Speaking your Piece (or is it Peace)?

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

Sunday, October 29, 1995

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

Ezer Weitzman, made some unkind remarks about the Piece

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

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

does not justify the withdrawal from Judea, Samaria and

Azza. He also attacked the government's reactions to

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

worry about".

Following Weizmann's remarks, MK Dedi Zucker of

Meretz suggested passing a law forbidding the President

to comment on issues being publicly disputed.

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

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

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

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

the Commander in Chief of the Israeli Defense Forces

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

need of some leadership. Ezer saved the day by taking

over for Yitzhak.

But the same Ezer, invited along to Camp David with

Menachem Begin, advised the then Prime Minister to accept

the agreement forcing Israel to relinquish all of the

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

"West Bank" autonomy.

And the same Ezer was kicked out of the Israeli

Cabinet by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir for giving "how

to create my own homeland" lessons to Yassir Arafat.

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

are today.

In the not too distant past, the Israeli left has

vehemently decried any suggestion of `transfer' of Arabs

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

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

involuntary transfer - of Jews - our of Hebron.

Jews can live anywhere in the world - to even

theoretically consider otherwise would be thought of as

blatantly anti-Semitic - except for Hebron, or perhaps

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

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

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

imagine the public outburst? Jews and gentiles, blacks,

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

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

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

old Jewish City? So, what of it?

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

that the office of President in Israel is largely a

figurehead position. The President is elected, not by

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

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

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

fulfill an obligation without relinquishing any power or

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

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

by non-politicians.

Ezer Weizmann, before his election, it was feared,

would represent only part of the country - the part

agreeing with his political philosophies, which are

slightly further left of left. He promised to be the

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

being accused of representing the wrong side, BY HIS OWN

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

want to shut him up.

Why? Because he is mouthing what everybody it

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

Israeli population agree with him. That means, in

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

conspiracy to rid the Jewish People of Hebron and

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

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

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

voices.

And who is the victim? None other than the

schoolteacher. President Ezer Weizmann. Get this:

Everybody in Israel is covered by freedom of speech

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

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

This is modern Israeli democracy in action.

Welcome, Mr. President, to the club.