The Lessons of 2006

The Lessons of 2006

August 11, 2006

 

A number of years ago I authored an article titled, 'The Lessons of 1929,' a version of which was printed in the Jerusalem Post. The gist of the article was trust no one but yourself. Don't place your security, the lives of your family, friends, and country in the hands of foreigners. First and foremost, our security is in the hands of G-d. However, the good L-rd doesn't expect us to sit home and watch while He strikes down evil with lightening and thunder from the heavens. We are commanded to protect ourselves, be it on a personal or public level. Personally, each and every person must take care of themselves. Publicly, our government is responsible for the security and welfare of its citizens.

 

In 1921, Hebron's Jewish leadership erroneously believed that they could trust their next-door neighbors to protect them. After all, during the 1929 riots, Hebron's Jews came to no harm. Despite offers by the Hagana to provide weapons and protection, the Jewish Hebronites preferred to leave well enough alone, and refused any outside assistance or interference.

 

The results speak for themselves.

 

The modern state of Israel, catastrophically following in the footsteps of 1929 Hebron, fell into the same self-created trap, this time called Oslo. The tenets of Oslo were axiomatic: Israel could not, and would not achieve peace and security without full coordination and full cooperation from the so-called Palestinian government and security forces. If they played the game our way, all would be OK. If not, tough luck.

 

They played the game, their way. At a cost inexpressible in numbers or words. Close to two thousand dead and tens of thousands wounded does not do justice to the cataclysm. Who can enumerate the pain and grief of orphans and widows?

 

When looking in the mirror, in the reflection behind us, there is no one to blame. The proverbial 'finger' is pointing straight ahead, at us. We did it to ourselves.

 

A year ago, again. Seeing the wondrous result of the Lebanese retreat, Israel made the same mistake once more. The expulsion from, and abandonment of Gush Katif could and would undoubtedly solve all our problems. The Arabs would get what they want, the rest of the world would be appeased, and Israel would live happily ever after for eternity.

 

Israel's leadership forgot one thing: Middle East eternity is spelled b-r-i-e-f.

 

Soon the mortars being aimed at Gush Katif's saintly Jewish population were transformed into Kasam missiles and were targeting Sderot and Ashkelon. Terrorist forces invaded Israeli army bases, killing and capturing soldiers. Acts of war.

 

And the adventures up north are all too fresh, the wounds still pouring blood like a faucet of water to have to add too much. But something has to be said, as we seeming are on the verge of another disastrous capitulation.

 

Recent past history: Ehud Barak was considered to be an excellent soldier, and his brilliance led to his appointment as Chief of Staff of the IDF in 1991, serving in that position until 1995. Almost immediately following his retirement from the army he entered politics, becoming Interior Minister in the Rabin government in early 1995. Upon Rabin's assassination be became Peres' Foreign Minister and was elected Labor party leader after Peres' defeat, in 1997. In May, 1999 he was elected Prime Minister of Israel. Almost exactly a year later he ordered the IDF to flee from South Lebanon. Less than a year later he was no longer Prime Minister.

 

Journalist/Author Raviv Drucker titled his book about Barak "Harikari – Ehud Barak, the Failure." That just about says it all. Barak's greatest mistakes, offering Arafat 90% of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, as well as East Jerusalem, and his abandonment of northern Israel, led to his speedy political demise.

 

Why?

 

Barak had no political experience whatsoever. He was a soldier, a soldier's soldier. But generalling, and running a country are two different things. And trying to govern Israel, a state of Jews, is all the more complicated. The considerations, the results, the repercussions, all demand more than a brilliant mind and a few decades in uniform. Barak was missing the necessary components essential for international give and take. In simple terms, he blew it. The only problem is, if a minor employee 'blows it,' so, big deal. When a Prime Minister, who is responsible for survival of the Jewish State 'blows it,' take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Big, big time disaster.

 

You would think that Israel, it's citizens, would have learned. But no, we have to go back and run a repeat performance.

 

Who has been running Israel for the past few months?

 

Who is Ehud the Second?

In the IDF, after being injured, he was a journalist. He was a Knesset member. His cabinet positions: Minister without portfolio, Responsibility for Minority Affairs, Health Minister, Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Minister of Communications. For a short time, after Netanyahu broke with Sharon, he was Finance Minister. He became acting Prime Minister following Sharon's stroke.

 

He was also Mayor of Jerusalem.

 

His wife, Aliza, is a well-known leftist activist, who, according to the 'wikipedia' is rumored to have been a founding member of "Women in Black."

His daughter Dana, a lesbian, is active in the left-wing organization "Machsom Watch." His son Shaul, lives in New York. His son Ariel studies in France and did not serve in the IDF. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmert]

 

Is this Prime Minister material? Does he have the capabilities to decide when to go to war, how to run the war, how to end the war? He has neither the brilliance nor the experience of Ehud the First, and what a failure he was! What could we possibly expect from such a mediocre successor?!

