Blood Libel

Blood Libel
November 12, 1996

The  last  few  days have brought forth very  interesting
news articles concerning Hebron.
     1. There was a television report disclosing plans by
two  Jewish  women  in Hebron to immolate  themselves  to
prevent the Israeli army from abandoning Hebron.
      2.  It  was also revealed that a Hebron `extremist'
might  attempt  to  assassinate either  PM  Netanyahu  or
Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai.
      3.  Hebron's Jewish residents, it was reported, are
hoarding illegal weapons and ammunition.
      4.  In  addition, a list of some  thirty  names  of
Hebron-Kiryat  Arba  `fanatics' was discovered  by  press
sources.   These people are to be placed under  immediate
administrative    detention   preceding   `redeployment'.
(Hebron's  Noam  Federman was already  arrested  for  two
months by administrative order.)
       5.  And  finally,  anonymous  sources  within  the
military divulged that quiet will never come to Hebron as
long  as  there  are  Jews in the city,  leading  to  the
conclusion that the Jews should be evicted.

      1.   Yesterday,  police commissioner  Asaf  Hefetz,
reacting  to  the  press accounts concerning  immolation,
publicly announced that this report was a figment of  the
imagination of a particular police officer.  In  reality,
there was never any truth to the report.
     2,3, and 4.  Hebron police are not bashful.  If they
know, or even suspect illegal activities, they know  what
to  do.   In most democratic countries, when a person  is
suspected of illegal activities, he is arrested, indicted
and tried for his crimes.  If there really is stockpiling
of illegal weapons, or if there are plans to kill anyone,
not  only political leaders, why are the perpetrators not
arrested  and officially charged with breaking  the  law?
Why aren't the illegal weapons confiscated?
      Who are some of the BIG 30?  Anat Cohen, mother  of
eight and pregnant, together with her husband Ronen, Orit
Struk,  mother of eight, Rav Moshe Bleicher, Dean of  the
Shavei  Hebron Yeshiva, Rabbi Hillel Horowitz,  Executive
Director of the Association for the Renewal of the Jewish
Community  of  Hebron, Rabbi Moshe  Levinger,  Father  of
Hebron's  Jewish community and Noam Arnon, Spokesman  for
the Jewish Community of Hebron.
      These  are some of the dangerous fanatic extremists
who  must  be  incarcerated using military administrative
orders  to ensure successful implementation of  the  Oslo
abandonment accords in Hebron.
      5.  The "peace accords" were drawn up and are being
implemented in order to usher in a new era of peace.  Why
then, can't Jews and Arabs live together in Hebron?   The
answer is, of course, because the Arabs aren't interested
in peace.  They are interested in `piece' - taking Israel
apart,   piece  by  piece.   That  includes,   initially,
eradication  of  the Jewish Community of Hebron  and  any
Jewish  presence in Hebron.  In future Arafat  plans,  it
includes  annihilation of the State of Israel.  Why  must
Hebron's  Jews pay the price of a cowardly accord,  which
is  already a failure?  Rather than introducing peace and
coexistence, it is paving the road to extermination.

     However the real issue that must be faced is WHAT IS
GOING  ON?   Who  is  behind this concerted,  intentional
campaign   to  continue  on  the  path  of  the  previous
administration  to delegitimize Hebron  Jewish  Community
and  its residents.  Who are the `anonymous' high-ranking
officers  who have decided, and taken it upon  themselves
to  notify the press, that the Jewish Community of Hebron
must  be  uprooted.  Does the military  create  political
policy,  or does it follow orders given by the  political
establishment,  led  by the Prime  Minister  and  Defense
Minister?
      There  is  a group of people with the military,  as
well   as  in  positions  of  authority  throughout   the
government,  who may be classified as "The  Oslo  Group."
These  are  people  who assisted in initiating  Oslo  and
furthering it over the past few years.  They are still in
positions   which   allow  them  to  circumvent   present
administration policy, and at the very least, continue to
throw mud at the Jewish Community of Hebron.  The Israeli
media  is an instrumental tool in this blood libel, which
is  attempting to paint a picture of fanatic crazies  who
will do absolutely anything - the ends justify the means.
      This  is,  of course, total nonsense.   The  events
undertaken by Hebron's Jewish Community prove the  point.
We  have  undertaken numerous legal activities,  both  in
Israel and throughout the world, to influence public  and
political  opinion.  This is a legitimate  right  in  any
democratic country.      It should be noted that we  have
been  successful in our efforts.  The New York Solidarity
Concert  was  attended  by 1,500 people.   Last  Shabbat,
10,000  people  from all over Israel came  to  Hebron  to
celebrate Abraham's purchase of Ma'arat HaMachpela  3,700
years   ago,  as  read  in  the  weekly  Torah   portion.
Yesterday  about 2,500 Jews came into Hebron for  special
prayers  and to show solidarity with the Jewish Community
of Hebron.
      Unfortunately,  there  are  those  who  attempt  to
undermine  this right and obligation, by using any  means
at  their  disposal.   The result is the  smear  campaign
presently being waged against us, with the cooperation of
the press and tools such as administrative detention.

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Yesterday  I  participated in  a  meeting  that  included
Hebron  and Yesha leaders with Likud MKs and the Minister
of  Defense.  The details of the meeting were released by
Arutz 7 news.  However, one point must be stressed.
      There are Likud MKs who, in spite of their lack  of
public   expression,  are  very  torn  by  the  continued
implementation  of  Oslo, especially  concerning  Hebron.
They  know  and  admit the tremendous error  being  made,
deeply  regret  it.   This  may  be  illustrated  by  the
following answer by MK Michael Eitan, the Likud Coalition
Leader in the Knesset to Dr. Aaron Lerner's question:

IMRA:  It sounds like you are talking to a cancer patient
who is terminally ill.

Eitan:   That  is a good example.  A doctor  can  have  a
cancer patient and he cuts an arm and a leg and he  tells
the  patient  that that will heal him yet he  knows  that
cutting  the  arms and leg won't suffice.  There  is  not
today  a  serious person who can say "gentlemen there  is
today  a position to stop the process at such and such  a
stage"  - even Jerusalem.  There are no red lines.  And I
am well aware of
what people in the government are saying and doing.
(The     entire     interview    is    available     from
imra@netvision.net.il).

He,   with  others,  understands  the  problem,  but   is
seemingly unaware of the solution.  However, Eitan  later
speaks of the lack of leadership within the right.   That
leadership vacuum doesn't necessarily have to exist.  He,
along  with the others who, by definition, are  `crying',
must not only speak up - they must scream out for all  to
hear.  They must speak the truth, as they see and feel it
-  that is their responsibility and obligation as elected
leaders.  They must proceed without any consideration  of
their personal political future because at the moment the
destiny and fate of all our futures- the future of the
State of Israel and the Jewish People  is at stake.