Speaking your Piece (or is it Peace)?

Hebron-Past,Present and Forever
Speaking your Piece (or is it Peace)?

Sunday, October 29, 1995

 Last week the President of the State of Israel, Mr.

Ezer Weitzman, made some unkind remarks about the Piece

plan. In particular he said that the "agreement isn't an

agreement" and that a one-vote majority in the Knesset

does not justify the withdrawal from Judea, Samaria and

Azza. He also attacked the government's reactions to

"settler" dismay - "They live there and have something to

worry about".

Following Weizmann's remarks, MK Dedi Zucker of

Meretz suggested passing a law forbidding the President

to comment on issues being publicly disputed.

Ezer Weizmann isn't one of my favorite people. But

he has come a long way. It is true, he has done some

pretty good things in the past. Like in June, 1967, when

he was Commander of the Israeli Air Force. At that time,

the Commander in Chief of the Israeli Defense Forces

(Yizhak Rabin) had a nervous breakdown and we were in

need of some leadership. Ezer saved the day by taking

over for Yitzhak.

But the same Ezer, invited along to Camp David with

Menachem Begin, advised the then Prime Minister to accept

the agreement forcing Israel to relinquish all of the

Sinai to Egypt and to grant the "Palestinians" in the

"West Bank" autonomy.

And the same Ezer was kicked out of the Israeli

Cabinet by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir for giving "how

to create my own homeland" lessons to Yassir Arafat.

Well, Arafat did his homework. And so we are where we

are today.

In the not too distant past, the Israeli left has

vehemently decried any suggestion of `transfer' of Arabs

out of Israel - transfer of any type, even voluntary.

However, they today, are the primary force in favor of

involuntary transfer - of Jews - our of Hebron.

Jews can live anywhere in the world - to even

theoretically consider otherwise would be thought of as

blatantly anti-Semitic - except for Hebron, or perhaps

other areas in Judea, Samaria and Azza. And maybe also

Jerusalem. What would happen, for example, if Jews were

told that they could not live in, say, Hawaii? Can you

imagine the public outburst? Jews and gentiles, blacks,

whites, and Hispanics would march down 5th Ave together,

arm in arm, protesting this unheard of act of racism.

But tell a Jew that he can't live in Hebron, a 3,700 year-

old Jewish City? So, what of it?

Let's go back to Mr. President. You must understand

that the office of President in Israel is largely a

figurehead position. The President is elected, not by

the people, but by the Knesset, for a five year term of

office. The job was originally offered to (Ezer's uncle)

Chaim Weizmann by David Ben Gurion in 1948, in order to

fulfill an obligation without relinquishing any power or

responsibility. (When he died, it was offered to Albert

Einstein.) Until the 1970's the job was filled primarily

by non-politicians.

Ezer Weizmann, before his election, it was feared,

would represent only part of the country - the part

agreeing with his political philosophies, which are

slightly further left of left. He promised to be the

President of ALL the people, and woe-and-behold - he is

being accused of representing the wrong side, BY HIS OWN

PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED HIM. And now they really

want to shut him up.

Why? Because he is mouthing what everybody it

thinking. In a poll released on Friday, some 67% of the

Israeli population agree with him. That means, in

short, that the public is against the Rabin-Peres-Arafat

conspiracy to rid the Jewish People of Hebron and

Jerusalem. And with elections in the air, this doesn't

sit well with the ruling triumvirate. So, what do you

do? You try to pass a law shutting up the negative

voices.

And who is the victim? None other than the

schoolteacher. President Ezer Weizmann. Get this:

Everybody in Israel is covered by freedom of speech

....... except the President. He has to shut up. After

all, he's the President. Got it? Good.

This is modern Israeli democracy in action.

Welcome, Mr. President, to the club.

Mordechai the Tzaddik

Hebron-Past, Present and Forever
by David Wilder

Mordechai the Tzaddik

15 Tishrei 5756
Sunday, October 15, 1995

Friday afternoon I came home from one of the most

exhilarating experiences I've had in a long, long time.

