The Future of Am Yisrael

When I find myself thinking about Israeli politics I typically think of myself as extremely ignorant.  I'm not trying to imply that I'm any sort of an expert on American politics either, but I do understand the basic workings of the government.  Up until a handful of years ago I didn't even think of Israel as a place I would ever want to go, let alone live in... let alone try to understand the politics of.  My my, how things change.

With an election just around the corner I was delighted to hear about a politician, and future Knesset member, coming to Tekoa to speak.  On a very stormy and cold night here in Tekoa, unfortunately not many people came out to hear him speak.  I, on the other hand, was extremely glad that I did.  Jeremy Gimpel came to speak to us about the Bayit Yehudi party, who they are, where they stand, and their views on what's in store for the future of Israel.  What I learned is that I wish more political parties had such values, integrity, spirit, passion, and inclusiveness.  This IS the future of Israel.

The Bayit Yehudi are proud Jewish Zionists who are looking to represent and include ALL of Am Yisrael.  Their party includes; Sephardi Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, secular Jews, and religious Jews.  They represent Kibbutznic Jews, Hevron and Judea/Sameria Jews, Beer Sheva Jews, Tel Aviv Jews, Israeli Sabres, English speakers, French speakers, women, men.  They're the most former kravi-combat unit political party.  They're young, quality and values based, and are representing every facet of Israeli life today.

So for all of you undecided and eligible voters, here is my push... vote Bayit Yehudi.

Arutz Sheva interview with Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett

They're looking to make a more "Jewish Israel."  This isn't about making anyone more religious.  It's about having an identity.  Knowing who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.  Having national pride and coming together under the amazing idea that we are a Jewish people living in the historical land of Israel.

They're working towards a resurgence of the Zionistic spirit.  With respect for ourselves, the world will then in turn respect us.  We have a right to be a free people in our own land!

The current system is self destructive.  We're all siblings... family... one body.  When rockets are falling on the south, residents in the north should be up at arms.  We need to have a sense of social solidarity and caring for each other.  We have to work together to establish a better future for our country.  From secular to ultra-orthodox, we have to speak well of each other and support each other.

The Bayit Yehudi party is the only party that is 100% against a Palestinian state.  There is no one to talk to on the other side, as we have seen for decades, and the peace process is not going anywhere.  Our primary focus should be internal.  

With regards to areas A, B, and C and the divisions of Judea and Sameria, aka the "West Bank"; the immediate annexation of Area C, which is where I currently live, 400,000 Jews would be included in the overall undisputed land of Israel.  The 48,000 Arab residents of Area C would also be offered Israeli citizenship, but would most likely decline just like the Arabs of East Jerusalem did.  They could still live in their homes and villages, but without citizenship they would obtain the equivalent of a green card and not be allowed to have any expression of national rites.

Areas A and B are populated only by Arabs and would stay the same as it is right now.  In 1988, Arabs in A and B had Jordanian citizenship.  Currently 80% of Jordanian residents including their Queen are Palestinians.  The land of Jordan was the original designation of the land of (what was later called) Palestine.  Both the Jordanian and Palestinian flags are the same.  The Arabs in Areas A and B should have Jordanian citizenship and be able to express their national rites there.  They're welcome to take up green card residence in Israel and hold citizenship elsewhere.

There is no way that we should allow the Palestinian Authority (PA) to become their own county.  Allowing this to happen would allow millions of claimed Palestinian descendants to move to Areas A and B.  The establishment of a country could mean an armed PA which is a major threat to the safety and security of Israel.

As we look towards the election in just a few weeks time we should be thinking about the future of Israel.  What do we want to see for ourselves, our children, and our children's children?  We want to know, feel, and understand the beauty and importance of being Jews living in Israel.  We want to love and respect ALL Jews from one side of the spectrum to the other and everything in between.  We have to fight for ourselves and fight for each other.  We have to be passionate about Israel and willing to do whatever it takes to make ourselves free in our own land.  Free to build without international scrutiny.  Free to defend ourselves without holding back.  Free to be Jewish in the one and only tiny sliver of land that has been ours for thousands of years.  From Avraham Avinu to modern day Israel, we need to fight for who we are and be proud of our uniqueness and our role in being a light to the nations of the world.  Tikun Olam.

The Truth

There seems to be an erie silence happening in Israel right now.  So much has happened in the past few months that I'm afraid to admit that right now feels like the calm before the storm.  On January 22 we will be electing a new Prime Minister and polls are leading to a shift in the Kennesset (the house goverment) to the right.  I believe that the results in this election will determine the future in the middle east.  The Palestinian Authority's (PA) Abbas is continually refusing to come to the negotiating table with our current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  They currently want all negotiations to begin with many preconditions.  In my humble opinion; peace talks should begin with the mutual agenda of PEACE and not "peace on the condition of..."  PA officials continue to demad Israel accept the indefensible 1949 Armistice lines as borders, free all Arab terrorists from its jails, and again freeze construction before talks of peace can resume.  The PA also refuses to acknowledge Israel's right to exsist at all.  How can peace be made under these conditions?  I'm not asking rehtorically.  I really want to know!  I have no idea how to make it happen. 

