Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid spoke unfavorably of the Geneva participants today, but his remarks were nothing compared to what Yossi Ben-Aharon, who headed Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir's Bureau two decades ago, had to say about them.
Minister Lapid, who heads the anti-religious Shinui party, said that yesterday's Geneva ceremony was "a futile gesture [that] resulted in needless attacks on Israel."
According to Ben-Aharon, however, who spoke with Arutz-7 today, those who initiated the Geneva document are "evil people" who carried out a "traitorous act." Arutz-7's Uzi Baruch asked him if he thus agrees with the term "traitors" used yesterday by the 250-member Pikuach Nefesh Rabbis Association to refer to the Geneva people. "One doesn't have to consult the Shulchan Arukh [Jewish Law codes] to see that this is the case," said Ben-Aharon, a religiously-observant Jew. "There is no doubt that this is the case."
Ben-Aharon said that Arafat "has a long-term strategy, not connected at all to Oslo or any other agreement, and that is to cause internal strife in Israel, while at the same time dragging us down with acts of terrorism... The 'achievements' of this agreement will be used by European countries, and Arafat, as a basis for further negotiations that will eat away still more at Israel's positions."
Baruch also spoke with Rabbi David Druckman of Kiryat Motzkin, a leading member of the Pikuach Nefesh group, and asked him, "What do you say about the fact that the left-wing considers your statements [calling the Geneva initiators 'traitors'] to be a form of incitement?"
Rabbi Druckman responded,
"It has become tiresome already. Every time the right-wing opens its mouth, they use this rusty, demagogic weapon of calling us inciters, and warning that the 'next murder is on the way.' ... There is simply no other way of defining their behavior other than as 'traitorous.' The entire act is one of treachery. Every line in their agreement shows this. It calls upon the entire world to pressure Israel's government to smoke out the Jews living in certain areas! It presents all of Israeli history in the last few decades as totally illegal and unjustified conquest. They are thus slandering Israel in front of the entire world, and inviting international pressure! We're already a 'sheep surrounded by 70 wolves,' but now they're starving the wolves and sicking them upon us!"
Minister Lapid, who heads the anti-religious Shinui party, said that yesterday's Geneva ceremony was "a futile gesture [that] resulted in needless attacks on Israel."
According to Ben-Aharon, however, who spoke with Arutz-7 today, those who initiated the Geneva document are "evil people" who carried out a "traitorous act." Arutz-7's Uzi Baruch asked him if he thus agrees with the term "traitors" used yesterday by the 250-member Pikuach Nefesh Rabbis Association to refer to the Geneva people. "One doesn't have to consult the Shulchan Arukh [Jewish Law codes] to see that this is the case," said Ben-Aharon, a religiously-observant Jew. "There is no doubt that this is the case."
Ben-Aharon said that Arafat "has a long-term strategy, not connected at all to Oslo or any other agreement, and that is to cause internal strife in Israel, while at the same time dragging us down with acts of terrorism... The 'achievements' of this agreement will be used by European countries, and Arafat, as a basis for further negotiations that will eat away still more at Israel's positions."
Baruch also spoke with Rabbi David Druckman of Kiryat Motzkin, a leading member of the Pikuach Nefesh group, and asked him, "What do you say about the fact that the left-wing considers your statements [calling the Geneva initiators 'traitors'] to be a form of incitement?"
Rabbi Druckman responded,
"It has become tiresome already. Every time the right-wing opens its mouth, they use this rusty, demagogic weapon of calling us inciters, and warning that the 'next murder is on the way.' ... There is simply no other way of defining their behavior other than as 'traitorous.' The entire act is one of treachery. Every line in their agreement shows this. It calls upon the entire world to pressure Israel's government to smoke out the Jews living in certain areas! It presents all of Israeli history in the last few decades as totally illegal and unjustified conquest. They are thus slandering Israel in front of the entire world, and inviting international pressure! We're already a 'sheep surrounded by 70 wolves,' but now they're starving the wolves and sicking them upon us!"