Over 200 rabbis from all over Israel arrived in the Ramada Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem yesterday for what was termed an emergency session of the Union of Rabbis in light of the threat to the integrity of the Land of Israel. Speaker after speaker expressed objections on every possible grounds to the Prime Minister's plan to withdraw Israeli control from Gaza and expel close to 8,000 Jews from their homes in the Land of Israel.
Presiding over the conference was Rabbi Avraham Shapira, who served as Israel's Chief Rabbi from 1983-1993, and who heads the Central Universal Yeshiva (Merkaz HaRav) in Jerusalem. "The events have shown all of us that, Heaven forbid, whoever harms the Land of Israel, whoever thinks thoughts in this direction, loses his seat and his regime," Rabbi Shapira said. "We are expressing not a political opinion, but the opinion of Torah; whoever wants to hear it, will hear it. The Torah says that the entire land is ours and we must not give it away, and especially when it is liable to lead to loss of life."
"We come in the name of the Torah to strengthen and be strengthened," Rabbi Shapira continued. "The entire public, our rabbis and their students, will cry out and will act, even if we have to instruct the public to gather in Gaza, in Gush Katif, we will do that, with G-d's help, with might and valor and greatness, to double and triple the number of Jews there, and not allow the evacuation and uprooting of a Jewish town. It is against Torah law and simple morality, and the government must not even discuss it!"
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who served as Rishon LeTzion (Chief Sephardic Rabbi) alongside Rabbi Shapira, said that no one has the right to give away parts of the Land of Israel. "Let no one think that just because he was elected, this means that the Land of Israel is his." He said that Israel's economic and religious situation is bound up with the strength of our connection with the Land.
Rabbi Elyakim Levanon of Elon Moreh said, "If the Prime Minister goes to the U.S., President Bush should know that Sharon is presenting a check with no backing."
Rabbi David Chai HaCohen of Bat Yam: "The dismantling of communities is a crime against the Jewish nation throughout the generations, one that cannot be forgiven. An agreement in this spirit is akin to the Munich agreement made with the Nazis."
A position paper distributed at the conference read as follows:
"The right and obligation of the Nation of Israel towards the Land of Israel is an eternal right to the entire land and throughout all the generations. The plan to uproot flourishing communities from their land is in total opposition to the Torah of Israel. It is forbidden to be a partner to such a plan in any manner. According to Halakhah [Jewish Law], no one - including government ministers and the Prime Minister - has the right to promote this ruinous program. We call upon all the political parties, ministers and Knesset Members who are loyal to the G-d of Israel and His land to act to thwart this program in the Cabinet. If the Cabinet accepts this terrible program, Heaven forbid, and all the more so if the Prime Minister travels to present the program without a Cabinet decision, they must quit the government immediately."
The conference drew the attention of extreme-left MK Zahava Gal'on (Meretz), who said that the Attorney-General should investigate whether the rabbis' words constituted incitement against the government. She added that the rabbis are a "ticking time bomb."
Presiding over the conference was Rabbi Avraham Shapira, who served as Israel's Chief Rabbi from 1983-1993, and who heads the Central Universal Yeshiva (Merkaz HaRav) in Jerusalem. "The events have shown all of us that, Heaven forbid, whoever harms the Land of Israel, whoever thinks thoughts in this direction, loses his seat and his regime," Rabbi Shapira said. "We are expressing not a political opinion, but the opinion of Torah; whoever wants to hear it, will hear it. The Torah says that the entire land is ours and we must not give it away, and especially when it is liable to lead to loss of life."
"We come in the name of the Torah to strengthen and be strengthened," Rabbi Shapira continued. "The entire public, our rabbis and their students, will cry out and will act, even if we have to instruct the public to gather in Gaza, in Gush Katif, we will do that, with G-d's help, with might and valor and greatness, to double and triple the number of Jews there, and not allow the evacuation and uprooting of a Jewish town. It is against Torah law and simple morality, and the government must not even discuss it!"
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who served as Rishon LeTzion (Chief Sephardic Rabbi) alongside Rabbi Shapira, said that no one has the right to give away parts of the Land of Israel. "Let no one think that just because he was elected, this means that the Land of Israel is his." He said that Israel's economic and religious situation is bound up with the strength of our connection with the Land.
Rabbi Elyakim Levanon of Elon Moreh said, "If the Prime Minister goes to the U.S., President Bush should know that Sharon is presenting a check with no backing."
Rabbi David Chai HaCohen of Bat Yam: "The dismantling of communities is a crime against the Jewish nation throughout the generations, one that cannot be forgiven. An agreement in this spirit is akin to the Munich agreement made with the Nazis."
A position paper distributed at the conference read as follows:
"The right and obligation of the Nation of Israel towards the Land of Israel is an eternal right to the entire land and throughout all the generations. The plan to uproot flourishing communities from their land is in total opposition to the Torah of Israel. It is forbidden to be a partner to such a plan in any manner. According to Halakhah [Jewish Law], no one - including government ministers and the Prime Minister - has the right to promote this ruinous program. We call upon all the political parties, ministers and Knesset Members who are loyal to the G-d of Israel and His land to act to thwart this program in the Cabinet. If the Cabinet accepts this terrible program, Heaven forbid, and all the more so if the Prime Minister travels to present the program without a Cabinet decision, they must quit the government immediately."
The conference drew the attention of extreme-left MK Zahava Gal'on (Meretz), who said that the Attorney-General should investigate whether the rabbis' words constituted incitement against the government. She added that the rabbis are a "ticking time bomb."