November 1998
November 1, 1998 Jihad against Free Speech
November 8, 1998 Determination
November 15, 1998 The Greater the Expectation, the Greater the Disappointment
November 18, 1998 The Potter's Test Reveals the Truth
November 21, 1998 A Story Of Rare Jewish Assertiveness!
November 22, 1998 "You Can't Dance With A Murderer"
November 23, 1998 A Letter from Nadia
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Jerusalem, November 1, 1998
Jihad against Free Speech
The following is the text of today's program by Nadia Matar, the
chairperson of Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), on Arutz
7. Nadia speaks, in Hebrew, every Sunday after the 12:00 noon newscast, and in
English, every Sunday at 10:00 PM on 98.7 FM. Both audio segments can be heard via
the internet on www.a7.org/live.htm
Shalom to all our listeners!
This is Nadia Matar speaking -
Danny Vargas, may the Lord avenge him, was 29 years old. He left a
pregnant wife and a three-year-old son, a mother, a brother and
sister in Kiryat Arba, and another brother in Chile. He immigrated
from Chile twenty years ago. Danny came to Kiriat Arba to be close to
his family, and he was attached to the place by bonds of love. As an
athlete and with credentials in contact fighting and self-defense, he
viewed his main contribution in the realm of youth and sport. Danny
did all this out of devotion and love, and of course on a volunteer
basis, always looking how he could contribute more. Zvi Katzover, the
head of the Kiryat Arba Local Council, related, when he eulogized
him, how he insisted that the soccer team that he coached would bear
the name "Kiryat Arba," and not "Yehudah" or any other name. He was
so proud of Kiryat Arba.
All this was cut off a week ago when the cowardly murderers' bullets
hit him as he was on his way home from his place of work as a
security guard at the Electric Corporation installation at Nimrah.
Danny was not religious. He represented the diversity characteristic
of Kiryat Arba, in contrast to what people think. The youth who had
the privilege of knowing Danny returned his love, because, by force
of his personality, he was capable of bringing together all the
diverse elements of the population in Kiryat Arba: the religious, the
secular, and new immigrants. They all accompanied him on his last
journey: the wonderful youth who walked along, stooped over, with
tears in their eyes, next to one another, those who wear a kippah
next to those who put on a kippah in his honor, for his funeral. And
so they took their leave of Danny.
Tomorrow, Monday, an assembly marking the end of the shivah funeral
week will be held at 3:00 p.m. We will gather next to the gate of
Kiryat Arba, where prayer and the reading of Psalms will be held.
Afterwards we will continue in a procession that will conclude at the
soccer field that will be named after Danny, with the unveiling of
the plaque by the family.
I personally did not know Danny Vargas, may the Lord avenge him. I
received this information about him from his friends in Kiryat Arba -
but I felt duty-bound to say a few words about him, so that we would
all know a bit more about him, so that we would know what a wonderful
person he was. In this way, we might find it easier to remember him.
Recently there is a new phenomenon in the media regarding those who
are murdered in terrorist attacks. It used to be traditional that in
all the newspapers when a Jew was murdered by Arabs, or in the
Shabbat newspapers, we would see entire human-interest articles about
the murder victim, about his family, about his deeds, about his
hopes....
All this has ceased. but not long ago. I think that this phenomenon
can be seen since Dov Driban, may the Lord avenge him, was murdered.
We are witness to a phenomenon in which the media completely ignores
the life of the murder victim. I did not see in Maariv or in Yedioth
a single article about Rabbi Raanan, or about Hayyim Korman, or about
Shlomo Leibman and Harel Bin-Nun, may the Lord avenge them. Do we at
all remember Michal Adato who was stabbed to death in the Jordan
Valley, and what about the terrorist attack at the spring near the
Moshav Orah? There we heard a bit about the family, not, Heaven
forbid, so that we would know some more details about the murder
victim himself or about his friend who was seriously wounded, rather
the media seized the fantastic opportunity it was given there, in
which the father of Itamar Doron, may the Lord avenge him, fiercely
attacked the return to religion and Bratslav Hasidim.
