On the Western front:
"Herr Hitler, you must stop your aggression here and now or we will be forced to take extreme measures," said Winston Churchill.
"Oh yeah, like what?" queried the chancellor.
"Well... um... we'll retreat, that's what we'll do. We'll run away and you'll live to regret it, I guarantee it!"
On the Eastern front:
"Emperor, your treachery has gone on long enough. It will end now, or..."
"Or what?" interrupted Hirohito.
"Or," said President Truman, "we'll use the most secret and devastating weapon in our arsenal - surrender."
Learning from these timeless lessons, our fearless new prime minister, proudly backed by that perennial geriatric giant Shimon Peres, has embarked on a similar course of action. Under this brave and bold new plan, Israel's enemies will have six to twelve months to come to the negotiating table so that we can discuss the terms of our surrender. If they refuse to come to the table, then we'll really show them what we're made of and surrender on terms that they will find much more favorable.
I understand that this course of action is necessary to retain international "support". However, world bodies have already voiced their opinion and they are expressly against such a course of action. Imagine, Jews determining their own terms of surrender; it's just not done!
This sounds like some script for a Woody Allen movie. This scenario has all the makings of a blockbuster comedy, but sadly, there is nothing funny about it. Except for the Churchill and Truman part, it is all true. But the tragicomedy train doesn't stop there. The Israeli media have characterized this brainchild of mental midgetry, "Convergence", as a courageous new approach to the problem.
Courageous! By this new standard, the only legitimate expression of cowardice is to dig a hole through the center of the Earth all the way to Canada and summarily surrender oneself to the paragons of justice and virtue in Quebec. However, it is difficult to be certain what caliber of cowardly is cowardly enough to actually be called "cowardly" these days. Perhaps a good cry while fleeing from a flock of pigeons or attempting to negotiate a hudna with the extremist dust-bunnies that just won't stay hidden under the couch. Precisely how far one must travel down the path of cowardice to actually be a coward is a subject that is hotly contested among the world's leading scientists; it could be decades before we have a definitive answer.
But is this preposterous "Convergence" policy really much of a change, or any more cowardly (using the standard English definition, not the new one), than what has occurred at the hands of Ehud Olmert's predecessors? Israel has won all of its battles, but it has never won a war. Today's conflict is just a continuation of the conflict that began in 1948 - a conflict that has been extended and kept on life support thanks to modern diplomatic technology like armistice agreements and cease-fires. Each time complete victory has been within the grasp of the Jewish nation, our bold leaders have opted not to take the prize.
Perhaps the crowning achievement of Israel's cowardly courageousness was a few days after the Six Day War. The famous phrase heard on Israeli and Jewish radios all over the world, "The Temple Mount is in our hands," was perhaps one of the most joyous events in collective memory. That tiny piece of real estate, for which the collective Jewish soul had yearned for 2,000 years, was restored to us. But fearing a "religious clash", as Moshe Dayan wrote in his diary, he informed the Muslim Wakf (to their astonishment) that they could continue to administer the site.
There is not room in this article to enumerate the entire history of Israel's cowardly courageousness, but it continues in full force. Today, we celebrate Jerusalem Day in the plaza of the Kotel (Western Wall) even as the Israeli police prohibit Jews from ascending the Temple Mount except during certain times of day, when there will be few or no Muslims there. And if one is so lucky as to ascend, it is prohibited to even so much as move one's lips in silent prayer out of the fear of a "religious clash".
At the suggestion that Israel assert its authority over the Temple Mount, or over any other real estate for that matter, we are informed that it is not possible because we would lose the support of the "international community". A little fear of this and a little fear of that, add eye of newt, and stir - it's a wonderful elixir that apparently has fountain-of-youth qualities for an Israeli political career.
Yet, I believe that the cowards' time is drawing to a close. There are many hundreds of thousands of Jews already here who will give everything to hold this land - all of it. There are more coming on Aliyah every year. We want this land because it is the object of our promise, the culmination of our destiny and the realization of our inheritance.
In spite of our spineless leadership, I look around at the invasion of youth that descended on the capital this Jerusalem Day. To these youth, "No Fear" is not just a bumper sticker; it oozes out of their pores. To look into the faces of this sea of youth is to see the Lion of Judah. There is a day coming when the Jewish nation will cast off the shackles of cowardice. There is a day coming when we will reach out and grasp that which belongs to us. Indeed, there is a Jerusalem Day coming when we will ascend the Temple Mount freely, with no fear of a "religious clash" - only with the fear of HaShem. May it come speedily and in our days.
