Fantasy Meet Reality
It's very interesting. I don't want to make this too long, but I have some more politics to get out. It's funny, but I have seen a lot of Americans/Israelis registered on the blog, and I've gotten to read their views about the Disengagement Plan. There's one main thing that I noticed; the religious aspect. This really effected how they opposed the Plan. A lot of them went to the rallies there were held back in January to protest the Plan and call for a Referendum. Well, first of all, we all know the Referendum's not happening. Second of all, I really, and, I mean MAMASH, sympathize with the people that will be forced from their homes this summer. If I was going to be kicked out of my home; one that the government encouraged me to make, I'd be pretty upset also. However, that doesn't excuse the means in which they are protesting the Disengagement, and it doesn't open these other people's eyes to the bigger picture that's going on here. Most of those hundreds of thousands of protestors were there on the basis that they believed that it is against Halacha to give up Israeli land. I don't disagree with that. I consider myself a Religious person, with a strong belief in the fact that Eretz Yisroel belongs to the Jews. However, this is not the Israel of Mashiach. We have to live within the frame-work of modern times. We have to live within the reality of what we're given. What are the realities of letting a little over 8,000 people stay in the Gaze Strip, for the sake of "religion":
1) I believe we can kiss the Jewish State of Israel good-bye. There will be no negotiations for a Palestinian State, period, and the world and internal situations may very well force Isreal into becoming a bi-national secular State. Why don't we just change Israel to "Pasrael" or "Israstine" right now? I know that the demographical situation is disputed. However, the fact does remain that the Palestinian population, as a whole, on the average, has almost 6 kids. In contrast, with the exception of the Charedi community, the average number of kids in an Israeli household is less than 3. So, even if the demographics are off now, they won't be for long.
2) As Elliot has discussed with me, logistically, strategically, and militarily, the situation in the Gaza Strip puts the entire State of Israel in danger. Due to the Intifada and the increasing need to protect the settlers in Gaza, the Army has been fighting Urban Wars. While they have done this well, there has been no open field exercises in almost 5 years. Meaning, that if a total war broke out tomorrow, the average soldier sitting in the IDF today would not be prepared. When the settlements are dismantled, the almost 4 Brigades (If I understood the number correctly, Elliot) will be freed up. Militarily, the amount of leverage and man power this restores to the entire country is irreplaceable. The entire IDF will be able to breathe a sigh of relief and get back to business.Now, I looked up the definition of Ethnic Cleansing, and, like it or not, it does apply to the Disengagement Plan. But, it doesn't demean the necessity of these actions. If we're going to look at Halacha, we must look at Halacha, as a whole. We must view the Halacha in the greater picture. You can't ignore the facts; the facts that, unfortunately, these poor 8,000 people are putting the entire State of Israel in danger. Therefore, I see the situation as Pekuach Nefesh. This Halacha supercedes almost all other Halachot, with few exceptions. If we don't move these people out, millions of other people's lives will be at a greater risk. I hate using the term, "Sacrifice the few to save the many". But, again, if we're going to use Halacha as a reason to stop the Disengagement, we must look at the whole picture. Once we do, we can (If you agree with me, you do) see that the whole country will benefit and be saved by this Plan. Sharon has faced down hundreds and thousands of soldiers with nothing and came out victorious. I don't believe he's stupid or week, like many others would like to believe.We must open our eyes to everything that's going on. If not, our emotions may cloud the realities of the situation and make us worse off than before.I would love to hear what you guys think about what I've said and the situation, in general.
Until next time.
1) I believe we can kiss the Jewish State of Israel good-bye. There will be no negotiations for a Palestinian State, period, and the world and internal situations may very well force Isreal into becoming a bi-national secular State. Why don't we just change Israel to "Pasrael" or "Israstine" right now? I know that the demographical situation is disputed. However, the fact does remain that the Palestinian population, as a whole, on the average, has almost 6 kids. In contrast, with the exception of the Charedi community, the average number of kids in an Israeli household is less than 3. So, even if the demographics are off now, they won't be for long.
2) As Elliot has discussed with me, logistically, strategically, and militarily, the situation in the Gaza Strip puts the entire State of Israel in danger. Due to the Intifada and the increasing need to protect the settlers in Gaza, the Army has been fighting Urban Wars. While they have done this well, there has been no open field exercises in almost 5 years. Meaning, that if a total war broke out tomorrow, the average soldier sitting in the IDF today would not be prepared. When the settlements are dismantled, the almost 4 Brigades (If I understood the number correctly, Elliot) will be freed up. Militarily, the amount of leverage and man power this restores to the entire country is irreplaceable. The entire IDF will be able to breathe a sigh of relief and get back to business.Now, I looked up the definition of Ethnic Cleansing, and, like it or not, it does apply to the Disengagement Plan. But, it doesn't demean the necessity of these actions. If we're going to look at Halacha, we must look at Halacha, as a whole. We must view the Halacha in the greater picture. You can't ignore the facts; the facts that, unfortunately, these poor 8,000 people are putting the entire State of Israel in danger. Therefore, I see the situation as Pekuach Nefesh. This Halacha supercedes almost all other Halachot, with few exceptions. If we don't move these people out, millions of other people's lives will be at a greater risk. I hate using the term, "Sacrifice the few to save the many". But, again, if we're going to use Halacha as a reason to stop the Disengagement, we must look at the whole picture. Once we do, we can (If you agree with me, you do) see that the whole country will benefit and be saved by this Plan. Sharon has faced down hundreds and thousands of soldiers with nothing and came out victorious. I don't believe he's stupid or week, like many others would like to believe.We must open our eyes to everything that's going on. If not, our emotions may cloud the realities of the situation and make us worse off than before.I would love to hear what you guys think about what I've said and the situation, in general.
Until next time.
posted by Olah Chadasha @ 5/06/2005 03:32:00 PM
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3 Comments:
Shalom from a fellow Jerusalemite!
"Therefore, I see the situation as Pekuach Nefesh. This Halacha supercedes almost all other Halachot, with few exceptions."
This was one of the arguments that we heard more than 10 years ago when the Oslo agreements were made: Giving the Arabs land and guns will save Jewish lives, will free up Jewish troops, etc. Like it or not, those arguments were proved to be 100% wrong. For one who has been in Israel for over 20 years, I can tell you that the policy of Israel's policy of appeasement from the 1990s achieved the same results of Britains policy of appeasement since the 1930s. Believe it or not, once upon a time, you could enter a restaurant in Jerusalem without having to have your body checked! Yes, Jerusalem, with all of its compexity, was a normal city! The appeasers have brought a disaster upon us and they won't admit it.
Check out this as well.
You might also want to reread parshat "shlach lecha".
cosmic, withdrawel isn't always a bad idea... it worked with egypt.
i know the counter-argument is that egypt is a real country, and can be negotiated with, and there's a clear "man in charge," but until we give the palestinians something, they wont have that, so it's a little self defeating.
gush katif isn't really part of eretz yisroel anyways... it's more negotiable than, say chevron. why not just give it back, and seal it off?
Cosmic, I agree with you that the argument used to get the Oslo Agreement signed was one of appeasement, and, eventhough I was 12 at the time it was signed, I knew it was a huge mistake and would turn into a ticking time bomb. I am not a fan of apeasement. If you look at the kinds of books I read, you would see that I am totally not on the track. I see the Disengagement as something different. I see it a strategic plan, created by Sharon, that, while dangerous, may get us farther and make us safer than we were before. I don't see Sharon as an appeaser. I see him, as he was in the Army, a master strategizer, and I hope it will work out here.
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