In the last year, therefore, the trend of the media undoubtedly has
been this: to relate to the murders of Jews by Arabs as they relate
to those who are killed in road accidents. To relate to this as
something self-understood, as cut-and-dry statistics, as a phenomenon
against which nothing can be done. I won't be surprised if news more
or less like this will soon be heard on Israel Radio: "This week 10
people were killed in road accidents and 15 were killed in hostile
actions, and now for the sports news...."
In general, anyone analyzing what is happening in the media today
will discover something interesting: if we think that the national
camp is confused about what is happening, the media is even more
confused. On the one hand, they profoundly hate Bibi; while, on the
other hand, he really brought the agreement that they longed for, and
it actually appears that he has undergone a transformation from a
person belonging to the national camp to someone who is willing to
make concessions and to continue in the disastrous way of Rabin and
Peres.
So what do they do? They decide that the most important thing, of
course, is the accursed agreement. They call a "time out" from all
the attacks on Bibi, and now they direct all their barbs against
those who dare to attack the agreement, in order to portray them as
(a) a minority among the people, and
(b) dangerous.
And thus began the jihad against freedom of speech, or, as Dr. Plaut
of Haifa University wrote in an article: We have returned to the days
of antidemocratic Marxism, as it was after the assassination of
Rabin. After the assassination, a witch hunt was conducted against
anyone who opposed the Oslo accords, and today, anyone who dares to
attack the Wye agreement is accused - also by senior members of the
Likud - of the attempted murder of the Prime Minister. Completely
legitimate posters are depicted as incitement to murder;
distinguished rabbis gather - and the GSS photographs them, as the
KGB used to do. It is announced that the Prime Minister will hardly
come to settlements (incidentally, as if he had come a lot before
this), and when he will come, he will arrive only by helicopter. This
is a brilliant exercise in order to depict all the settlers as
dangerous. I want to recall to the security forces that Rabin's murderer
did not come from Judea, Samaria, or Gaza, but from Herzliyah, so
then maybe the Prime Minister should come to Gush Dan, to Herzliyah,
by helicopter - in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza there is no danger to his
life.
And the favorite tool of the media is the famous poll: 75 percent of
the public supports the agreement. No one bothers to add that an
additional question was asked in that poll: "Did you read the
agreement?" Ninety percent of the public in Israel did not read the
agreement!
So, my listeners, there is a clear attempt here to delegitimize
anyone who forcefully opposes the Wye agreement.
We must not despair - Churchill in the beginning was the only one who
opposed England's policy of appeasement of Hitler. He warned,
demonstrated, screamed ... until people finally awoke and realized
that he was right. We, hundreds of thousands of opponents of the
agreement, will be like Churchill.
In no way will we accept the Wye agreement and hand over our homeland
to the archmurderer. The agreement endangers the children of Israel,
the Wye agreement gives a prize to the murderers of Danny Vargas, may
the Lord avenge him.
We will continue to demonstrate, to warn, to explain, and to cry out
... and we will also continue to remember those who were murdered
because of these agreements - the victims of Oslo and the victims of
Wye.
Have a good week, and let us not forget to struggle for the release
of Jonathan Pollard and for the return of our sons: Ron Arad,
Zechariah Baumel, Yehudah Katz, and Tzvi Feldman.
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Jerusalem, November 8, 1998
Determination
The following is the text of today's program by Nadia Matar, the
chairperson of Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), on Arutz
7. Nadia speaks, in Hebrew, every Sunday after the 12:00 noon newscast, and in
English, every Sunday at 10:00 PM on 98.7 FM. Both audio segments can be heard via
the internet on www.a7.org/live.htm
Shalom to all our listeners!
This is Nadia Matar speaking -
A week and a half ago I participated in a program on Channel Two
entitled "Hakol Politika [Everything's Politics]," a program that is
remarkably similar to Channel One's Popolitika. When I said that in
the wake of the Wye agreement we must regroup and find an alternative
candidate for the leadership of a new national camp, Tommy Lapid
attacked me and said: "People like you split the national camp even
more."
This argument is not raised only by the Tommy Lapids, but also by
people within our camp. "Let us not repeat the mistake of Tehiyah or
of Rabbi Levinger," these voices say, and "Let's not divide the
national camp any further," "An alternative candidate has no chance,"
etc.