 

Who is Defense Minister Amir Peretz? Reaching the rank of captain, Peretz was wounded during the Yom Kippur War. He became an leader in Peace Now in the early 1980s. In 1983 he became Mayor of Sderot. In 1988 he was elected to Knesset and in 1994 became Deputy Chairman of the Israeli Labor organization, the Histadrut. He became chairman a year later. Upon election as Chairman of the Labor party in November, 2005, he had never served in the Israeli Cabinet. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amir_Peretz]

 

Who is Foreign Minister Tzippy Livni? A lawyer, she was elected to Knesset in 1999 and has served as Minister of: Regional cooperation, Agriculture, Immigrant Absorption, Housing and Construction, and for a short time, Justice

 

These are the three people running Israel. Together with Chief of Staff Dan Haluz, whose experience as commander of the Air Force failed to provide him with the proper tools necessary to lead an army to war.

 

In an article published in HaAretz on August 4, Ari Shavit wrote: Israel failed in the first three stages of the war of 2006. The air offensive failed, the limited ground offensive failed and the days of the hesitation and confusion of post-Bint Jbail failed. As a result, Israel was perceived to be helpless in the face of a sub-state terrorist organization that was battering it repeatedly without being vanquished.. The political establishment failed… The military establishment failed… The Israeli elites failed. The capitalists, the media and the academics of the 21st century failed in that they bedazzled Israel and deprived it of its spirit. Their recurrent illusions about the historical reality in which the Jewish state exists led Israel to navigate poorly and lose its way…While the broad Israeli public displayed sobriety, determination and staying power in all the tests it faced in the past decade, the elites disappointed. They imparted to Israeli youth a flawed set of values, which makes it very difficult for them to charge ahead when charging ahead is indisputably just. A country in which there is no equality, no justice and no belief in the justness of its path, is a country for which no one will charge ahead. And, in the Middle East of the 21st century, a state for which many of its young people are not willing to kill and be killed, is a state living on borrowed time. A state that is not sustainable.

 

Today, August 11, he writes: It's time for truth, not spin: First there was the aerial spin…After that came the ground spin…Then came the diplomatic spin…At the same time, there was the civilian spin... No more. The culture of lies that has surrounded the war from its first day must disappear. The attempt to confront an existential challenge by means of virtual false presentations must cease. A war is not a real-estate transaction, or even an election campaign. It invites a real encounter with history, which is looking deep into our eyes…A war of spin is a war that is divorced from reality, without an accurate reading of the map and without the necessary determination; a war without a goal and without a vision. Such a war cannot lead to victory.

 

And Shavit, in another article called  'Olmert cannot remain in the prime minister's office': …However, one thing should be clear: If Olmert runs away now from the war he initiated, he will not be able to remain prime minister for even one more day. Chutzpah has its limits. You cannot lead an entire nation to war promising victory, produce humiliating defeat and remain in power. You cannot bury 120 Israelis in cemeteries, keep a million Israelis in shelters for a month, wear down deterrent power, bring the next war very close, and then say - oops, I made a mistake. That was not the intention. Pass me a cigar, please.

There is no mistake Ehud Olmert did not make this past month. He went to war hastily, without properly gauging the outcome. He blindly followed the military without asking the necessary questions. He mistakenly gambled on air operations, was strangely late with the ground operation, and failed to implement the army's original plan, much more daring and sophisticated than that which was implemented. And after arrogantly and hastily bursting into war, Olmert managed it hesitantly, unfocused and limp. He neglected the home front and abandoned the residents of the north. He also failed shamefully on the diplomatic front…

 

As guilty as Olmert is, as guilty as Peretz is, as guilty as Livni and Halutz are, our finger-pointing must be directed not only at them and their cronies. We, all of us, the citizens of the state of Israel, and perhaps also Jews around the world, must take a good look at ourselves and ask: how did we allow this to happen? Are we really that stupid; or blind; or just plain apathetic?

 

The handwriting was on the wall – we've been asking for this for over a decade, since we signed and implemented the first Olso Accords, culminating with the abandonment from Gush Katif and continuing with Olmert's declarations about the next stage: expulsion of one hundred thousand Jews from Judea and Samaria and forsaking  that land to our enemies.

 

If we are truthful with ourselves, reach the necessary conclusions and implement them, then maybe, maybe, it will all have been worth it. We must realize, first and foremost, that Eretz Yisrael belongs to Am Yisrael and only Am Yisrael. We need not answer to anyone, no nation, no people, excepting the Creator of the World. He gave us this land, he created this people, and instructed us how to live. If we are willing to live according to those rules, within those guidelines, we will be victorious. If we decide otherwise, we will continue to be vanquished. It's as simple as that.

 

Let that be the 'Lessons of 2006.'

