 |
| Putting up a Mezuzah at the Yeshiva in Homesh (TOI) |
How I yearn for the day that the Jewish people will once again inhabit all the land of Israel, as promised by God! A day that will once again see the glory of God restored through the rebuilding of the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Unfortunately we are not there yet. The time for our redemption has not yet come.
Until then we have to play the hand we were dealt. A hand that after 2000 years has returned a great portion of our land to us. Which we have developed both physically and spiritually to a pretty high degree in both instances. Something truly worth celebrating.
There are unfortunately some fervent Jews that are not content with that. They are intent on settling all the land of Israel right now. By hook or by crook. Consequences be damned. Consequences for which they do not even recognize having any responsibility.
Which in any case they truly believe don’t matter since they believe they are fulfilling the word of God. Despite the fact that the majority of Orthodox religious leaders do not agree. And therefore stridently oppose any activities that incite our Arab enemies. Like restoring Homesh in the middle of a Palestinian enclave on the West Bank (also known by their ancient biblical names, Yehuda and Shomron - Judea and Samaria.)
My views about settlement activity have been discussed here many times. To repeat, I have no issue with the long established settlements that border on what is known as the ‘Green Line’. A line demarcating pre 67 Israel and the land captured during the six day war over 50 years ago. There is no way that families that have lived there for more than a generation should be uprooted. Even the late founder of the terrorist PLO (now the PA) Yassir Arafat conceded those settlements to Israel as part of a deal that would have established two states.
What I am opposed to is what I have always been opposed to. Settlements in the West Bank that are heavily populated by Palestinian Arabs. There s little doubt in my mind that these settlements have increased the spilling of Jewish blood. Despite the settlers refusal to take any blame for it. These extremist settlers are Ben-Gvir and Smotrich’s people
They say that their activities are not the source of their lethal animosity towards us. This is true. But what is also true is their settlement activities increases the bloodshed, their denial to the contrary notwithstanding.
These is not the slightest doubt in my mind that restoring Homesh is yet another step in the direction of more bloodshed.
No less than the hero of the six day war and the Yom Kippur war, who is also the ‘Father’ of the settler movement and then Prime Minisiter of Israel, the late Ariel Sharon, had the wisdom to see the folly of that movement, changed course, and shut down Homesh almost 20 years ago (in 2005).
These dangerous zealots now consider Sharon a traitor -who should have never handed over Gaza to the Palestinians. They may have a point. But Gaza should have never been settled by civilians. It should have been a military base from the start and stayed that way. But I digress.
Are these extremist zealots so deluded that they believe building a Yeshiva there is the will of God at this moment in time? Or are they trying to prove to the Charedi world how right they are by building a Yeshiva. It’s probably both. But what they are really doing is endangering any students that decide to study there.
I know they have their own Poskim that support what they are doing. But they are either blind to the dangerous reality or believe placing young students in harm’s way is worth the price of settling the land.
I am so sick of these settlers who are so engulfed in their religious fervor over one Mitzvah that they do not understand or don’t care about the consequences. Consequences to themselves, their families, and all of Israel.
Restoring Homesh also gives antisemites like Representative Rashida Tlaib cover to support BDS and condemn Israel as a brutal occupying force whose ultimate goal is to replace indigenous Palestinians with Jews. She is not wrong with respect to what these extremists want.
And this doesn’t even speak to the reaction of Israel’s allies to the restoration of Homesh who have condemned Israel for allowing it to happen. One of which is the US without whose generosity Israel would not have had an ‘Iron Dome’ anti missile system that has saved countless lives. Nor would it have its massive defense capabilities. Not the least of which is its fleet of high tech American made aircraft.
I realize that the US needs Israel too. Israel’s intelligence capabilities in places like Iran is invaluable.. But still, antagonizing an ally of such massive importance is never a good idea – even if they value Israel’s contributions to their own defense and security.
I know the current Israeli Prime Minister is beholden to Ben-Gvir and Smotrich whose party supports the dangerous stupidity of resettling Homesh.
If the governing coalition breaks up over this, it will be sad day for the Israeli people who will yet again be asked to vote for a new government. But welfare of the nation ought to come before self interests. A true patriot should be wiling to sacrifice that for the benefit of his people. I’m sorry this hasn’t happened.