Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Back in Israel

After a great trip, I'm home. I'm living in Efrat in the Judean Hills. The air is fresh, the view is breathtaking and the people are idealists. They believe that they've returned to their ancestral homeland and will stay here no matter what. I'm studying Torah at Yeshivat Ha'mivtar. This is what I've dreamed of for the past 4 years. America is great. Israel is better.

Who's Worse for Israel: Hamas or Fatah?

Arutz-7 reported last week that: “(The PA) ambassador to India says Fatah does not recognize Israel anymore than Hamas.” The report continues: “In an article he wrote in the official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, on November 26, Sadeq admitted that Fatah does not respect Israel anymore than Hamas does, and that moreover, the PA and Fatah utterly reject that Israel has any right to exist.”

While Hamas has made its plans to exterminate Israel and the Jewish People abundantly clear, Fatah been taken an alternate route towards the same goal. The "Palestinians" would prefer to see Hamas in a leadership role. They voted them in in Gaza and if Israel were to relax its support in favor of the Fatah in Judea and Samaria, the Hamas would be ushered in as the new de facto leader there.

It seems that Hamas is better for the "Palestinians" in that it's less corrupt than Fatah. As far as which would serve their political purposes the best, Fatah definitely fits the profile. It's a terrorist organization with the stated goal of destroying Israel and creating a terrorist state in its place. It continues carrying out terrorist attacks while claiming to want to pursue dialogue with our leaders. The fact that it's gained international recognition helps allows it to keep murdering Jews with little if any repercussions.

Fatah boasts the support of liberal Jews and many Israeli Arabs while Hamas is seen as the more militant of the two. In fact, Fatah is the less religious one but just as militant as Hamas. It's dedicated to destroying Israel. Israeli leaders should begin paying more heed to Fatah. We should allow Hamas to take over in Judea and Samaria. If the "Palestinians" want to see Hamas in power, so be it!

Israeli leadership started out supporting Hamas; it even fouded it according to some sources. The purpose of this endeavor was to create friction amongst "Palestinian" extremists, thus flaming the fires of internal friction. The experiment failed and we've been left to deal with another terrorist faction. The many attempts at ceasefire and reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah are a show created for the consumption of the West. In fact, Hamas demanded--and was granted the release of Fatah terrorists alngside its own hoodlums. What it boils down is which faction is better equipped to fight Israel. In my opinion, Fatah is the more dangerous of the two because of the factors mentioned above: its appeal amongst liberal intellectuals in Israel and the West, the support Israel's government has alotted it, and the fact that Fatah is worse for the "Palestinians": in other words, what helps our enemies hurts us.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Close Friend's 1st Blog Post Reposted

Article by Max Stesel
 
With the Jewish holiday season over, it is time to turn our focus to the tragic and troubling reality that has been swelling within the Jewish nation over decades and has come to a boiling point over the past week.
 
The State of Israel, for most of the Jewish people has been the greatest gift our nation has merited in the past two millennia. After being butchered, and persecuted across Europe, Near East and North Africa, the Jewish people were finally given opportunity to defend themselves from their murderous enemies, and institutions that are supposed to provide for safety and security for millions of Jews living in their ancestral lands.
 
Over the past twenty years Israeli leadership (from across its political spectrum) had continually gambled with lives and security of its citizens in pursuit of elusive peace, while their enemies had spread terror and destruction in their consistent pursuit of victory and elimination of the Jewish state, which they never stopped seeing as foreign cancer in their midst. As result of consistent security compromise and softness Israel today have missiles that occasionally fly in from Gaza, more missiles that are pointed at them by non-state players from Lebanon and is surrounded by terrorist safe havens on their eastern and eastern flanks within 10-20 miles drive or less from most major Israeli cities.

Israel's commitment to to safety and security of its citizens hit the new low over the past Sukkot, as dozens of Arab murderers were sent to freedom as result of Shalit deal. I lack proper insight to judge weather it is right to release over 1,000 terrorists including dozens of convicted murders for one imprisoned Jewish soldier. That is not the point. The point is no terrorist who either killed Jews or planned killing Jews should be alive much longer after being convicted for the crime. Israel's lack of death penalty for terrorists is a crime against its citizens.
 