Who´s the Fool? August 6, 2006 A number of people have approached me, asking why I've refrained from writing, expressing an opinion about the current situation in Israel. In truth, I've had trouble writing for the past year. Gush Katif threw me totally out of kilter. And my thoughts concerning many different sorts of 'leaders' are so severe that I've had second thoughts about expressing myself via the written word. However, perhaps the time has come to end this self-imposed exile. But I must warn all those who continue to read. What I have to say is not easy to think, not easy to write, and surely will not be easy to read. As found on various internet sites, usually before viewing pictures: Warning: these words may not find favor in your eyes. There – you've been warned. The past few weeks have found my thoughts somewhat hybrid – the war and Gush Katif. And not necessarily in that order. A year is a long time, but it's also a very short time. It's difficult to reflect – in order to reflect you have to be able to step back, to view from a perspective – a perspective of time and distance. Gush Katif is still much too close to be able to really step back. And it's not just the pictures. A few days ago I posted almost 250 photographs of mine from Gush Katif. It's difficult to look at them and not cry – it was so beautiful – as I once described Kfar Darom, a Gan Eden, a Garden of Eden, a paradise. How can one, using his own two hands, destroy a paradise? However, it's not just the pictures. Story time: Numerous times last year, I mentioned my friends from Kfar Darom, the Sudri family. About a month ago, their daughter Tamar (made famous in a picture of her, all orange) visited us. She and her family now live in a monstrously dangerous city – Ashkelon, which has come under fire from Arab-launched missiles, launched not far from Tamar's old home in Kfar Darom. Tamar sat with us, joining us for a pleasant Shabbat meal, when she told us the following story: She had to travel north, and at her parents' request, went by train, rather than hitching a ride. She sat in a car with two other people, both men, both in uniform. At some point the train came to an abrupt unscheduled stop. Some kind of problem was going to cause a lengthy delay. After a little while the three passengers began playing a word game: each would name a letter and then have to name a place starting with that same letter. Eventually the letter 'Kaf' was mentioned and Tamar immediately said "Kfar Darom," which starts with the letter "Kaf." One of the soldiers exclaimed, "That's not a place. It doesn't exist." Tamar: "Of course it exists." 1st soldier: "But it doesn’t exist anymore. 2nd soldier: I second that – I helped evict such-and-such a family from Kfar Darom." 1st soldier: "I was there too. I bulldozed down houses. And if I ever find that family whose house I tore down, I'll kill them. Their house destroyed my bulldozer." Time-out for explanation: Due to the continued rocket attacks on Kfar Darom, the families had to add a very heavy protective substance to their roofs, effectively making them 'rocket-proof.' When the houses were being destroyed, these rooftops fell on the bulldozers, causing them major damage. Tamar: Oh, really? Which house did you bulldoze that caused such damage to your vehicle? 1st soldier: The house which was … and he described exactly where the house was. Tamar, livid and barely breathing, whispered back: I lived there, in Kfar Darom, in that house – that was my home. The two soldiers paled and immediately shut up. The game came to an end. Shortly afterwards the train began moving again. As soon as it came to a station, the two men fled, even though they hadn't yet reached their destination. Can you possibly image, coming face to face with the person who shredded your house, for no reason whatsoever – bulldozed it, the way you knock down a building of blocks? I certainly cannot. I've told this story to numerous people, but even writing it, it brings tears to my eyes. How can people, Jewish people, be so cruel to their own brethren? So maybe now others will accuse me of the same cruelty, maybe even worse. So be it. It is so clear that everything we are facing today in the north (and in the south, which seems to conveniently been forgotten), is a direct result of last year's expulsion and abandonment of Gush Katif and the northern Shomron. Years ago, following the abandonment of Sinai and outbreak of hostilities on the northern border, Hebron-Kiryat Arba Rabbi, Rav Dov Lior, said time and time again, one is the result of the other. Israel thought that relinquishment of land would lead to peace. G-d is proving to us otherwise. Ditto the present. However today is even worse. Today we are being attacked from the very land we abandoned to our enemies. And to add icing to the cake, the so-called prime minister, in the midst of the battles, proudly exclaims that he plans to continue with the absurdity: the 'victory' over Hizballah in Lebanon will act as a hoist with which he will continue to rid the Jewish people of its G-d-given land throughout Judea and Samaria. So that the enemy will have an easier time knocking down planes entering and leaving Ben Gurion airport. One might ask: if G-d is trying to teach us a lesson, why must the innocent suffer? All those in the north, now without homes, having fled, or somehow living in bomb shelters? Tens and hundreds of thousands of people, refugees in their own land. It seems so cruel. Where were all these, tens and hundreds of thousands when thousands of rockets fell on Kfar Darom, Neve Dekalim, and all the other communities in Gush Katif? Where was Israel radio when terrorists plagued Gush Katif, day after day. Where were 'good Israelis' when a criminal decision was made to uproot thousands from their homes. No noise, no protest, no nothing. Just quiet. And amongst many, happiness. 'Ah, at last. Finally. Now maybe we'll see the beginning of peace with our neighbors.' I have trouble finding any sympathy in my heart for the communities to the north of Gush Katif, who have been coming under Kasam rocket fire – all the left-wing kibbutzim and moshavim, who couldn't wait to see the trucks full of furniture leaving Gush Katif. Did they really think that it wouldn't happen to them? Where are they now? And I have trouble finding sympathy in my heart for the hundreds of thousands up north who have no where to go. Where were they when Eretz Yisrael was being ripped apart? Where were they when other Jews were being torn from their homes and stuffed in hotel rooms like cattle. Where have they been for the past year, while thousands of people have been left unemployed, their livelihoods destroyed, at the drop of Sharon's proverbial pin, the decision of a madman, who thought that the destruction of Gush Katif would answer all his problems. To the contrary. Gush Katif brought about his downfall. His successor thinks it can't and won't happen to him? Let's wait and see. The country, the people, have to learn a lesson. As the saying goes, when you play with fire, you get burnt. We keep playing, and we keep getting burnt, but then we go back and make the same mistake again. The ironies of the war are too great to be overlooked. Mr. Mustache, Mr. Peace himself, trying to lead the charge into Lebanon, as Defense minister. I have no sympathy, none whatsoever, for those supposed leaders, whose terms of office will almost certainly come to a swift end as a result of their overwhelming ineptitude. Leading the troops into the Gusk Katif decimation, Ehud Olmert and Tzippy Livni thought that following in the footsteps of Sharon would be easy. They are starting to learn otherwise. As soon as the war ends, and the enormity of their mistakes is realized, they, together with Peretz, will fall from public office, never to be heard of again, except perhaps in the history books, where they will be shamed and ridiculed. Why? Because Israel has lost a war to group of terrorist guerrillas. Not to a foreign power, not to the Syrians, Iranians, Egyptians, rather to Nasrallah and Hizballah. There's no way around it. We lost this one. Even if the seeming 'end result' is spun out into a major PR victory. Why? Because Nasrallah has shown the whole world how a small group of guerrillas can turn Israel upside down, how they can kill Israelis, soldiers and civilians, and force hundreds of thousands from their homes. It makes no difference if Nasrallah survives the war or not. He has won. He has proven, following in the footsteps of Arafat, that Israel is not invincible. If he can do it, anyone can. It is truly miraculous that our surrounding neighbors have not yet taken advantage of our unbelievable weakness and joined the party. Why not? The present Israeli leadership, totally inexperienced, totally stunned and dizzied by the ferocity of the Hizballah rocket attacks, wouldn't know how to respond to coordinated Syrian-Egyptian-Jordanian attacks on Israel. All we have left is to pray to G-d in heaven that this catastrophe ends before our enemies can get their act together. Yet, with all of the anger and bitterness towards these 'leaders,' there has to be a small small space left for pity. After all, our people are dying. A friend of mine came into my office earlier today and presented me with the following parable: The village fool was standing in the town square, really making an idiot of himself. Amost all the villagers stood around, watching, laughing and joking, enjoying the show. Except for one person, who stood back, crying. One of the villagers approached him and asked, 'why aren't you joining us, watching the fool make such a fool of himself? He answered: "Yes, but he is OUR fool!" The fact that we, Am Yisrael, in Israel and around the world, allowed Gush Katif to fall, that we allowed the Northern Shomron to fall, that fact that we allowed Olmert to be elected Prime Minister, that fact that we allow him dare say that this war will act as a hoist to Gush Katif, Part Two – So you tell me – who's the fool?

