Rabbi Avrohom S. Lewin is Exec. Director of The Rabbinical Congress for Peace.
In the true spirit of Israeli tradition, as the fire rages around us, as our enemies attack on every front, as our finest soldiers fall or are wounded in battle, and antisemitism runs rampant through the world, we continue to loudly and fervently engage in divisiveness, protests, and baseless hatred - to our great shame and disgrace.
And above all, we continue to ask the same question, on every street corner and in every newsroom, “Who is to blame?” All the while, we hold our axes high, enthusiastically waiting to sever the heads of the guilty parties, as the crowd cheers.
We, the Israeli members of the Rabbinical Congress for Peace, warned about the potential for disaster long before October 7th, in newspaper ads and through every possible platform. We warned about “the terrible situation that has developed in the past year, the painful division and incitement among Jews, happening in a brutal and disproportionate manner beyond anything had appeared before, reflecting the words of the Mishnah (Avot 3:2): “A man would devour his fellow alive.”
“Like the woman in the judgment of Solomon, who enthusiastically cried, ‘Cut him in two,’ so our Jewish brothers rush out enthusiastically to destroy, tear down and annihilate those who think slightly differently than them – all the while ignoring the warnings of security experts that such blatant polarization and anarchy severely harm Israel’s security and strengthen and encourage our enemies, G-d forbid.
“In the meantime, our enemies rub their hands together in glee. Everything that they have been unable to do for decades, we do to ourselves, while they wait quietly for the right moment to carry out their murderous intentions – G-d forbid that it should ever happen.
“A cry bursts forth from the depths of our hearts. It pierces the heavens: ‘Master of the World! If we do not come to our senses and extinguish this burning enmity that consumes us, there will be nothing left to save!’”
Now that these fears have come to pass, we must take stock of what has happened to us and how it happened. But asking “Who is to blame” will neither help nor change our current situation.
The proper question to ask right now is: “What is to blame?!”
What did we do wrong, that led to the greatest disaster for the Jewish people since the Holocaust?!
What is the “underlying concept” that brought us to such terrible ruin!
How did we turn from being a nation that defeated massive armies on all fronts in six days, to one that collapses before a terrorist organization in six hours (temporarily, Baruch Hashem)?
Why is the entire world against us even after our enemies brutally abuse us, at the same time as we provide them with food, water, and electricity?
How did we reach a situation where our enemies do with us as they please, holding hostages and holding hostage large areas in the north and south, while our hands are helplessly tied?
These questions need to be asked honestly and candidly, in every newsroom and in every public and governmental committee. If they are not being asked, it is because we lack the courage to admit the answer, loud and clear, to ourselves and to the whole world.
The Torah of Israel declared, warned, and pleaded with us:
The halakha in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 329) unequivocally determines – Oslo is a disaster. The Disengagement is a disaster. Agreeing to two states is a disaster!
In the words of the Shulchan Aruch (Jewish Code of Law) – “doing so makes it easy for our enemies to conquer the land.”
The conduct of the Israeli government and the security establishment over the past decades is the reason for the terrible situation we are in today. Frighteningly, the negotiations, withdrawals, and concessions to our enemies, which continue even today, may lead to far more severe danger, may it never happen!
The first step – the very least we should do to correct the situation and engage in true soul-searching – is to declare now, clearly:
The conduct of Israel since Oslo has been a tragic and terrible mistake. From now on, there will be no more negotiations, no concessions, or further withdrawals. We will never agree to the “two state solution.” The Israeli security forces alone will control all Israeli territories with a strong hand, to ensure the safety of the people of Israel in their land!
he time has come to heed what the Torah of Israel – the Torah of Life – has to tell us. The time has come to unite around the eternal truth of the Jewish people. Only when we finally attain true unity – one nation, in one land – will we receive the blessing of “Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance.”