This fantastic video clearly and concisely describes the truth about the West Bank and the Palestinian conflict.

This second video is an excellent description of the history that we have seen in trying to make peace with the PA. 

 

 

What do we learn from both of these videos?  That we have a long way to go before peace will be attained in the middle east.  There is not much else I can add to this, but both of these 2 videos clearly and effectively describe what it is that I'm struggling to put into words.  We will continue to see how events unfold as we near the election on January 22.  Stay tuned!

 

I pray that we see peace in our time.  Real peace.  Lasting peace.  I hope that this new year, 2013 bring lots of blessings of peace and happiness to all of us.  Happy New Year!

David versus Goliath

Each morning following the Modeh Ani prayer I say to myself, "I feel safe in the unknown."  Followed by, "Thank you Ha'Shem for another day of life.  Give me the grace to live this day... Deeply, fully, and joyfully!"  Each time I open my computer I struggle in deciding if I want blissful ignorance in my day in regards to world events, or if I should start checking news outlets to see what's going on in the world.  Each day the news wins and each day I get more and more frustrated with the UN and the international community's double standards for Israel.

While countries all around us are killing their own people, expelling non-Islamic persons, and are building and buying nuclear weapons and arms; somehow Israel continues to get the bad press.  We're fired on, attacked by rioters, and condemned by the international community over and over again.  For what?  For being Jewish?  For wanting to protect our people and our own country?  For allowing religious freedom?  No other country in the world would allow such nonsense to continue.  No other country would be condemned for protecting it's own people the way we are.  No other country in the middle east protects democracy and freedom the way we do.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) broke agreements with Israel with their bid to the UN for upgraded status recognition.  After more restraint than any other country in the world, Israel announced plans to approve and build over 3,000 homes in the area now known as "E1".  This piece of land connects East Jerusalem to Maale Adumim.  It's the space between Judea and Samaria, connecting the southern and northern parts of the "West Bank".  The world is in an uproar screaming, "injustice!"  Israel has also announced that we will stop paying aide monies to the PA until at least March.  Billions of dollars is currently owed to the Israeli government by the PA for water and energy consumption.  Palestinians in Judea, Sameria, and Gaza are supplied with water and electricity from an Israeli power grid.  Billions of dollars worth of energy is paid by the Israeli tax payer for what?  So some "poor Palestinian" can have water and electricity?  The same Palestinian who will pick up a rock, or sometimes even a molotov cocktail, and hurl it at oncoming traffic.  The same ones who will attack soldiers and start riots.  Thank you Israel for the electricity, water, and aide money.... take a burning tire thrown on the road in front of your car as a token of our gratitude.  Can you sense my frustration?

This week has been nothing short of shocking and frustrating to me as I continue to read article after article about what is going on in the world.  History is about to repeat itself.  We are on the edge of World War 3... we have been for a very long time.  The Christian nations of the world are about to battle with the Arab nations of the world.  This will be a religious war.  If the Christian nations don't make the moves needed, the Jewish nation of Israel will.  Our tiny sliver of land and population will move forward and do what needs to be done.  We will take out nuclear weapons in Iran, we will crush weapons and arsenals in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, etc.  Whatever and however the job needs to be done, we will do it.  We will do it holding the shield of King David as we fight for what is right.

Do I want war?  Of course not.  Who WANTS war?  I want to see an end to conflict.  I want to see an end to terror and murder.  The world is on the edge of the biggest change we've experienced in our lifetimes.  I truly believe that.  I would love to see us come to that change with openness, love, and tolerance, but that seems to be a reality that is moving further and further away.

As Hanukah is coming to an end I can't help but think about the parallel between the story of Hanukah and what's currently happening in the world around us.  In the story of Hanukah the tiny nation of Israel, a small rag tag group of Rabbis, stood up to the Greeks and fought a courageous and miraculous war.  Right now, the land of Israel is once again looking to stand up for herself against the Arab nations surrounding us.  Once again we are on the side of David as he prepares to fight Goliath.  As I've said before and I will continue to say again... history is bound to repeat itself.  Time is not linear.  Time is circular.  We have stood up to the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians.  We have survived Inquisitions, expulsions, the Holocaust.  We will continue to fight.  We will continue to be strong.  Never again.

As we finish Hanukah and look towards the end of 2012 I pray that we all have holidays filled with light, love, joy, and blessings.