In honor of 39 years of Hebron´s liberation: Why live in Hebron

In honor of 39 years of Hebron´s liberation: Why live in Hebron

May 25, 2006
Erev Yom Yerushalayim//Yom Hebron

"On the occasion of the thirty second anniversary of the renewal of the Jewish Community of Hebron, I am happy to convey to the entire community blessings of success and shalom. The right of Jews to live tranquilly in the city of the Forefathers securely, protected from all danger, is not disputed." So began former Prime Minister Ehud Barak's letter of good wishes to The Jewish Community of Hebron. (It should be noted that Ehud Barak is not a supporter of the Israeli right.)

Hebron is the first Jewish city in the land of Israel , home of our patriarchs and matriarchs — Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Sarah, Rebecca and Leah. King David ruled from Hebron for more than seven years before moving the capital to Jerusalem .

Jews have lived in Hebron almost continuously for thousands of years. At Tel Hebron, commonly known as "Tel Rumeida," artifacts were discovered dating to the era of the Patriarch Abraham. "L'Melech" (King) seals, 2,700 years old, inscribed with the word "Hevron" in ancient Hebrew were uncovered there by archeologists. Our community offices are in a neighborhood founded in 1540 by Jews exiled from Spain in 1492. Jewish presence in Hebron came to an abrupt end only in August 1929, when Arab riots led to the murder of 67 Jews and the wounding of 70. All survivors were exiled from the city by the ruling British.