It is incredibly sad to see that 60 years after finding the state of Israel the blood of Jews is almost as cheap as it was in any period of Jewish exile. It is even sadder to see Israelis continually elect governments that fail to provide for their basic safety (it is not normal to have major cities under missile bombardment and it was not Israeli reality for most of its history).
 
With this essay and perhaps future entries I call the Jews of the world to action. Weather we make the lofty choice of living in our ancestral land, we can no longer stay silent regarding the foolishness and disregard for human life taking place there.
 
As Jews we are proud that we sanctify life. To sanctify life does not only mean only releasing 1,000 terrorists for one captive soldier. It also means executing terrorists with blood on their hands (after due process, if possible) so that they won't continue murder or inspire other criminals and to make it clear that Jewish blood is not cheaper. Since early 90s we have watched our brothers and sisters being brought as sacrifices on the altars of liberalism and diplomatic initiative. 
 
It is time to scream out to our brothers in Israel. It is time to protest the actions of Israeli government (in constructive manner). Stop being the Country of Fools! You are not in the heart of Europe! Your liberal institutions (read Supreme Court at their forefront) and irresponsible political dreamers had already exacted a high price in lives and suffering. Enough is enough.

Below is the list of monsters which any country which truly sanctifies human life would have send to the next world long time ago instead of being forced to let go to freedom.

· Aad Abu Sharah (19 life sentences), Majdi Amro (19 life sentences) and Fadi Muhammad al-Jabaa[44] (18 life sentences) - responsible for the attack on bus No. 37 in Haifa in 2002.

· Abdel Aziz Salha - participant in the 2000 Ramallah lynching who was iconically photographed displaying his blood-stained hands to the Palestinian mob after having beaten an Israeli soldier to death.[44]

· Abdel Hadi Ghneim - the surviving perpetrator of the Tel Aviv Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack in which Ghneim seized the steering wheel of a crowded Egged commuter bus line No. 405 and managed to pull the bus into a ravine in the area of Qiryat Ye'arim. 16 civilians were killed in the attack.[45]

· Abed Amro - took part in the execution of the Café Hillel bombing (2003).[46]

· Ahmed Mustafa al-Najar - led a militant squad that killed 3 Israelis in shootings attacks.[44]

· Amana Mouna - lured over the internet the 16-year-old Israeli high school student Ofir Rahum, pretending to be a young American tourist, managed to drive him to a remote area in the outskirts of Ramallah where three Palestinian gunmen showed up and shot Rahum at close range.[47]

· Amar Sarhan - killed three Israelis with a knife in 1990.[46]

· Bassam Abu Sneina and Riyad Asila – murdered the yeshiva student Chaim Kerman.[48]

· Fahad Schludi - took part in the kidnapping and murder of the Israeli soldier Yaron Chen.[48]

· Farouk Aramin - murdered 15-year-old Israeli schoolgirl Helena Rapp in 1992.[49]

· Husam Badran - the former head of Hamas' military wing in the West Bank, who orchestrated the Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing (2001), Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing (2001) and in the Passover massacre (2002).[48]

· Ibrahim Shamasneh - took part in the murder of the boys Ronen Kramni and Lior Tuboul, the taxi driver Rafi Doron and the soldier Yehushua Friedberg.

· Idris Rajabi - carried out attacks in which 22 Israelis died.[46]

· Jihad Yaghmur - took part in the murder of Nachshon Waxman. Originally sentenced to life imprisonment.[45]


· Mohammed Aton, Moussa Akawi and Majed Abu Katish - militants that murdered the Israeli policeman Nissim Toledano in 1992.[50]

· Muhammad Douglas - took part in the execution of the Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing in Jerusalem (2001).[48]

· Muhammad Jose - responsible for the murder of the three Dickstein family members and the Israeli soldier Eliezer Lebowitz.[46]

· Muhammad Karem - directly involved in the planning and execution of a bus attack in Haifa in which 15 Israelis were killed.[46]

· Mohammed Youssef al-Sharatha - head of the militant squad that kidnapped and murdered the Israeli soldiers Ilan Saadon and Avi Sasportas during the first intifada. Originally sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.[45]

· Mohamed (Nihad) Zakout - Tel Aviv construction worker who stabbed three Israelis, murdering two, on the holiday of Purim, March 21, 1989.[51][52]

· Nasser Yataima - convicted of planning the Passover massacre (2002) in which 30 civilians were killed and 140 were wounded.[44]