I want to respond to these claims. My listeners, we must awake from
our dream and understand that the situation today is completely
different from that of previous years.
Today there no longer is a national camp! Today there are two large
leftist parties, the Labor and the Likud. There no longer is any
difference between them. One acts out of clearly leftist ideology,
and the other implements the ideology of the first out of weakness,
spinelessness, and tiredness. Both the Labor and the Likud are
willing to establish a Palestinian state. Both the Labor and the
Likud are willing to evacuate settlements. Both the Labor and the
Likud will divide Jerusalem.
The argument that runs that those who wish to remain faithful to
ideology are those who divide the national camp is a ridiculous
claim. Those who really are splitting the national camp are people
like Minister Shaul Yahalom and many others who say that the
heart is torn by the thought of leaving the areas of Judea,
Samaria, and Gaza - but in the end remain in the government and
cooperate with it. These people, for whom the thought of parting from
their chair is more horrifying than parting from Judea, Samaria, and
Gaza, they are the ones who divide the national camp and sow in it
confusion and bewilderment.
Hanni Luz addresses those people today in the Hatzofeh newspaper, in
her article "Who Will Succeed in Influencing," and says (I quote):
A team of researchers found in different studies that the minority
that succeeds in persuading is the one that consistently maintains its
positions. Unchanging and stubborn behavior broadcasts
self-confidence. Furthermore, any behavior that hints of
self-confidence (such as the tone of speech) tends to cast doubts
among the majority group. By stubbornly and firmly maintaining its
opinions, the self-confidence of the minority is likely to cause the
members of the majority group to reconsider their positions. There are
members of the majority group who do not believe so greatly in their
positions, but who joined the majority group out of social pressure
and the fear of social isolation. When they see the minority adhere to
its stances, such a person is likely to go over to the other group.
Then the snowball begins to pick up momentum and sweeps others along
with it.
Hanni Luz concludes:
Every surrender by NRP members to the prevailing spirit decreases the
standing of the NRP in the eyes of its voters and, what is worse,
every erosion in its positions destroys the chances of the NRP to
constitute a leading ideological and leadership force in the State of
Israel. (end of quote)
My listeners, an alternative party must arise that will unite all
those loyal to Eretz Israel, a party that will stand on its
principles, a party that does not compromise and demean itself in the
wake of "moderate physical force." Such a party would be capable of
fashioning public opinion and sweeping after it the masses who today
feel betrayed, power- and Yesha-less, confused and isolated, as MK
Rabbi Benny Alon says in the Nekudah magazine:
If today there were 21 Members of Knesset in a party that presents a
clear alternative line, the government would fall into line
accordingly. This could be a federation of parties, as Meretz was
initially.
And so, my listeners, in the Knesset there no longer is a large
national camp, but this is not the situation in the street. There we
have a tremendous potential. We merely have to unite, organize, and
stand firmly on our uncompromising positions. As Haggai Segel wrote
in the Nekudah magazine: "It is inconceivable that such a magnificent
camp, like the national camp, will over and over again make do with a
mediocre leadership with a fluid ideology."
The Wye agreement is indeed a great blow for our camp, but we have
the power to utilize this difficult hour: to unite and to struggle,
and, with God's help, we will prevail.
Have a good week, and let us not forget to struggle for the release
of Jonathan Pollard and for the return of our sons: Ron Arad,
Zechariah Baumel, Yehudah Katz, and Tzvi Feldman.
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Jerusalem, November 15, 1998
The Greater the Expectation, the Greater the Disappointment
The following is the text of today's program by Nadia Matar, the
chairperson of Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green), on Arutz
7. Nadia speaks, in Hebrew, every Sunday after the 12:00 noon newscast, and in
English, every Sunday at 10:00 PM on 98.7 FM. Both audio segments can be heard via
the internet on www.a7.org/live.htm
Shalom to all our listeners!