Following the riots, massacre and exile in 1929, a small group of Jews returned to Hebron in 1931. About thirty families lived in the city until just after Passover, 1936, when they were expelled by the British. Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Jews again had access to the first Jewish city in . It must be clearly understood: when returned to Hebron in 1967, Jews did not occupy a foreign city; rather, they came back home.

In 1968 Jews officially came back to Hebron . The day before Passover in April, 1968 a group of families arrived at the Park Hotel in Hebron . The proprietor rented them half of the kitchen, which they promptly koshered. The women and children slept in the rooms; the men and boys slept in the lobby and on the floor. It was the first Jewish Pesach in Hebron in decades.

Moshe Dayan, then Minister of Defense, arrived in Hebron shortly after Passover. Following several weeks of discussions he offered the group two choices: either be forcibly removed from the city, or go live in the Hebron military compound, several kilometers outside the center of the city. This building, originally a British police station, had been transformed into the Israeli military Headquarters of Judea. It was not overly conducive to a civilian lifestyle. Dayan must have expected that the young families, including women and babies, would soon throw up their arms in frustration at the poor living conditions and leave of their own accord.

Dayan was partially correct. The group did eventually leave. But first they lived in the military headquarters for two and half years, until the first neighborhood of the newly founded Hebron suburb, Kiryat Arba, was completed.

There was, however, a yearning to return to Hebron , to Beit Hadassah, to the 450 year old Jewish Quarter, home of the ancient Avraham Avinu Shul, to reside adjacent to Ma'arat HaMachpela. Attempts were made, again and again, all leading to failure. Only in 1979, when Menachem Begin was Prime Minister, did a group of 10 women and 40 children succeed in setting up house in the basement of the old medical center, Beit Hadassah, in the middle of the city. Living in adverse conditions for close to a year, these women and childen became the nucleus of Hebron 's renewed Jewish community. In 1980, following the murder of six young men outside Beit Hadassah, the Israeli government finally gave official recognition and authorization of Hebron 's Jewish Community.

The present Jewish Community of Hebron numbers close to 1,000 hundred people, including almost 100 families, hundreds of children, and some 250 post-high school yeshiva students studying at Yeshivat Shavei Hevron in Beit Romano. The reason there aren't more people living in Hebron is simply because of lack of space. There are not any apartments available. That is, perhaps, a misnomer. There are apartments available that we are presently unable to utilize. In the past four months we have been unjustifiably expelled from 12 apartments that we lived in. Clearly, were there more room in Hebron , there would be many more Jews living in the city.

However, in spite of the small size of the community, according to the statistics received from the IDF and Civil Administration, hundreds of thousands of people visit Hebron annually. Worldwide support, including Jews and gentiles, is overwhelming. Groups from Europe, the , Scandinavia and even the Far East tour Hebron .

Why do we choose to live in Hebron ? Again, the answer is quite simple. A few years ago, a group of people associated with the New Israel Fund visited Hebron .

Following a short visit on the Jewish side of the city, they crossed the 'border' and met with Hebron 's Arab mayor, Mustepha Natsche. They asked him whether Jews were allowed to pray at Ma'arat HaMachpela, the second holiest site to the Jewish people in the world. His answer greatly surprised them. He said no. "Ma'arat HaMachpela is a mosque, and only Moslems can pray in a Mosque," said Arab Mayor Mustepha Natsche.

This was reiterated by Natsche's deputy, Kamal Dweck. In an interview he also stated that Jews and Christians may not pray in the Tomb of the Patriarchs 'because it is not a church or a synagogue; it is a mosque and only Moslems can worship in a mosque.'

The Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs was off-limits to Jews for 700 years. During that time Jews, (as well as Christians), were not allowed inside the 2,000 year old Herodian structure atop the Caves of Machpela. Today we are told by Hebron's Arab Mayor and deputy mayor that should the Palestinian Authority ever regain control all of Hebron , again this holy site will be closed to anyone not Moslem.

There are those who are skeptical. How then, can one explain what happened to Joseph's Tomb in Shechem. According to the Olso Accords this holy site was to remain accessible to Jews. However, following the killing of an Israeli soldier at the tomb, was forced to abandon it. The result was the total destruction of the building which was burned to the ground. And if the Arabs had their way, Kever Rachel would have long ago been turned over to the Palestinian Authority.

The only reason that Ma'arat HaMachpela is still accessible to Jews is because there is a permanent Jewish presence in the city. The disappearance of the Jewish Community of Hebron would be tantamount to abandoning our Patriarchs and Matriarchs. Could any Jew, be they religious or secular, dream of abandoning the Fathers and Mothers of our people?