· Tamimi Ahlam - Assisted in the execution of the Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing (2001).[44][47]

· Tariq Hassin - carried out the shooting attack on Highway 6 in June 2003, in which the 7-year-old girl Noam Leibowitz was killed.[48]

· Walid Anajas - took part in the execution of the Café Moment bombing (2002), the Hebrew University bombing (2002) and the Rishon LeZion bombing (2002). Originally sentenced to 26 consecutive life sentences.[44]

· Yehiye al-Sinwar - took part in the kidnapping and murder of Nachshon Wachsman. Founder of the Hamas security apparatus in Gaza. His brother organized of the abduction of Gilad Shalit in 2006. Originally sentenced to four life sentences.[45]

Monday, October 3, 2011

In Memory of Rehavaam

I just thought I'd share this since I have a little time to blog right now. I dedicated this to the blessed memory of Rehavaam Ze'evi Gandi (H"YD--may G-d avenge his blood):

The Leader

We did not know you well
And yet, you were a hero to us
We called you names
And yet, we had your trust

But there are those of us who shall never forget
Your strength of will, your dedication
You faced the world alone
Your voice rings true today: “We are the Palmach”
You were a light unto the nations

A man of the Book, of holy inclination
A man of his word
A soldier of our salvation

Bullets could not pierce you
Mortals could not pain you
Yet, you are no longer
“Rechavam” we chant your name
Your life to the Zionist cause you gave
That cause will only grow stronger

Who better than you knew this land?
Its hilltops and its valleys
Who wanted freedom more?
True peace and harmony
A home for the stranger, the hungry, and the old

The day has passed
Dark is the sky over the Temple Mount
And once again we hear your song
We hear the Morning Prayer and make no sound

In memory of the fallen hero of Israel, Rechavam Zeevi “Gandi”-may his name be a blessing unto all Israel

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Reactions to My Last Post and the Latest Latma Hit

Shavua tov to all! My last article was met with some skepticism in the local community. I want to hear what you have to say regarding my understanding of what Zionism means, the validity of my argument that the founding fathers of Israel were righteous individuals without whom there wouldn't be an Israel today, that the State of Israel is on the whole a positive entity, and so on.

I'm open for discussion. Whereas there are some issues I simply won't budge on, I'm open to discussing most of what I wrote. Once again, shavua tov and please enjoy the latest Latma hit (and check out Latma @ http://www.latma.co.il). If you have questions about Latma, feel free to ask. If you like their videos, please subscribe to their Youtube account and leave your comments.

Friday, July 8, 2011

The State of Israel: Good or Bad?

There are plenty of Jews who will argue that the State of Israel is a horrible thing. Many will go a step further and claim that we had no right to create an independent state of our own. These people are wrong. So long as they're not Neturei Karta they aren't bad people and I wouldn't go as far as claiming they are making a "hillul Hashem"--a desecration of the name of G-d. They are misguided and uneducated. Narrow-minded, I'd argue.

Of course, these Jews will call me all kinds of names and tell me I'm completely wrong, or as one individual on Youtube claimed once, "deserve to be hanged." The key in these kinds of situations (when a fellow Jew begins lamenting your birth) is to pretend like you're not there; to ignore this person outright. This fits in with the theme of unity.

What are my claims concerning the State of Israel? Notice: I'm not alluding to the "Land of Israel." This, everyone, besides Neturei Karta followers agree, belongs to the Jewish People and has been given to us by G-d for posterity. The State, however, is an area of contention. To me it's fairly simple. Yehuda Ha'levi wrote about it in his "Kuzari." It's alluded to in some siddurim--prayer books. Some congregations invoke our leaders during Shabbat services, asking the Almighty to provide them with good counsel. We pray for the safety of our soldiers standing on guard on "water and land." Whenever trouble is brewing in Israel, we ask G-d to be merciful to His Land and People AND to counsel its leaders.

In fact, it could be said that Moses was the first Zionist. The term "Zionism" itself has been misinterpreted (with good reason) by many. They like to confuse "Zionism", or the Jewish People's desire to return to the Land of Israel with all kinds of beliefs foreign to Judaism such as Marxism and Liberalism but this is a separate topic to be discussed in a later piece.

