Daniella Weiss, the Mayor of the Shomron city of Kedumim and one of the most veteran settlement leaders in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, says that we must object to any form of referendum. "We have learned from our rabbis that there is no such thing as a referendum on the Land of Israel. Even Yitzchak Tabankin, one of the leaders of the Labor Movement, once said, that in order to decide any question of giving away parts of the Land of Israel is to convene all the Jews of all previous generations - those who already died and those who are not yet born. It is inconceivable to think that something that belongs to a nation should be put up for public vote."
Asked if a referendum might be merely a means to achieve the ends of securing the Land of Israel for the People of Israel, Weiss replied, "I believe that if the foundation is solid, then the results will be positive, and we will not need to utilize various methods and the like. Our starting point must be that every piece of the Land of Israel is sacred just as is every letter of the Torah, and just as we would never give up on a letter of the Torah, we will never give up on a piece of the Land - and if we take this approach, I believe with perfect faith that everything will be influenced by this truth. If we do the right thing, then the results will be the right ones."
Weiss, who will not be among those meeting with Prime Minister Sharon today, is a minority voice in the Yesha Council in this issue. "For decades, we have taught our youth that it is inconceivable to think of giving away a single piece of the Land. This is a question that must not even be asked; the question itself is a desecration."
Rabbi Moshe Levinger of Hevron has similarly expressed his opinion against a referendum, for the same reasons as expressed by Mayor Weiss.
Asked if a referendum might be merely a means to achieve the ends of securing the Land of Israel for the People of Israel, Weiss replied, "I believe that if the foundation is solid, then the results will be positive, and we will not need to utilize various methods and the like. Our starting point must be that every piece of the Land of Israel is sacred just as is every letter of the Torah, and just as we would never give up on a letter of the Torah, we will never give up on a piece of the Land - and if we take this approach, I believe with perfect faith that everything will be influenced by this truth. If we do the right thing, then the results will be the right ones."
Weiss, who will not be among those meeting with Prime Minister Sharon today, is a minority voice in the Yesha Council in this issue. "For decades, we have taught our youth that it is inconceivable to think of giving away a single piece of the Land. This is a question that must not even be asked; the question itself is a desecration."
Rabbi Moshe Levinger of Hevron has similarly expressed his opinion against a referendum, for the same reasons as expressed by Mayor Weiss.