What is our goal, living in Hebron ? Despite media reports, the goal of Hebron 's Jewish community is not to expel the Arabs living here. Anyone of any race or religion should be able to live in Hebron . However, we demand that our Arab neighbors accept the fact that the Jews have an eternal, legitimate right to live in the first Jewish city in the land of Israel . This is our goal: living normal lives, just as anyone else, anywhere in . Our goal is to ensure that our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be able to live in Hebron . Our goal is to make sure that all Jews will have access to Ma'arat HaMachpela, that Jews will never again be told that this holy site is 'off-limits' because 'you are Jews.'

Others ask: how can you stay in Hebron ? It is so dangerous. How can you risk the lives of your families and children in such a place?

It was May 2001, about eight months after the Oslo War — otherwise known as the second intifada — began. Daily, Hebron 's residents were attacked by terrorist gunmen from the surrounding hills transferred to the control of the Palestinian Authority several years earlier.

At 11 one night I was still in the office, five minutes from our home. Again, the sound of gunfire could be heard from the Abu Sneneh and Harat al-Shech hills The phone on my desk rang. It was one of my daughters, Aderet, then 16. Breathless, she exclaimed, "Dad, they're shooting again." I answered lackadaisically, "Yeah, I hear it." In other words, "What's new — it's the same, every day."

"But they shot into our apartment. And I was standing there," my daughter cried.

Arriving home, I discovered five holes in a wall opposite the window in the children's room. Aderet and Ruti had been standing not more than three feet from where the bullets hit. Miraculously, they weren't injured.

Today, Aderet is married with two children of her own. And she too lives here in Hebron . Another of my married daughters, with three children, also continues to live in the city. Why not leave, due to the danger?

Jews in Hebron are willing to risk present dangers because acquiescence can only be defined as a reward for terrorism. Arab terror seeks to expel us from our homes, using murder as a means to an end. However, "our homes" include not only those in Hebron but also in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa . New Palestinian textbooks contain maps of "Palestine" that include the entire state of Israel .

Eviction from Hebron, the first Jewish city in Eretz Yisrael, would be tantamount to the removal of Americans from Boston or Philadelphia upon terrorist demands. Except, of course, that American history is less than 250 years old; Jewish history in Hebron is more than 3,700 years old. Hebron , home of Abraham, is not just the place where Judaism got its start. It is the source of monotheism for all peoples of the world.

Jewish people in and around the world support a strong, vibrant Jewish presence in Hebron . We do not expect any Israeli government to attempt to follow in the footsteps of Arab Nazi Mufti Amin el-Husseini and the British and expel Jews from the city. In any case, we would never abandon our homes.

Besides which, why should the state of be forced to chop off its roots to appease Arab terror? We know the result of eradicating the roots of a tree. God forbid that should happen!

Former Prime Minister Barak's blessings to Hebron continued: "The test of the renewed Hebron Jewish community, which is the same test of the Arab majority, is the ability to develop good neighborly relationships. Mutual honor and a joint effort are necessary to overcome the scars, the pain and the difficult reminders left from the despicable carnage which desecrated this holy city."

Hebron 's Jewish Community could not agree more with this statement. The time has come for our Arab neighbors to stop shooting at us, to stop trying to kill us for no other reason than because we are Jews living in Hebron . Perhaps they believe that by killing us, or by attempting to murder us, they will scare us away. They cannot be further from the truth, because Hebron is the heart of the Jewish people, the life-blood from which the Jewish people derives its sanctity. This is a simple truth that everyone should not only understand, but also agree with. We truly hope and pray for the day when true peace will prevail, both in Hebron, throughout the land of Israel and all over the entire world.