I've sat and listened as my brethren seek to destroy the individuals who made the State of Israel a reality. I know. I've heard the propaganda. Hertzel didn't circumcise his son. He sought to forcibly convert European Jews to Christianity. Only after the Dreyfus Trial, did he finally realize that the Gentiles would never allow us to peacefully live amongst them. And Zhabotinsky!? Well he was a secular journalist who was closer in spirit to Tolstoy than he was to a religious Jew. He supported Ben-Gurion's campaign to cut off Sephardic Jews from their spiritual past. And what if hadn't been for these men? Would there be a State of Israel today? Would this state have allowed thousands, if not millions of Sephardi and Russian Jews to have returned to Israel? Would there be yeshivas sponsored by the State?

Hertzl, Zhabotinsky, Aba-Achimeir, Trumpeldor, Stern, the Irgun and Lehi fighters hanged by the British: these were the prophets we have been seeking for two thousand years. Israel? This is the land we face while praying. The "Occupied Territories"? These are the holiest places in Israel; places depicted in the Tanach.

One might think I'm coming from an entirely secular perspective while writing this. I'm not. Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I do my utmost to pray three times daily, observe koshrut and Shabbat. It's not that. The only thing that separates me from my fellow Orthodox Jews is my ability to remain open-minded all the while enclosed within a cubicle. This cubicle is a lifestyle which doesn't allow for many of the exercises of modern hedonism. I prefer to live in this cubicle and hope my children will grow up covered by an aura of purity. I do, however, remain committed to certain ideas associated with the liberal camp. One of these things is my belief that the State of Israel is mostly positive.

Notice I say: "mostly positive." Our government and the way it governs isn't beyond reproach. Nowhere close in fact. A lot of the things it does is not only against Halacha, but also against its own best interests. Whether it's risking the lives of Jewish soldiers to board a ship carrying "activists" to Gaza or allowing a plane packed with terrorist supporters to land in Ben-Gurion, the Israeli government is constantly making mistakes genuinely believing that it's serving the best interests of the Jewish People. And what about the decisions it makes that are not meant to serve our best interests? There are those as well.

When I write of loving the State of Israel, I am not referring to loving the decisions it makes. Rather, we must focus on its history and the positive influence it has on the world. The love of the Land of Israel is a component common to almost all Jews. Let's try and make the love of the State another reason to unite.
Shabbat shalom!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

On the Meaning of Unity

I recently had a chance to eat Shabbat lunch at the home of a friend I greatly admire. Most people in the community wouldn't have lunch at his house, but I would. Why wouldn't they, you ask. Well, he believes the Lubavitche Rebbi (was) the Moshiach. Now, I can deal with that. There's a gigantic difference between Jews who believe the Rebbi was Moshiach and Jews for Jesus.

Christians and Jews who worship false gods base their erroneous beliefs on a a man-made faith whose entire philosophy is predicated upon unjustified concepts. I'm not going to delve into this. Chabad Jews who believe the Rebbi (was) the Moshiach are just another branch of Judaism.

As far as unity within the Jewish People, a good friend of mine once told me something I found very interesting. It turns out that the focal principles the three monotheistic faiths (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) hold most dear are the ones they have the hardest time maintaining. Look at Christianity. Their underlining principle is "love." They preach love for one another, love for all creatures. It's love, love, and more unconditional love. Theirs is the faith that has (incidentally) murdered millions of innocent people throughout history. Their conquests, crusades and pogroms claimed countless lives.

Now look at Islam. It's main principles? Not to steal and modesty. Yet Muslims are known as the biggest thieves and greatest womanizers. Is this mere chance? Judge for yourself!

And now for Judaism. We have been preaching unity from day 1. I don't need to quote the Tanach for references. There's overwhelming evidence for this claim. And what do we have the most trouble with? Unity. I recently learned that just like the Vilna Ga'on predicted the precise year (and month) for the outbreak of World War II, he predicted that it would be followed by an age during which Jews would have tremendous trouble dealing with each other's differences. So when I hear of a Lubavitche Rabbi visiting a different synagogue in Crown Heights every Shabbat, I'm overjoyed. When I hear of Yishai Fleisher sitting down with representatives of Shalom Achshav (Peace Now), it makes me smile.

