Our Land Is On The Line

The Jewish people have succeeded in remaing loyal to the religion of Israel, but
there are ominous signs for the Land of Israel

by Elyakim Haetzni

Ariel Sharon stood in front of the United Nations and introduced himself as a
"Jewish man, a proud representative of an ancient nation," before proceeding to
recognize "the rights of others in the land," defined as the right "to liberty
and a sovereign national existence in their own state" in the Land of Israel.

For the first time in the history of Israel, a Jewish leader gave a foreign
nation the right to what he himself called "the estate of our forefathers? in
which every part of the land, every mountain and valley, and every brook and
stone is saturated with Jewish history, artifacts, and memories."

Our forefathers, from Abraham our father till the fathers of Zionism, are
turning in their graves.

The "disengagement" together with the U.N. speech transmitted another chilling
message: "The city, village, scenery, mountain range, deserts and coasts of
Israel, which have loyally guarded, as witnesses, their original Hebrew names,"
can be the setting for the Palestinian "national existence," only when the
Jewish existence in those lands is cut off.

What the terrorists of Palestine failed to do in five years of intifada was
'accomplished' by a Jewish army using force. The man that cleansed the area of
"the Palestinian national existence," Gaza, of Jews, has promised to continue
with the cleansing in the West Bank. He has decided that not a single Jew will
live with the Palestinians, despite the fact that 1.2 million Arabs live in the
area of the Jewish national existence.

For all of the "one way" and "unilateral" steps taken by the government, the
Palestinians for their part have yet to recognize the right of the Jewish people
to even a single centimeter in "Palestine."

Even the Palestinian "moderates" hardly live up to their names, they recognize
the existence of the "Zionist entity" for tactical reasons alone.

Sharon's speech has turned the crack in the wall of Jewish national unity into a
dangerous burst. A large camp now opposes the prime minister, who view his
comments at the United Nations as illegitimate, and who view Sharon as leader of
the infidel camp which is trying to force the Jewish nation to recognize the
rights of another nation on parts of the Land of Israel.

This gap does not necessarily exist between the religious and secular. Rather,
the Land of Israel loyalists, who believe that the land is Israel's exclusive
inheritance, can be found among the ranks of many non observant people.
 
When Sharon tries to apply with force his view that the Palestinians also have a
"right" to a national existence on land ethnically cleansed of Jews, including
Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, the wall of national Zionist unity is liable to
collapse, and knock over the foundations of the Jewish State.

Sharon's speech will make life for Likud Committee members easier. They can now
choose between dividing the land with the Arabs and receiving 40 mandates in the
next elections, together with the best of the government jobs ? or to remain
loyal to their ideological roots and to risk losing power.

A similar choice faced the Jews with the ascension of Christianity ? to
compromise on the faith of their fathers, and to join the winning force and
conquer the world, or to remain "a nation that will dwell alone," and pay the
price. If our forefathers had not taken the path they did, we would not exist
today to again face a test. This time, it is the Land of Israel, rather than the
religion of Israel, which is on the line.

Elyakim Haetzni is a former member of the Knesset.