This is Nadia Matar speaking -
The ministers Moshe Katzav, Yehoshua Matza, Tzahi Hanegbi, Silvan
Shalom, and Limor Livnat abstained in the government vote on the Wye
River Memorandum. They abstained. And I want to ask: What does this
mean, "abstained"? How is it possible to "abstain" in such a fateful
vote? What does this mean in general to abstain in a vote? Does this
mean that they are for or against the agreement? Presumably, one who
abstains creates the impression that he is so tortured that he is
incapable of deciding and therefore abstains - he wants to remain
"neutral" and does not want to be remembered as someone who voted one
way or the other. This, however, is really deceitful, for anyone who
abstains actually does not remain neutral at all, rather one who
abstains in a vote actually votes in favor of the agreement. The
moment that you do not vote AGAINST the agreement, you automatically
play into the hands of those who want the agreement to be passed and
implemented. But since you know that this a bad agreement, you do not
want to take responsibility and you abstain, as if by abstaining you
could wash your hands of the terrible murderous results ensuing from
the agreement.
My listeners, this is scandalous! The five MK's know that the
agreement is a dangerous one, and they therefore do not want to vote
in favor in an unequivocal fashion, for in recent months they warned
day and night against the dangers of this agreement, and a clear vote
in favor would create the impression in the public as if they had
become too "moderate," which could cause damage to their image; on
the other hand, they do not have the courage to vote against, because
this could endanger their personal [government] seat, and so they
resolved to abstain. In this manner, however, they nevertheless
actually voted FOR the agreement, they merely did so in a cunning
fashion. This is debased, cowardly, and shameful behavior. I, for my
part, was not surprised by such conduct by Yehoshua Matza, Tzahi
Hanegbi, Moshe Katzav, and Silvan Shalom; these four men have
demonstrated in the past two years that all that is dear to them is
political survival and nothing else, but that Limor Livnat should
behave in such a manner? I admit that I did not expect this.
When I read in the press that she wants to contend for the position
of Prime Minister in 2004, I thought to support this idea. Here is a
woman who came from an unsullied national family, a woman with strong
ties to her roots, and I said to myself, Perhaps the time has come to
give a woman a chance to run the country - we know that women are
stronger than men, more consistent, and more loyal to belief and
ideology. I expected that such a woman could show leadership, and
would not capitulate to Clintons and to Ahmed Tibis, as Bibi
surrendered to them. But it already appears that Limor Livnat will
not fulfill these expectations. Unfortunately, she has joined the
opportunist camp of those who think more about "ministeriology" than
about ideology. And the very fact of her abstention in the vote
reveals her inability to lead and her inability to accept
responsibility.
Why, together with her four fellows, she had a rare opportunity to
make history and vote against the agreement and thereby stop the
realization of the Oslo accords - but they did not withstand the
test.
I remember that before the elections Limor Livnat tried to persuade
me to join the Likud list and compete for a realistic spot. Her
argument was that "from the inside one can exert much more influence
than from the outside." This may possibly be true if you remain loyal
to the ideology for which you were elected, but if you become a
political hack and abandon everything in which you believed in order
to survive politically, then you cannot influence from the inside -
to the contrary, you are just used.
And Limor Livnat is only one example of this phenomenon. Another
instance is the NRP. Today the NRP Central Committee is convening, in
a fateful session in which the members will decide whether the NRP is
an ideological national movement that remains loyal to ideology and
to its voters, or whether the NRP is like Shas, a movement of
political hacks, "kashrut supervisors," a movement that in return for
nice payment can be used for any matter and subject - even for an
agreement that endangers the future of the state and erodes
everything in which it had believed until then.
The NRP must know, and Limor Livnat and her fellows must know, that
their continued stay in the government turns them into full partners
to the malicious program of Shimon Peres , Yossi Beilin and co.
Yes, my listeners, the Wye River Memorandum is the agreement that
will attempt to finally realize the dream of Shimon Peres and Yossi
Beilin, that is, the elimination of the settlements in Judea,
Samaria, and Gaza. The goal of Shimon Peres and his band, with the
Oslo accords, was to arrive at a situation in which, withdrawal after
withdrawal, the settlements would become isolated islands in a sea of
Arab terror, and so, after several pogroms, the lives of the Jews in
Judea, Samaria, and Gaza would become so unbearable and dangerous
that most of the settlers would decide to leave of their own free
will. An easy and final solution to the problem of the Jews of Judea,
Samaria, and Gaza.