Unity isn't easy. We hate each other. Ashkenazim hate Sephardim and vice versa. The religious hate the secular. Secular Jews hate religious-especially ultra-Orthodox Jews, and so on. It's a perpetual cycle of anymosity. And to think: we were all one happy family just a hundred-fifty years ago. What has changed!? What has shaken our community so much that "there are three opinions for every two Jews"? Maybe, some of you have the answer. I'm just struggling to understand...

Whatever the case may be, I call on you to go "shul-shopping." Make a concerted effort to attend services at a new synagogue every Shabbat. Have dinner with your liberal friends; lunch with your "Yichi" neighbor. Only then will we find out if the Rebbi...

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Israel's Struggle for Identity

What is Israel? Who are the people that represent it? Is it the secular army officer with a pretty girlfriend, the successful side job, the array of military accomplishments to go along with his parents' villa in Ramat Aviv, or the Haredi Jew living in B'nei Brak? The latter is an older fellow. He has 10 kids, a nagging wife, three bank loans, and a fledgling business. Which one of these is the face of Israel? Both are.

It's been all of 63 years. In this relatively short span of time, the State of Israel has developed into one of the world's leading economies, an enclave of freedom within a desert of barbarity. Waves of Aliya have come.

They've been accepted into Israeli society; have blossomed and given seed. Some will argue that our Zionist leaders abused their power and put down the righteous olim who fought so hard to make it to Israel. Others will claim that these olim are the ones at fault; that no one asked they to come and that they've become a burden for Israel's Eastern European elite. Which opinion is valid? They both are!

Religious Judaism puts a lot of emphasis on unity. Unity within the Jewish people. In fact, unity is sorely missing from our nation (the very question of whether the Jewish People are a "nation" or "religion" is hotly debated amongst academia and the general public alike). This is why I wanted to delve into the question of who represents the one thing we all share in common: the State of Israel.

Living in Israel, pluralism becomes ingrained in you. You absorb it to the fullest. It becomes second-nature. You stop noticing cultural, religious and ethnic differences. Either that or you die away. Quickly and surely. You stop noticing the minute details. Even local Arabs become a part of your every-day life and you forget that a war is being fought a few miles away.

It's only when you're back in Exile that you learn to hate again. You learn that your brethren are dying every day, that the secular government is coming up with new rules that will make it impossible for the Jewish State to function as you would like it to, you hear of religious Jews breaking every rule in the Torah and you hate them too. This hatred dies out when you come home.

Life in Israel is a far cry from reality in Exile. People tend to absorb things that are going on around them. We become what our surrounding happens to be. It's written that Jews are stronger when there are a lot of them together. This concept may apply to unity as well. As Abe Lincoln put it "United we stand, divided we fall." That's just human nature but it applies even more so to the Jews.

It's heartbreaking to observe what's happening in the Jewish world today. One politician derides the next, one religious leader blames the other for blasphemy, the left blames the right of conspiring against "peace", the right blames the left of treason and so on. Every part of the Jewish world is segmented. There's about as much unity amongst us today as there was at the time of the fall of the Second Temple.

This is a very dangerous trend that we must do everything in our power to eradicate. While its less prominent in the religious community, differences linger. It's not enough for me to call on my fellow Jews to unite (for if we do not, we will lose our precious home). I have to take this fight to the next level and begin to accept every one of my fellow Jews as at least my equal. Every one of us should take this upon him/herself.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Interview with Gil: 2nd Old Article Revisited

I met Gil about a year into my studies at Tel-Aviv. He was a loyal Likudnik. Sharon was Prime Minister. This was a man Gil had looked up to for many years. I'd participated in mass demonstrations calling on Sharon to strengthen his resolve to continue fighting terrorism and not give in to the Palestinians' demands. He was already beginning to falter but many like Gil continued believing Sharon could do no wrong. 

It's been some years since then. I gave up on Sharon's "experiment" a lot later than others. I, too, looked up to this man growing up. I interviewed Gil after the disengagement from Gush Katif. Olmert was leading the country. Here is the interview:


It was my first year at Tel-Aviv University. I had by now breathed the stale, oppressive breath of campus politics: empty slogans calling for peace and friendship, rallies praising young Israelis refusing to serve in the West Bank and Gaza for fear of hurting Palestinians.

Me: Please tell me some details about yourself. Where did you serve in the army? What kind of activity were you involved in during your university tenure? What is your political background?

Gil: I served in for 3 years, just like any Israeli draftee. I was assigned to field intelligence, where my job was to operate detection equipment that alerted the army of cross-border infiltrations. At times I was called on to deter the infiltrators.

