By Reuven Koret
February 10, 2005
The ideological turnabout of Ariel Sharon, the pitiful coalition with Shimon Peres and the Labor Party, the reliance of this coalition on the even more extreme left and Arab parties to pass legislation that will drive Jews from their homes and lands; the suddenly naïve belief in the good intentions of the Palestinians and the Egyptians, the currying after favor of the Europeans and the Americans, the abandonment of skepticism of Arab motives, the obsession with disengagement as a panacea -- all of these are dizzying and disturbing to those of us who care about Israel and its survival as a Jewish and democratic nation.
We, the silenced majority, need to keep our eye on the ball, and take practical steps that will turn the tide and save our country from civil war and self-destruction.
1. Keep pushing for a referendum or new elections, forcing those who effectively stole our votes to request a mandate for their about-face. There is clear popular support for a plebiscite, and there is time to carry it out.
2. Point out to the nation that since Arafat's death and Abu Mazen's (s)election, the conditions that led to "unilateral disengagement" no longer exist, and that abandoning assets before negotiations is just plain stupid. We should not be suckers.
3. Make the case that the criminal dislocation of thousands of citizens, the destruction of their homes, the leveling of their synagogues and the unearthing of their graves is a blatant violation of human rights and the Jewish faith.
4. Remind the nation of the terms of the Road Map and what is expected of Israel if Sharon follows it, including destruction of all outposts and cessation of all anti-terror actions. Remember the 14 objections to the Road Map to which the government is obliged to ahere.
5. Remind the world that the Road Map is based on concrete steps by the Palestinians to disarm and dismantle terror organizations -- steps they will never take.
6. Speak to your friends and family, in Israel and abroad, about the absurdity and dangers of the government's course, and what is really happening here. Follow the money to the foreign sources funding the undermining of Israeli democracy.
7. Listen and watch for the indications that the government is preparing to illegally and undemocratically silence its critics and outlaw political dissent, especially critical media. Support those media and organizations which stand up for justice.
8. Track the government's preparations to provoke opponents into illegal actions, to use repressive measures against non-violent civil resistance, to use excessive violence in demonstrations, and to intern families in detention camps. Document violence against innocent protesters and civilians.
9. Make sure adherents and proponents of illegal deportation and expulsion actions know that their actions will be recorded, disseminated, prosecuted and judged.
10. Make it clear that destruction of Jewish communities and mass transfer of Jews from their homes is a precedent which will be used, like it or not, to justify similar actions against the enemies of the Jewish nation, or collaborators in civil rights violations.
We can count on the Arabs to once again fail to keep their commitments and to continue carrying out their plans to terrorize and murder Israeli and Jewish citizens. We can count on Sharon's party support and parliamentary minority to continue eroding. We can expect paralysis after terror attacks inevitably return. We can expect government officials and collaborators in illegal and immoral transfer policies to be heckled at every opportunity.
We can expect Shin Bet agents, in the tradition of "Champagne," to provoke and perpetrate acts of violence, including the attempted assassination of public figures. We can expect the media to point the finger at expulsion opponents before evidence is evaluated. We can expect a "national emergency" and martial law as the government loses control and the popular rebellion against its tyranny becomes massive in scope.
We are heading for the most difficult hour in Israel's history. But we who believe in the eternal values of Israel and the Rock and Book on which it is founded have the force of right and history on our side, even if our vote-stealing, Arab-dependent, left-leaning government has the whole world, the media, and a whole lotta money behind it.
These are the times that try our souls. The weak will fail. The tyrants will fall. But we who stand up for the Jewish nation will lead it, after the catharsis, to a just outcome in which our deepest national goals will be realized. Those who seek to squelch religious Zionism may be leading to its revival and fulfillment.
There are good reasons to believe the good guys will prevail. But you gotta have faith.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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