Limor Livnat and her fellows have already voted in favor of this
march of folly, and in my mind they no longer belong to the
national camp, as Bibi, Sharon, and Mordehai no longer belong to the
national camp. The question is, how the members of the NRP Central
Committee will vote today. If they will vote to remain in the
government "in order to influence from the inside," in its words,
this will be the end of the movement. If, on the other hand, they
will vote to advance the elections, the NRP could become the new
center, the force driving the new national camp that will arise in
any event and that will unite all those faithful to Erets Israel,
secular, religious and traditional.
We certainly hope that the members of the NRP Central Committee will
not fail in this important test and remain loyal to the people of
Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the Land of Israel. Be strong and
resolute - have no dread or dismay, for the Lord is with you wherever
you go.
Have a good week, and let us not forget to continue to struggle for
the release of Jonathan Pollard and for the return of our POW's: Ron
Arab, Zechariah Baumel, Tzvi Feldman, and Yehudah Katz.
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Jerusalem, November 18, 1998
THE POTTER'S TEST REVEALS THE TRUTH
by Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio
Broadcast on November 11, 1998 / Cheshvan 22, 5759
In This Article:
1. Abraham's Tests Set the Pace
2. The "False Label" Test
3. Revealing the National Truth
1. ABRAHAM'S TESTS SET THE PACE
"Ten tests were placed before Abraham, and he passed all of them," our
tradition teaches us. "Ma'aseh avot - siman la'banim" - that which
transpired to our forefathers is a sign of what will befall us.
We are also being tested by Hashem, and the tests are not simple.
G-d tested Abraham's loyalty to the Land of Israel, the land He had just
promised him. First a famine, then the war of the kings - and more
followed. We too are being tested in the same way. We are being called
upon to demonstrate the strength of our bonds to Eretz Yisrael, the Holy
Land, the Land of G-d.
The verse tells us, "G-d will test the righteous." The explanation,
according to our Rabbis, is that G-d tries only those who can pass the
trial. Just as the potter wishes to show the strength of his earthenware
by striking only the strongest vessels, those that will not break under the
power of his blows - so too Hashem chooses only those who will not bend or
cave in. It is these who will be able to show the world the power of
spiritual strength.
2. THE "FALSE LABEL" TEST
Lately, Hashem has placed us in one difficult situation after another,
testing our devotion to the commandment of Settling the Land of Israel - a
mitzvah that encompasses the entire Torah. The intifada test, then the
Oslo test of a minority government, and now the hardest one of all: the
withdrawal test of the Netanyahu government. This test is so difficult
because we, the Eretz Yisrael-faithful residents of Yesha, are being given
the stereotype of an uncompromising, violent, extremist, unethical
minority. Even many of those who participated with us in the struggle
against the Oslo agreements are leaving us, separating themselves, so as
not to be tainted with the so-called "right-wing extremist" tag.
This is a very difficult trial for us. For we love our nation, and we are
united with it, with all our souls. The terrible irony is that we are
considered to be the exact opposite of what we actually are. Our love for
the Land does not minimize our love for our People - on the contrary, it
only augments it.
But this great difficulty will not break us. We will stand up to it, we
will continue to love all the sectors of our nation, and we will continue
to love all the parts of our land. We will not budge from our position,
from our opposition to the transfer of any part of Eretz Yisrael to foreign
rule. We are willing to suffer all the name-calling and all the
condemnations, and we will continue to intensify our relationship with the
Land of Hashem. We will do this with pure faith that this is His will.
The Heavenly happiness at seeing His children holding on tight and not
giving in knows no bounds.
3. REVEALING THE NATIONAL TRUTH
These few who are standing up to the test reflect upon the entire nation.
They reveal the hidden characteristics that are engraved within the hearts
of all Israel. It is simply that for the majority of people, these traits
are still hidden deep within their hearts by layer upon layer of various
camouflages. But the special minority serves to reveal the unique virtue
of all Israel - its eternal unyielding bonds with our Holy Land of Israel.
These few, by meeting this test, represent the entire nation, and help near
the national Redemption that is fast approaching.