In the university I studied physics. Now I am completing a degree in Management of Logistics. I used to be an activist in a student cell associated with the Likud. Though I hoped for greater involvement within the party, I soon discovered how childish and short-sighted my ambitions were.

During my involvement with the Likud, I got a heart-wrenching glimpse of the inner workings of the party.  My experience was a mixture of shame and desperation. I realized how limited my contribution was and how little impact the ideals I was brought up with had on the party. I felt helpless.

I’ve since quit working with the Likud, and spend more time and energy on studies and holding a job. I have not forgotten my dreams or lost any of the zeal for the cause I believe in. But I’ve postponed my activity until a better opportunity presents itself. I hope this time comes with a new generation of Likud leadership. 

I am a member of a long line of Ze’ev Zhabotinsky followers. My late grandfather even heard one of Zhabotinsky's legendary speeches in Romania.

I believe the Jewish people are a nation equal to other nations in rights and responsibilities. I was brought up to believe in human rights, and that Zionism’s cause is to pursue and ensure human rights for the Jewish people. Among these rights are self determination, sovereignty and the right to self defense.

These rights are natural for us, Jews, as a nation. The bitter lesson of the Holocaust taught us that these natural rights must be achieved and secured or else we, Jews, perish.

The current political drifts in Israel seem to contradict much of what I believe in. I feel Zionism is currently very low on the priority list of most Israelis. We take so many things for granted while mistaking unrealistic hopes for facts. Lack of knowledge causes vacuums in the souls of modern Israelis. They are filled with twisted morality and foreign values.

The result is a feeling of confusion and helplessness with regards to all major issues in our lives, especially those demanding moral clarity and swift determination. I hope that this is just a phase we are going through. The high ideals of Zionism are coming down from their pedestal and settling down amidst the dust.

Zionism must become a natural, healthy attitude for the masses of Israelis, as nationalism should amongst any other nation that wishes to live safely. Yet, I cannot avoid the ominous feeling that something has gone terribly wrong. Many Jews have forgotten their own rights or even their natural motivation for self preservation. Sometimes I wonder whether we, Jews, wish to exist at all.

Me: What are your opinions concerning the recent actions of the Olmert government?

Gil: All recent events are symptoms of the crisis which lies at the root of all this. They are the result of lost values, ignorance, and the downgrading of Zionism’s legitimacy. We have been left with few role models, after postmodernist "unbiased" research has systematically murdered their character, or placed their motives and actions completely out of context. 

It seems that our society and the government which leads it have “unlearned” all the crises and dangers which propelled so many Jews to flee Europe. Again we throw the responsibility for our defense on others, blaming our inaction on the strategic need to maintain healthy relations with the U.S.  Suddenly, our very right to exist is taken for granted by our society. Suddenly, we blame ourselves for things we are not responsible for and deny ourselves rights we deserve.

Me: What mistakes has the Israeli government made since the elections?

Gil: In the war against terrorism, Olmert's government showed forbearance where determined action was demanded. This signals weakness and results in casualties amongst Jewish civilians. The public’s security is the first responsibility of any government. During the many years of the escalation of terrorism against our civilians, our government has failed to provide either security or   plan for victory. Who needs leaders who can't do their job?

Though security is our priority, there is still much to do in liberalizing the economy, improving government supervision of the great monopolies, and expanding and modernizing infrastructure. The education system in Israel has been deteriorating because of a host of problems. The dreaded red tape is growing and prohibiting development while providing the perfect environment for corruption. Israeli civilians must fear rampaging crime rates alongside with terrorism.

Bad management and too little political backing shrank the police’s ability to combat crime effectively. The legal system functions as an isolated kingdom of its own, resisting any input or attempt towards reform. All this results in bottleneck, an overburdened system, lengthy procedures, waiting lists and rather strange, tragic-comic sentencing in courts.

Olmert's government has a lot on its hands. It's too early, though, to consider whether a real solution is on the way. So far I don't see one coming, and I doubt the ability of the government to deliver.

Me: What, in your opinion, should the government do to stop Palestinian terrorism?

Gil: I have always believed that the "Iron Wall" doctrine is our best path towards real peace. In a nutshell, it means that only the fear of greater violence may prevent current violence. As long as the enemy believes in violence as the best instrument to obtain their goals there will be either war or we will concede our rights, all the natural human rights Zionism tried ensuring in the first place.

