No Apologies Needed
"Why are you religious orthodox Jews making all the trouble in Israel? You ought to publicly apologize!!"
Prime minister Rabin has been assassinated, and the whole world is in mourning. Orthodox religious leaders are demonized as "right-wing" extremists and fanatics and are busy giving apologies.
As an orthodox rabbi I unequivocally believe that the Torah condemns violence and murder. It would do the world good to remember the following that not all extremists are Orthodox Jews and not all Orthodox Jews are extremists. Some right-wingers are very anti religious.
My heart cries for all the peace victims, each as important as the Prime minister.
A lot of people thought that this was bound to happen. You just can't have a prime minister give away the country merely on the promise of peace. They wonder, why the Israeli government wouldn't stop the peace talks after seeing so much public opposition.
Let me quote part of a speech from the famous Israeli Prime minister Ben Gurion said at Basel Zionist Congress, 1937.
No Jew has the right to yield the rights of the Jewish people in Israel.
No Jew has the authority to do so.
No Jewish body has the authority to do so.
Not even the entire Jewish people alive today has the authority to yield any part of Israel.
It is the right of the Jewish people over generations, a right which under no condition can be canceled.
Our right to the country-to the entire country- exists as an eternal right, and until the full and complete redemption is realized, we shall not yield our historic right.
Now remember this was one of the founders of the state of Israel talking 60 years ago.
For Orthodox Jews the state of Israel means the Holy Land. There they can travel and settle in Hebron, the West Bank or old Jerusalem. This is the land of "milk and Honey "promised to the Jewish people by the almighty G‑d as stated in the Bible. They want to be free in the promised land. It's their land, given to them by G‑d and no one can take it away from them.
Rabin's government would like to impose a limit for Jewish travel and settling of the land that rightfully belongs to the Jewish people. Any student of the Bible can tell you that G‑d promised the land to the Jews. You don't have to be branded a extremists if you love your land. There is no reason to be forced to give up your homes, schools and farms. How would Americans react if our government decided to give San Diego or California back to Mexico to make peace?
Rabin' attending the peace rally was to fight off his failing popularity. He was being attacked and criticized by many citizens for all the murderous attacks on Jews that were increasing since the peace talks. His showing at the rally was more of a sign of defiance to the ever growing unhappiness taking place in Israel. He knew that he was becoming a target by some angry and possessed people. Minutes before, he was asked to don a bullet proof vest, that may have saved his life, but he refused. I am angry at the Israeli police for not doing their job in protecting the Prime minister. They are to blame for this major tragedy.
In our time of mourning we mustn' forget the following facts. It is the Israeli government that is pushing 140,0000 settlers out of their homes. Rabin's government is imposing on the people and forcefully restricting their rights. The way this is happening is undemocratic and brutal. There are many religious leaders who believe that the government is wrong. In the end it will be the ballots and not the bullets that will determine the outcome of the peace for land exchange.
Yes, as a religious leader I join the thousands in mourning for a peace sacrifice. No one should be killed in the name of saving others.
But I won't apologize for a lone man's act. His desperate move to bring the world to view his feelings is the responsibility of the present Israeli government.
I bow my head in prayer for Israel and its latest peace victim Prime minister Yitchak Rabin.