Be strong and of good courage, children of Abraham and those who continue
in his path, "for My salvation is near and My righteousness will soon be
revealed."
* * * * * * *
Rabbi Melamed is Chief Rabbi of Beit El, Dean of Beit El Yeshiva Center
Institutions, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Arutz Sheva.
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Jerusalem, November 21, 1998
A Story Of Rare Jewish Assertiveness!
There is not much good news emanating from Israel
these days. The somber news of the Wye Accord has all
the earmarks of leading to an explosive situation. It
has cast a gloom over Israel, even amongst those who
incredulously say they have no choice but to support it.
That is why the reclamation of an old synagogue, in a
sector the Arabs claim as "East Jerusalem", is a bit of
news that is heartening for Jewish survival. Moreover,
it sets into proper perspective the false propaganda
that the Arabs are so adept at spreading, to bolster
their false claim on Jerusalem. The Shimon HaTzadik
Synagogue was saved by the valiant efforts of Member of
Knesset Rabbi Benny Elon, and others, and is a heroic
story in itself.
It is undisputed that prior to 1948 the neighborhood
in East Jerusalem known as the Shimon HaTzadik
neighborhood, was completely Jewish. It is where the
Tomb of Shimon HaTzadik is located and where many pious
Jews came to pray at his graveside daily. The
Jordanians in their conquest of East Jerusalem in 1948,
changed all that. Moreover, the homes formerly owned
and occupied by Jews were taken over by the Arabs.
Instead of the Mezuzahs, indicating Jewish occupancy,
there now were only the indelible markings of where the
Mezuzahs once were. That was the situation until 1967
when that part of Jerusalem was recaptured. However,
the Arabs occupying these Jewish houses continue to live
there on the basis of "squatters" rights". Ironically,
they even refuse to pay rent to the lawful Jewish
owners. It was pretty much part of the same story when
the Arabs in 1929 killed many and drove out a large
Community of Yemenite Jews in the City of David, and
then incredulously claimed it as an Arab neighborhood.
Another classic example of Arab distortion is the Mount
of Olives neighborhood; from time immemorial it has been
Jewish. Now the Arabs claim it as exclusively theirs,
and say Jews must be forbidden to live there.
The Arab hatred of Jews, and disrespect of other
religions, knows no bounds. When fortuitously the news
reached MK Elon that the Arabs were proceeding to take
over and destroy the Shimon HaTzadik synagogue, he went
into action. He immediately went there and foiled the
illegal Arab takeover. He proceeded to clean up the
surrounding premises which the Arabs in the neighborhood
were using as a garbage dump, and to restore its
sanctity. Faisal Husseini and Hanan Ashrawi came to
protest the Jewish presence, but were shown the legal
papers of the Jewish ownership of the property, and
reluctantly retreated.
Women In Green showed their appreciation to those who
participated in this marvelous "re-recapture" of this
old synagogue. A chartered busload of " green hats"
came to the synagogue and brought food and drink to the
courageous Member of Knesset Elon and his dedicated
followers. Their rescue action was inspiring. It
served as a reminder that there are still those who care
for the religious sanctity of Jerusalem. It also
provided additional proof that Jews heretofore have been
bonafide residents of all sectors of their Holy City.
Ruth and Nadia Matar
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Jerusalem, November 22, 1998
"You Can't Dance With A Murderer"
We are all extremely grateful to Mohammed Dahlan, the Palestinian
Security Chief for his frank admissions in an interview in Gaza,
as reported in the front page article of the Jerusalem Post this
morning. Dahlan put it this way: "Why did we ask to release the
political prisoners?" because it was us - myself, Mr. Arafat and
Abu Mazen who sent them out on their operations in the first
place."
For those of us who entertained only a suspicion heretofore, we
now have it authenticated from an unimpeachable source, that it
was Arafat and his cohorts who, despite entering into the Rabin-
Peres- Arafat Oslo Accords, were consciously and surreptitiously
violating the specific terms thereof from the very outset.
Despite what Arafat was promising Rabin in a personal letter
renouncing terror, he was in fact all the time actively engaged
in promoting violence and terror against his peace partner. All
this, in direct contradiction to both the specific terms of Oslo
and the basis upon which it was entered into by Peres and Rabin.