While it is a paradox, war can bring peace. The enemy can be taught the errors of his tactics; forced to accept peace the moment he realizes the horrors of war; that violence against us will only serve to draw him away from his goals.

Germany and Japan were turned into pacifist societies only after they were both forced to reject war. They were defeated, humiliated and driven to poverty by the superior powers of the allied nations. Their defeat was burnt into their minds so hard it made them fear and hate militarization.

The spread of Islamist fundamentalism forces me to consider the possibility, in which there are no specific goals for the terrorist's violence. It is more apparent that in the terrorists’ skewed interpretation of Jihad, war and violence are their only goals. They fight and die for the sake of death. Causing grief and despair is not only the means but the ends. All are results of freak interpretations of Jihad’s religious implications.

Me: Describe your thoughts concerning the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit.

Gil: The kidnapping of an Israeli soldier from our border is most troubling.
I dare say “kidnapped” and not “taken prisoner”, because his kidnappers were terrorists. Fighters who are dressed as civilians and hide among civilians, who ignore all articles of the Geneva Convention regarding the rules of engagement and handling of prisoners, are terrorists.

The kidnappers have denied the prisoner any rights. He cannot relate what his conditions are. We don't even know if Gilad is dead or alive. If he's alive, he has the rights to medical attention, food, the right to send letters or meet the Red Cross. All his rights are being denied.

Some people consider attacking soldiers "legitimate". Whatever one may label it, attacking soldiers is a cause for war. Imagine a Mexican militia attacking American soldiers along the border. What do you think the reaction of the American government and its armed forces would be?

The kidnapping is troubling for more reasons as well: One would have thought the Arabs had satisfied their territorial demands in the region, but the kidnapping proved us wrong. A majority of Israelis always trusted the fences and barriers to provide them with security. The kidnapping proved them wrong. Israelis have trusted their government and army to take care of its citizens’ safety. In response for constant Kassam bombarding of Sderot and the Negev, we would expect the army to launch a punishing blow to deter our enemies from carrying out future attacks. We were proved wrong again.

The kidnapping of Gilad and the shelling of Sderot may be viewed as tests for Israelis’ instinct of self defense. Our reaction and subsequent lack of such instinct may be a serious symptom of a much more sinister condition. Are we, Israeli Jews, so disheartened we have lost our sense of self preservation? Is our survival conditional on others’ affirmation?


Me: What is your opinion concerning Jonathan Pollard's imprisonment in the U.S.?

Gil: Jonathan Pollard’s tragedy is a stain on Israel's government, on our peoples’ solidarity with, and compassion toward those who serve it. How can we ever ask somebody to spy or work for us, when we can't offer them real backing?
I fear it seems as if Israel has abandoned Pollard. There is not enough compassion for him in Israel's government.

From what I've been reading, Pollard is held in appalling conditions. Are they necessary? Can't Israel do something to ease his jail time, if not to release him altogether?

Spying on friendly countries does look ugly, but in reality, this is life. Real friends like Israel and the U.S. do not withhold critical information from one anther. Had Israel the need to spy on the U.S, it could only mean Israel and the U.S. are not the good friends we would like to think they were.

Perhaps Israel should complain more of American submarines or spy planes flying into our territory. Maybe American spies have been caught in Israel as well, but the stories have been censored or dumped by the press. I'd love to see Pollard liberated and back in Israel.

Me: Do you see the current government as a "Jewish government"? Why or why not?

Gil: A Jewish government is a government motivated by Jewish vision, one that holds Zionist values and ideals. Zionism is designed to advance the natural rights of the Jewish people, our right for security and self determination, and sovereignty over our land.

Olmert's government seems less and less equal to its tasks. It is bent on further concessions; on putting more efforts into ignoring our security issues and avoiding solving them.

A Jewish government is a government which adopts Jewish morality and justice. Jewish justice may be defined by the three elements: equality, reciprocity, and self responsibility.

Instead, Israel’s government and the society led by it seem to adopt foreign ideas of morality, which include "turning the other cheek", forgiveness at all costs and "innocence or irresponsibility" as definitions for moral superiority. Lacking the sincerity needed to lead a real life with such values, the public is left unprotected, confused, and helpless.    











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