Who's Left?
November 1, 1997
Last week Israel's "most-honorable" President, Ezer Weitzmann
again opened his mouth and stuck his foot in, as he is so wont to do. In Beit Shemesh on Wednesday Weitzmann told
his audience that it's not always worthwhile to read the Bible because not
everything written in it is 'sympathetic.'
He also had some choice remarks about Moshe Rabbenu - (Moses).
The next day during Kol Yisrael's morning radio show, Shelly
YECHemovitch, asked Israeli Chief Rabbi Lau what he thought about Weitzmann's
assertion. Rav Lau's answer: "Exactly 60 years ago this week the British
Peel Commission, studying the 'problem' of Jewish aliyah to Eretz Yisrael
concluded its hearings. One of the major witnesses to testify was David Ben
Gurion. (Ben Gurion was not known for his observation of Torah law.) When he
finished answering the panel's questions, they asked him one last question
before he left. "What is the source of Jewish rights to settle in the Land
of Israel?" they queried. Ben
Gurion answered with one word: "This." In his hand he was holding up, before the
British commission, a copy of the Bible.
When Rav Lau finished, YECHemovitch, as not her wont, had nothing to
say.
The problem with Weitzmann's remarks is not only what he said. The next
day, in reply to protests made by the religious parties, he apologized if he
'hurt anybody's feelings.' Following the expression of regret the religious
politicians immediately announced that they could now support Weitzmann for a
second, five-year term of office. (His first term of office is nearly
over.)
How can anyone support a man who is willing to publicly say that the
Bible shouldn't be read? He didn't retract his remarks; he just apologized for
saying them.
About a month and a half ago I was approached to give a tour of Hebron
to four Israeli 'border policemen.' One of them lives in a community not far
from Hebron. The others are serving in a city in Benyamin. They came in and we
spend several hours together. Later we sat down to an in-depth discussion with
Noam Arnon. It was fairly obvious that they didn't all lean to the right, but I
had no idea as to the results of our meeting.
Last week one of these men called me up and told me that he really
enjoyed his trip to Hebron and that his eyes had been opened up to 'the other
side.' As a result he asked me if I
could take him on another tour, with a few more of his friends. I was very
busy, but agreed to spend a couple of hours with them. A few days ago they
arrived - and we were together for almost four and a half hours. One of the young women, in particular,
questioned and commented. Both she and one of the others spoke about the
'historical' conflict between Jews and Arabs. When I pointed out that the
conflict is not so much historical, as religious, they were both, more or less,
stunned. They told me that this was the first time they had ever heard such an
opinion. We spoke for a long time and visited the Jewish neighborhoods in the
city. They were, I observed, extremely moved by the memorial room for the Jews
slaughtered in 1929. I have no doubt
that they left Hebron changed people. No, I'm sure they didn't change all of
their views, but they surely had much to ponder.
During the Succot holiday we had tens of thousands in Hebron. I had the
pleasure to escort a few of these tourists through Jewish Hebron. Each day at
least one person on each of the groups asked, after hearing stories of what is
happening in Hebron, and seeing it with their own two eyes, WHY? - How can this
thing have actually happened - where is the logic?
I have only one answer: EDUCATION.
Only people who have absolutely no appreciation for Jewish heritage, for
Jewish history, for the importance of Eretz Yisrael to Judaism - only people
whose personal philosophy can lead them to say, 'it's not worthwhile to read
the Bible' - only these people can be willing to relieve themselves of major
parts of Israel - of Beit Lechem, of Shechem, of Hebron and yes, even of
Jerusalem.
Then, of course, a very good question can be posed: How then, do
'RELIGIOUS' politicians support such policies?
The answer is, of course, the same as given above - EDUCATION.
Unfortunately, even those who, at least outwardly, are 'observant' forgot, or
perhaps never knew, the essentials of Am Yisrael - one of which is, Eretz
Yisrael. This is a direct result of our 2,000-year galut - exile from the Land
of Israel.
Last week Prime Minister Netanyahu told Rav Kaduri that the Israeli left
has forgotten what Judaism is. He is correct. He didn't say that they are not
Jewish - he acclaimed that they don't know what being Jewish means. What he
doesn't realize is that he too, falls into the same category. Only a leader who
has absolutely no understanding of Judaism could give Arafat 80% of Hebron, or
agree, for that matter, to give him, or anyone else, any land area in Israel.
Tonight Foreign Minister David Levy, one of the people responsible for
rebuilding The Jewish Community of Hebron, is leaving for Washington to renew
negotiations with Arafat's cronies. He is going to discuss opening a new Arab
airport in Gazza, freezing Jewish building in Judea and Samaria, and
implementation of the next stage of 'further redeployments.' According to news
reports tonight he will agree 'temporarily' freeze Jewish building if Arafat
will agree to forgo the next staged abandonment of parts of Israel. Arafat
will, no doubt, refuse. The American 'partner' is going to attempt to force an
agreement calling for continued Israeli concessions. Levy may very well fold.
It's time we realize that the questions facing the Jewish people today
are not really 'who's left.' At least, not in the political sense of right and
left. Today the questions center around 'who is right - and who is wrong.' Are we going to live 'Jewishly' in Eretz
Yisrael, according to, even as Ben Gurion realized, the right we have from time
immemorial?. Or, are we going to let the
nations of the world, who sat by and watched while six million were shoveled
into ovens half a century ago, dictate our fate to us? That, of course, depends on us. If we know
who we are, we have no uncertainty as to the proper decision. The time has come to realize that this
generation is 'who's left.' All of us - together. And it is time to start
moving in the right direction.