Hebron had a very special visitor - Mordechai ben David.

Mordechai ben David, for those of you who may not know,

is THE number one Hasidic singer - responsible for such

hits as "Mashiach" "Samchenu" and his current "Mitzvah

Gedola L'hiot b'simcha Tamid" (It's a big mitvah to

always be happy).

Hebron sponsored a number of major events over the

Succot holiday, including two music festivals, featuring

Mordechai ben David and Dedi Graucher. Conducted and

directed by composer Moshe `Mona" Rosenblum, the concerts

took place in Haifa on Wednesday night, to a capacity

crowd of 3,000, and in Tel-Aviv's Yad Eliyahu Sports

Center on Thursday evening to almost to 10,000 swinging

Hebron supporters.

The evening began with short speeches by Chief Rabbi

Yisrael Meir Lowe, who stressed the importance of "Eretz

Yisrael HaShlema" (the greater Israel), Tel Aviv Mayor

Roni Milo, who said, "if Jews don't have the right to

live in Hebron, which is over 3,700 years old, what is

our right to live in Tel Aviv, which is less than 100

years old?!", Noam Arnon, spokesman of the Jewish

Community of Hebron, MK Zevulun Hammer, Party leader of

the National Religious Party, and Likud MK Bibi

Netanyahu, who will hopefully be elected the next Prime

Minister of Israel. Netanyahu emphasized the major

problem plaguing Israel today, which in his words, is

EDUCATION. "Today's youth is ignorant of true Jewish

values, emanating from the Bible, and other Jewish

literature. When the Likud returns to lead the country,

we will make education our number one priority, and

educate our youth with the values evident in the children

living in Hebron."

The first of the two major features of the evening

was Dedi Graucher, who performed wonderfully for an hour.

Before his performance the packed audience viewed the new

Hebron sound and light show, Hebron, City of the

Patriarchs. This 15 minute feature radiates the lights

of Hebron, Past, Present and Future.

At 10:20PM Mordechai ben David took center stage and

gave the audience a performance never to be forgotten.

He sang one song with Dedi Graucher and dueted with "boy

wonder" Yehuda Ma'atuf from Kfar Habad for two numbers.

Singing until almost 11:45PM, ben David kept the crowd

clapping, swinging and on its feet until the very end.

On Friday morning Mordechai visited Hebron. Leaving

Jerusalem at 7:30 in the morning and accompanied by two

full buses, he arrived at Ma'arat HaMachpela for morning

services. The entire entourage received an in-depth

explanation of the Ma'ara and its history from Noam

Arnon, had breakfast in the huge Succah outside the

Ma'ara and split into two groups to tour Hebron. I had

the privilege to spend the next few hours with Mordechai

and his friends. We visited the Avraham Avinu

neighborhood and the Avraham Avinu Synagogue and then

traveled up to Tel-Rumeida, home of Hebron's most

infamous citizen, Baruch Marzel, who is still under house

arrest (for over a year)! Mordechai dedicated one of his

songs during the concert to Marzel and when he saw him in

Hebron hugged him and danced with him. Baruch gave the

guests a guided tour of the area, including Kever Rut and

Ishi, the tombs of Ruth and Jesse (King David's father).

Mordechai was photographed with almost all the soldiers

in the area, at his request. He entered a small base and

wished all present a happy New Year and a happy Festival.

After visiting Beit Hadassah, Mordechai sang and

danced his way up to the roof of Beit Shneerson, to the

Succah of the Heikan family. There he sang and danced

with Hebron's children for over 20 minutes, bringing

smiles and laughter to the faces of all. It was a truly

joyous event.

When the buses left back to Jerusalem at 2:00PM,

Mordechai ben David left a community of hand-clapping,

singing residents, who had the opportunity to enjoy two

of the star-singers appearances - one on stage and one in

person in Hebron. It was a day to remember.