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By Shmuel Sackett
March 6, 2005
I have spoken in over 150 cities across America and the number one question I always get is; "How can Ariel Sharon destroy the settlements when he was the one who built them in the first place?"
Five years ago Sharon screamed to the settlers, "Grab the hilltops and stake your claim" --and many followed his lead. Now, however, he has vowed to remove the "hilltop youth" and destroy -- not only their homes but their dreams as well.
And now it's Gush Katif's turn. The beautiful southwestern coastline of Israel where the sand is white, the palm trees are tall and over 60% of the population is below the age of 10. How many times did Sharon come there to build homes, roads and businesses? Now, he plans on sending those same bulldozers that used to build ... only this time they will be used to destroy. What is going on?
The answer is short. Its actually just two words and may sound weird to many of you. In actuality, it's the source of most of Israel's problems today and the very reason why Moshe Feiglin, Motti Carpel and myself founded Manhigut Yehudit seven years ago. Those two words are; Jewish Values... or, more correctly, the lack of them.
It's true. Ariel Sharon did in fact build most of Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gush Katif) but you must understand exactly why he did it. Sharon is a military man. He thinks, breathes and lives the military. During his reign as Housing Minister he built the settlements because he felt they provided an excellent shield against the neighboring Arab towns.
Sharon built settlements the way one plays the game of Risk. He moved his forces (i.e. the settlements) around every single large Arab town. Furthermore, he made certain to build these towns on the high ground so that our forces would have a security advantage.
While this applies to every Arab city, allow me to offer just two examples; Shechem (Nablus) and Ramallah. Shechem is surrounded by Elon Moreh to the east, Shavei Shomron and Kedumim to the west, Har Bracha, Itamar and Yitzhar to the south and Sa-Nur and Homesh to the north. Ramallah is surrounded by Bet El and Psagot to the east, Dolev and Talmon to the west, Kochav Yaakov to the south and Neve Tsuf and Ateret to the north. Sharon strategically put settlements in these key positions so that army outposts and lookout towers could be built there without world attention.
These Jewish towns were never built for Jewish reasons. Sharon did not build them because Hashem told Avraham, "Raise now your eyes and look out from where you are; northward, southward, eastward and westward. For all the land that you see, to you will I give it, and to your descendants forever . . . . Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth! For to you will I give it." (Beresheit 13:14-17)
When you understand this, you will understand why the same man who builds can also destroy. When you treat people like chess or Risk pieces, they can be moved around quite easily. According to Sharon, these towns aren't centers of Jewish life living in portions of the 12 tribes of Israel, they are strategies, maneuvers and tactical game plans. Yesterday the strategy was to build around Arab towns while today it is to concentrate forces into centralized locations. Never a word or thought about G-d. Not then. Not now.
We made a similar mistake with Bibi Netanyahu. When he ran for Prime Minister he spoke about settling the land yet he also coined the term; "peace with security" and the settlers voted for him. In reality, while the slogan sounded good, nobody, including Bibi, knew what that meant. Shortly after becoming elected he proved that he had no idea by proceeding to give away 95% of the holy city of Hebron including the surrounding hilltops from where little Shalhevet Pass was murdered a few months later. Had he been a true Jewish leader who wanted both peace and security he would have followed King David's advice; "Hashem will give might to His people, Hashem will bless His people with peace". (Tehillim 29:11)
Dear Bibi: the Jewish concept is that peace comes through might, not through security.
We need to stop backing leaders that don't include G-d in their equation. We need to stop being "amazed" and "shocked" by the Jewish state's secular leadership. Once and for all, let's be honest: From Israel's first day as a state in 1948 to the present day in 2005, our Promised Land has been led by men and women who liked the Land ... but did not keep the Promise.
It is our duty as Torah believing Jews to stop limiting our leadership to the Yeshiva world. We must lead the entire nation and not only those that look and think like us. We must take away the leadership from those that use us as chess pieces and start leading them ... in the right and honest way.
Stop worrying about Sharon and Bibi and start figuring out ways to replace them with Jews who use the Torah as their compass.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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