Don't Fool Yourselves – It Can Happen May 23, 2006 One of the paradigms of modern Israeli culture is the adjacency of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Independence Day, to Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day. It stands to reason that prior to celebrating national liberation, those who made the supreme sacrifice leading to achievement of the goal of independence must be honored, remembered and shown gratitude. Memorial day effects just about every citizen of Israel, as well as many Jews around the world. The proverbial 'everybody knows somebody who…' it all too real in a small state, not yet sixty years old. Putting it succinctly, memorial day really hits home. There's no way to escape the imbued sense of national mourning which includes each and every Israeli citizen. For this reason it is all the more difficult, and perhaps all the more touching, that Memorial Day is immediately followed, almost continued, by Independence Day. One minute you are mourning and the next minute, celebrating. Such a mixture and combination of emotions can be confusing, to say the least. But this blending of sentiment clearly reflects Jewish history, and the return to the Homeland, Eretz Yisrael. What better an example than just sixty years ago, when the creation of the state of Israel was preceded by the wholesale slaughter of between six to seven million Jews, in what is called 'the Holocaust.' How is it possible to cheerfully observe Jewish independence on the footsteps of such atrocity? But this is the way it was, and this is the way it is. So why bring this up now, when Memorial Day and Independence Day are behind us, having occurred just a few weeks ago? I cannot help but feel that we are on the brink of yet another parallel set of seeming opposites. In a few days we will, supposedly, celebrate Jerusalem Day, observing the 58th anniversary of the liberation of the holiest city in the world. Jerusalem: Jews, with their last breath, screaming, "Next year in Jerusalem," and then burning on the stake. And it wasn't too many years ago that "Next year in Jerusalem" was a one-way ticket to Siberia. There was a Rabbi in Jerusalem, who, following the fall of the 'Old City,' including Temple Mount and the Western Wall during the 1948 War of Independence, refused to leave his home for 19 years, until liberation of the entire city, during the Six-day war in 1967! Jerusalem, in the hearts and souls of all Jews, in song and poetry, prayer and thought, finally, in 1967, after a two thousand year exile, Jews were back home. Or were we? It is a well-known fact that then Prime Minister Levi Eshkol sent Golda Meir and a few other Israeli politicians to Hussein of Jordan, pleading with him not to take part in the war. They were unequivocal: Israel will not attack the "Old City" and not move into Judea and Samaria. Jerusalem is yours. Just stay out of the war. Don't open up another front from the east. Hussein's response was to sign a five year mutual defense pact with Egypt, establish a joint command with Nasser, and to begin shelling Jerusalem. Israel and Eshkol had no choice? Or did they? Prior to being given the green light to enter the Old City during the war, the Israeli army waited outside the walls for many hours. Why? A proposal had been suggested to the Israeli cabinet: declare Jerusalem an 'international city' and don't attack, refrain from making Jerusalem a part of the State of Israel. Fortunately this proposal was rejected, due to the persuasive arguments of then Minister Menachem Begin and IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren. However, it is clear. The Israeli leadership of 1967 did not view Jerusalem as an integral element of Israel's essence. It was 'another place' which could be 'sacrificed' for the 'sake of peace.' So too, it seems today. The Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Ehud Olmert, almost as these word are being written, is replaying pre-Jerusalem 1967. Again, Jerusalem is on the table, waiting for the surgeons to begin to amputate. So ironic it is that only a few days before "Jerusalem Day," the Israeli prime minister is trying to convince the President of the United States to allow Israel to unilaterally part from our land, including parts of Jerusalem, including, almost inevitably, Temple Mount. All that Jews yearned for, prayed for, were imprisoned for, died for, poof, to be gone like a cloud in the sky, blown away by the winds of surrender, capitulation, terror, and, in the end, fear. Yes, fear. Only a people afraid are willing to even consider parting from their most valuable possessions, in this case, not only our land, but our spirit. All the bravery and cunning, the self-assuredness, the faith, it has all seeming gone down the drain of peace. Not a peace of the courageous, rather a peace of the terrified. Ehud Olmert, together with all his supporters, political and otherwise, is literally shaking in his pants. "PLEASE PRESIDENT BUSH, LET US GIVE AWAY OUR LAND!" For whatever reason, and there are lots of reasons, many Israelis have lost their will and their way; they have lost their will to live and their way of life. The willingness to cut out our collective heart is unparalleled spiritual suicide and the willingness to continue to chop up our land and abandon it to the enemy is unparalleled physical suicide. So, as we approach "Jerusalem Day," only three days away, I ask myself, perhaps we need to preface this holiday, as we introduce Independence Day with Memorial day. With what? I would suggest moving Tisha B'Av, the traditional anniversary of the destruction of the first and second Temples, from the date of that destruction, to the day prior to Jerusalem day. Were we collectively, to fast, sit on the ground as a sign of mourning, and weep for what we lacked for two thousand years, the day before the celebration, perhaps we would better understand why we celebrate; just as Independence Day is so much more meaningful following the mourning of the preceding day. For I fear that we may soon find ourselves marking another Tisha b'Av; one marking the destructions of the past, and a second, marking the self-inflicted destruction of the present. And no one should dare say, "It cannot and will not happen." We've been there, we've done that – and anyone who has forgotten should just go back and take a look at the pictures from last summer. Don't fool yourselves. It can happen. With prayers for many more festive Jerusalem Days With blessings from Hebron.

Beit Shapira in Hebron - Justice at its best

Beit Shapira in Hebron - Justice at its best

May 4, 2006

Last March, just over a year ago, Hebron's Jewish community completed acquisition of a large house in the Tel-Rumeida – Admot Ishai neighborhood. The building, adjacent to a recently completed apartment complex and the neighborhood's caravan homes, was something of a coup. It is extremely difficult to obtain buildings from Arabs anywhere, but especially in Hebron. Arabs selling property to Jews are summarily executed. Of course, first they are tortured. So it was only a few weeks ago when Muhammad Abu al-Hawa, a 48 year old Arab, was found tortured and killed for having sold Jews property on the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2134917,00.html].

However, where there's a will, there's a way. It is a quite complicated process and necessitates much patience. Frequently, a successful transaction can take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to conclude.

