort them. The other victims were the soldiers. Thus, it also means rescuing the IDF from the clutches of such evil; in particular, not letting the soldiers who wept and who are haunted after carrying out the disengagement order slip through the cracks, be reprogrammed or become hardened.
I, for one, am not willing to see the young men and women of this country turned into robots carrying out immoral orders, or to let the IDF be stolen from our midst. How we stop the descent down this slippery slope is, of course, the question on all our minds and I don't pretend to know the answers. But I do know that old adages are often true, and it is said that "where there is a will, there is a way."
If we truly want to stop this suicidal avalanche, there will be a way, and I suspect it will combine the purity of the Gush Katif residents, the passion of the nationalist camp, the courage of our youth and the wisdom of those who have warned us all along. The miracles of HaShem are very often contingent upon our willingness to act.
Until swords are laid down for plowshares, we need the IDF. We need it to defend Israel, we need it to be the unique and special army it has always been, and we need it because it is a very part of us. Let us not let the IDF be transformed into something we won't recognize; let it be an army still in preparation not for evil, but for the people of Israel.