The message has become crystal clear: The word, or even specific
writings of commitment from your peace partner Arafat and the PLO
organization he heads, is of no value whatsover, and cannot be
relied on now, or in the future.
It is therefore no unfounded rumor that Arafat has requested of
Hamas that they refrain from acts of violence against Jews and
the State of Israel until Israel fulfills what Arafat and the US
persuaded Netanyahu to do under Wye, to wit: until Israel
completes turning over further large sectors of its small
national homeland to Arafat and the PLO. It is entirely
consistent with the Arafat and PLO strategy of destroying Israel
in stages. The sudden temporary turning off of the tap of
violence, stone throwing, fire bombs and the like, moreover, is
no mere coincidence. Such concerted behavior on the part of the
Arab community as a whole throughout Israel, Judea, Samaria and
Gaza gives the lie to what Arafat has been saying all along when
asked to control such terror, that he cannot control these
individual acts. His message has gotten through to the Arabs:
"Don't upset the apple cart when they otherwise are foolishly
giving away their land free of charge or obligation."
Accordingly, there is no possibility of a real and lasting peace
with such a peace partner.
Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon recognized this from the very
outset of Oslo. In September 3, 1993 he wrote an Op-Ed article in
the Jerusalem Post entitled "You Can't Dance With A Murderer."
Sharon, in the tradition of our Prophets, said: "By recognizing
this murderer's organization, the PLO, the government has
committed an act of madness. By reviving Israel's greatest enemy
on the eve of its disintegration and turning it into Israel's
shield against Hamas, the government has added crime to folly.
There can be no reconciliation, historic or otherwise with the
man who ordered the murders of schoolchildren in Avivim, Ma'alot
and Antwerp; of 11 Jewish athletes in Munich." What say you,
Foreign Minister Sharon?
Ruth and Nadia Matar
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Jerusalem, November 23, 1998
A Letter from Nadia
The yishuv of Efrat, where I live, has it own internal e-mail
network.
This enables us to be in touch with our neighbors about local
issues.
A few days ago somebody on the list asked if anybody knew how
the Wye agreements will affect Efrat.
I answered that I had spoken to people from Tekoa who had
briefly seen THE map (of withdrawals) and that Efrat's
situation seemed quite bad, surrounded by a lot of "brown area
A" areas (i.e. areas under full Palestinian control).
I added that it is time to have a meeting of all the residents
in order to get ready for the new situation we will find
ourselves in after Wye.
A woman named Deena answered me saying:
"As a potential buyer of a house in Efrat I want to tell you
that you are doing your community a great disservice by
writing misinformation on this list.
It is very damaging to write about meetings and how "bad off"
Efrat is going to be. People have their life savings invested
in their homes and I think this is foolish talk"
Here included is my answer to that woman
Dear Deena,
First of all I want you to know that Efrat is a wonderful place to
live in and you should certainly come and join us. But you also have
to be aware of the changed situation- and you should know that no
misinformation was put on this list.
Even if we did not see the maps yet, we have to know that Efrat will
be in a new situation like all other yishuvim or communities (including the border
neighborhoods of Jerushalayim from Neve Yaakov to East Talpiot): i.e.
we all will be in one way or another in direct contact with territory
of the Palestinian Authority. All the maps will show is whether we
are 500 meters from the "border" or 950 meters or more.
(We already know for instance that from the Gush gas station till
Kiryat Arba the area will be under PA control excluding the actual
#60 road and some meters on both sides of the road.)
When I said that we have to get ready for the new situation I did not
only mean to talk about the map but about more general things.
We all have to realize that the fact that the IDF is protecting
yishuvim (like Tekoa) with barbed wires, trenches, bunkers, bullet
proof windows etc.. means that they are preparing us for some kind of
terrible clash, if not for war.
The very realistic concern is that yishuvim will be attacked by
hundreds of Arabs coming to carry out a pogrom. I am sorry if those
words shock you but this is what I meant with "dealing with the
challenges of a new situation".
Of course it is true that smaller yishuvim are easier targets for a
mass attack of Arabs, but it would be naieve to think that it could
not happen here too.