Upon moving into the building, security forces arrived, demanding 'proof of purchase.' All the necessary documents were turned over to the police, army and 'civil administration' in charge of Yesha. Everything was legal, and we were quite sure that everything would work out.

The director of the civil administration, a wonderful man, met with his senior staff and told them, "you have to get them out of that building!"

One of those present, an expert on such affairs, responded, "We can't. I've gone through all the documents. They crossed all the 'tees' and dotted all the 'iis'. It's all legal."

His boss answered, "I don't care, Find a way to get them out."

Over course the Arab owner of the building claimed that the documentation was all forged and that he had never sold the property. These claims, for a good reason. Arabs who sell to Jews are murdered.

It didn't take long to dismantle his story. He was lying through his teeth and within a short time his version of things fell apart.

That was over a year ago, and despite a 'continuing investigation' the house and property are with us. They couldn't and didn't 'get us out.'

But the appetite was there, a big appetite at that. They waited.

Exactly a month ago the Hebron Jewish community carbon-copied the Tel Rumeida transaction. Following years of negotiations, a large building adjacent to the Avraham Avinu neighborhood was acquired, exactly as the Tel Rumeida property was acquired. Entrance into the building was held up until the attorneys gave their final O.K. – everything is kosher, the papers are in order – you have a green light. GO.

So, go we did. At nine in the evening a large group of Hebron residents dittoed the act of a year ago, and moved in. The building had to be cleaned; it was a real mess inside. But Hebron's population was highly motivated. Not every day do you successfully move into a new building in the city of the Patriarchs.

Of course, the police, army and civil administration showed up in full force, and received explanations and documentation, as a year before. And that was it. At least for a few days.

Several men were called in by the police for interrogation. They answers to most of the questions were fairly standard. 'The entire deal is legal – we have the papers to prove it – any questions concerning the details can be addressed to our lawyers. They are the experts.'

Following a few minutes of such conversation, a senior interrogator came into the room and started lecturing: "This time we are going to get you. Last time, we let you get away with it, but not this time. WE ARE GOING TO GET YOU!"

These words were repeated for about 40 minutes, over an over again, until he thought he'd gotten his point across. And that was it.

Last week we received notification that the police and others in the security forces 'decided' that the documentation was a complete forgery and that our presence in the building was illegal. They gave us notification: if you don't leave voluntarily, we will forcibly expel you.

Why now? According to the law, there is a procedure whereby tenants can be removed from a building within 30 days of their entrance. After 30 days, it becomes much more difficult to legally expel tenants from the home or building. Our '30 days' ends tonight.

For the past month, three families, about 25 people, have been living in Beit Shapira. Tonight, depending on the ruling of the Israeli High Court of Justice (the Supreme Court), between 1,500 to 2,000 police and soldiers are planning on throwing them out.

Here then, is a summary of the facts concerning Beit Shapira, (named in memory of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhak Shapira, killed next to the house by Arab terrorists during Succot, 2003).

1. The Jewish presence in the building is legal.
All necessary legal documentation is available and held by the claimants. Tremendous amounts of money were invested in the building, and the decision to expel us, based upon empty, false complaints of the previous owners, comprises thievery and improper utilization of authority by powers that be.

2 . We accuse the previous Arab owner of false claims.

The fact that the previous owner denies the transaction is a normal and frequent occurrence. This, due to the fact that their lives are endangered. Such a denial is accompanied by a complaint issued with the police. The police investigation should then take place in accordance with this fact, which is well known to them, and they should not reach hasty conclusions.

3. We accuse the investigators of a tendentious investigation and improper use of their authority. The police and the civil administration hastened to draw conclusions, without any factual basis for their conclusions, while refraining from any objective, professional investigation of the facts. Despite the fact that they were not able to ascertain that the documentation was forged, as claimed by the previous owner and did not conduct any kind of true investigation of the facts, the police reached one-sided conclusions.

We are one hundred percent convinced that, given the opportunity to present the facts and documentation in an authorized court of law, the undisputed conclusion will be reached that the property is legally held by the Jewish community of Hebron. We therefore are requesting that the Supreme court prevent the proposed expulsion and transfer the case to the proper court of law.

4. We are facing a classic case of improper use of authority by the authorities, who are utilizing their positions in a clearly biased manner, without any fairness or objectivity.

5. It is only proper that the question of legal possession and tenure, and the determination as to the authenticity of the documents, be determined by an appropriate court as soon as possible. Such decisions should not be made by 'field court-martial' with overtly political overtones.

6. Concerning the last point, it must be stressed that the question at hand is not legal, rather it is strictly political. The decision to expel us from the building was taken by outgoing Defense Minister Shaul Mufaz and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert immediately following our entrance into the building, prior to any examination of the legal documents or claims. The police then began a one-sided investigation before any claims or complaints were filed by the previous owner.

This being the case, we expect the high court of justice to accept our petition and order the police to refrain from any and all expulsion of Jewish families from Beit Shapira in Hebron.