"Herr Hitler, you must stop your aggression here and now or we will be forced to take extreme measures," said Winston Churchill.
"Oh yeah, like what?" queried the chancellor.
"Well... um... we'll retreat, that's what we'll do. We'll run away and you'll live to regret it, I guarantee it!"
On the Eastern front:
"Emperor, your treachery has gone on long enough. It will end now, or..."
"Or what?" interrupted Hirohito.
"Or," said President Truman, "we'll use the most secret and devastating weapon in our arsenal - surrender."
Learning from these timeless lessons, our fearless new prime minister, proudly backed by that perennial geriatric giant Shimon Peres, has embarked on a similar course of action. Under this brave and bold new plan, Israel's enemies will have six to twelve months to come to the negotiating table so that we can discuss the terms of our surrender. If they refuse to come to the table, then we'll really show them what we're made of and surrender on terms that they will find much more favorable.
I understand that this course of action is necessary to retain international "support". However, world bodies have already voiced their opinion and they are expressly against such a course of action. Imagine, Jews determining their own terms of surrender; it's just not done!
This sounds like some script for a Woody Allen movie. This scenario has all the makings of a blockbuster comedy, but sadly, there is nothing funny about it. Except for the Churchill and Truman part, it is all true. But the tragicomedy train doesn't stop there. The Israeli media have characterized this brainchild of mental midgetry, "Convergence", as a courageous new approach to the problem.
Courageous! By this new standard, the only legitimate expression of cowardice is to dig a hole through the center of the Earth all the way to Canada and summarily surrender oneself to the paragons of justice and virtue in Quebec. However, it is difficult to be certain what caliber of cowardly is cowardly enough to actually be called "cowardly" these days. Perhaps a good cry while fleeing from a flock of pigeons or attempting to negotiate a hudna with the extremist dust-bunnies that just won't stay hidden under the couch. Precisely how far one must travel down the path of cowardice to actually be a coward is a subject that is hotly contested among the world's leading scientists; it could be decades before we have a definitive answer.
But is this preposterous "Convergence" policy really much of a change, or any more cowardly (using the standard English definition, not the new one), than what has occurred at the hands of Ehud Olmert's predecessors? Israel has won all of its battles, but it has never won a war. Today's conflict is just a continuation of the conflict that began in 1948 - a conflict that has been extended and kept on life support thanks to modern diplomatic technology like armistice agreements and cease-fires. Each time complete victory has been within the grasp of the Jewish nation, our bold leaders have opted not to take the prize.
Perhaps the crowning achievement of Israel's cowardly courageousness was a few days after the Six Day War. The famous phrase heard on Israeli and Jewish radios all over the world, "The Temple Mount is in our hands," was perhaps one of the most joyous events in collective memory. That tiny piece of real estate, for which the collective Jewish soul had yearned for 2,000 years, was restored to us. But fearing a "religious clash", as Moshe Dayan wrote in his diary, he informed the Muslim Wakf (to their astonishment) that they could continue to administer the site.
There is not room in this article to enumerate the entire history of Israel's cowardly courageousness, but it continues in full force. Today, we celebrate Jerusalem Day in the plaza of the Kotel (Western Wall) even as the Israeli police prohibit Jews from ascending the Temple Mount except during certain times of day, when there will be few or no Muslims there. And if one is so lucky as to ascend, it is prohibited to even so much as move one's lips in silent prayer out of the fear of a "religious clash".
At the suggestion that Israel assert its authority over the Temple Mount, or over any other real estate for that matter, we are informed that it is not possible because we would lose the support of the "international community". A little fear of this and a little fear of that, add eye of newt, and stir - it's a wonderful elixir that apparently has fountain-of-youth qualities for an Israeli political career.
Yet, I believe that the cowards' time is drawing to a close. There are many hundreds of thousands of Jews already here who will give everything to hold this land - all of it. There are more coming on Aliyah every year. We want this land because it is the object of our promise, the culmination of our destiny and the realization of our inheritance.
In spite of our spineless leadership, I look around at the invasion of youth that descended on the capital this Jerusalem Day. To these youth, "No Fear" is not just a bumper sticker; it oozes out of their pores. To look into the faces of this sea of youth is to see the Lion of Judah. There is a day coming when the Jewish nation will cast off the shackles of cowardice. There is a day coming when we will reach out and grasp that which belongs to us. Indeed, there is a Jerusalem Day coming when we will ascend the Temple Mount freely, with no fear of a "religious clash" - only with the fear of HaShem. May it come speedily and in our days.