We are talking about the possibility of a situation where the
Palestinian Authority will block the main road to a certain yishuv
(as they already did in Netzarim), attack its inhabitants and the IDF
will not be able to come and protect the yishuv, because of the road
being blocked. It is been reported extensively in the press that the
Arabs are undergoing special training to attack and conquer Jewish
settlements.
Therefore, one of the essential needs that was discussed at the
meeting yesterday is to demand from the army that they train all
residents of yishuvim to use guns -- men, women and youth.
What I just described above is of course a very extreme description
of what might happen - but there are other "milder" scenarios that
already happened in Gush Katif that we have to get ready for, now
that we are going to border the Palestinian Authority.
How are we going to react when the Arabs sabotage our watersupply or
our electricity network?
How are we going to react when the Arabs start building houses
next to our houses and seeing the army will do nothing about it?
(It is known that Netanyahu promised not to destroy 1800 illegal
Palestinian constructions).
How are we going to react when the army starts erecting a fence
around Efrat (which they plan on doing very soon) and they will NOT
include in the fence our 3 hills Tamar, Dagan and Eitam. Not
including them in the fence means abandoning them to the PA. Without
those hills Efrat will be strangled without possibility of expanding.
Will we sit idly by or will we protest. Will we protest ANY fence or
not? SHOULD we protest any fence or not?
It is known that the Arabs get more chutzpadik when they feel in a
position of power which they are in right now. In Hevron (on the only
street that the Jews are allowed to walk) a Jewish girl cannot walk
alone for fear of being verbally or physically assaulted by Arab
youth. Recently a girl was almost raped and was saved by her
girlfriends. When they turned to the army to tell them about the
almost kidnapping-rape the soldiers laughed and told them: "What do
you want us to do?" Does this story affect us too?
Will the many Arabs who wander in Efrat's streets also become more
chutzpadik- maybe...we should think about that ...our children walk
everywhere freely with so many Arabs around them...definitely food
for thought.
Another aspect of the new situation is the helplesness of the IDF.
Not that they CAN'T fight, but the instructions are tying their
hands. A friend just came back from miluim in Yesha and these are the
instructions:
If the Arabs throw stones - don't shoot.
If the Arabs shoot at you and then put down their gun- DON'T SHOOT!
This is no joke! Our friend was wondering when exactly one IS
supposed to shoot.
One of the decisions we have to take is not to stay
indifferent anymore to daily harassment by the Arabs.
If they throw stones at any point on our road, we have to organize a
group of people who will go there (knowing that the army does not do
anything about stonethrowing), chase away the stonethrowers and very
quickly the IDF will come (to chase us away) and we will nicely tell
them that we are very happy they finally came and it is their duty to
stay there...and protect us.
If the Arabs come and pick olives without permission, we should chase
them away. If they feel free to enter somebody's private garden to
pray -(as I often see them do) it is trespassing- they should be
chased away. If they dare use our soccer field to "train" for "sport"
(we all know they really train to get accepted in the PA police)-
they should be chased away.
If they wander in our streets on a late Friday afternoon (as
happened in my area recently) they should not be let to do so...they
are looking to see who is not home for shabbos and plan the next
burglary.
This might not seem "nice" but this is the situation we are in.
Letting them do all the examples mentioned above is in their eyes a
sign of weakness on our part.
I could have told you, Deena, that all is nice and rosy in Efrat,
only the "other" yishuvim are at risk. THAT would be misinforming
you. All of the above should not scare you away from coming to live
here though. As I said, East Talpiot and Neve Yaakov are in the same
situation and pretty soon Netanya will be in the same situation.
They are talking about "peace" but the country at large is preparing
for war. We have the privilege to be living in historical times and have
even a bigger privilege here in Yesha . We are the ones who are
protecting the coastal plain -- we are protecting Tel Aviv, Netanya
and, of course, Jerusalem.
If we all get depressed and give up and pack up and leave like some
settlers have been quoted in the press (of course eager to print such
stories) then we will have failed.
If on the other hand we raise our heads and face the challenge, get
ourselves ready to protect our historical homeland and stand strong
in the difficult times ahead -- then with G-d's help we will overcome
and succeed.
Sincerely,
Nadia Matar
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