Remember We Were Sane

There's a story in Jewish folklore of an astrologer who foretold a calamity that would affect his kingdom. All the crops would be tainted with a dangerous ingredient.  It would poison the minds of people causing them to lose their rationality.  When the astrologer told the king of this ominous news, the king said, "Since you are the harbinger of this news, you'll have to put away one year's quantity of untainted crop to sustain yourself.  During the year you will run around whispering the words, 'Remember, there was a time when we were all sane.'"

It seems that the Israeli government has eaten from the tainted crop. The tainted crop has triggered a compulsive behavior resulting in making peace with the PLO at any cost to the safety of Israel. Increasing levels of incongruence has become the accepted form of the Israeli government's behavior.  Irrationality is the new form of thinking. The minds of the leaders are poisoned. 

Sadly, very few Israelis have not eaten from this bewitching crop and they now have the sad mission of whispering the words, "Rremember, there was a time when we were all sane," reminding Israel of their original plans in keeping Israel safe by establishing the settlements close to the borders. 

Israel is blindly rushing to meet a self-imposed deadline by removing its troops from the West Bank. They will surrender towns, villages and settlements to the PLO. All this is to be implemented by July 25.

For many Israelis this is the final act of irrationally. The peace agreement has become a run away train that has passed it's station.

This week the Deputy Defense Minister of Israel, Mordechai Gur, was found dead in his Tel Aviv home. He had shot himself. Gur had been suffering from cancer the past few years. His suicide was attributed to not wanting to be a burden on his family. His death has shocked the Israeli people. Gur was a military hero and had many friends both in the military and private sector.

There has been speculation that he was frustrated with his career in the Labor Party as he was always seen as second to the top, never achieving the aspirations of being a full time defense minister. Current decisions on the peace with the PLO were kept from him.

There are rumors that Gur was too friendly and sympathetic to the Golan settlers. Being a military man he was not free to express his true beliefs on the withdrawal. This, too, may have increased his despair.

Gur was the leader who, during the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, freed the Arab-held land belonging to the old city of Jerusalem. By uniting Jerusalem as one city he gave Jews access to the most sacred area: the Temple Mount. As a mighty hero I don't believe he would have been able to tolerate the return of the land hard earned by sacrifices of his troops during the military conflict.

It's time for Israel to stop fooling themselves. I, like many, believe that Mordechai Gur may have killed himself rather than see his country's borders dismantled, especially to see his beloved Jerusalem divided in the name of peace.

Rabbis Call Israeli Withdrawal Sinful

The state of Israel is rushing to meet a new self⬩mposed deadline to remove its troops from the West Bank. They will surrender towns, villages and settlements to the PLO. All this is to be implemented by July 25. The reason given for the self⬩mposed withdrawal is in keeping with the promise for peace by the PLO. The Rabin government is bent on making this deal work regardless of the consequences.

It's no secret that this move may cause the present Rabin government to fall. Israel has been hiding the fact that there are many citizens speaking out against the so-called Oslo Peace Agreement. For a while it seemed that Rabin would be able to pull off his plans for PLO self-rule in the West Bank by  controlling the press, arresting anyone he deems suspect, and removing those opposing the ill-fated peace plan. He has kept the American public in  the dark.

Now the Israeli religious leaders have spoken up. They have defied the government and have issued the following declaration condemning the withdrawal.

"It is prohibited, according to the Torah, to withdraw from any army camps and transfer the camps to any other authority," said rabbi Shlomo Gold at a meeting of the Rabbinical Association. Rabbi Chaim Druckman, the spiritual leader of the thousands of families who live in the West Bank or in greater Israel, said, "Every Jew is forbidden to take part in the evacuation.... Even if a king of Israel orders a sin against the Torah it must not be obeyed." This will put thousands of Israeli soldiers in a precarious position. Whom do they take orders from, the Army or their rabbis?!

The rabbis' meeting included the former chief rabbi of Israel when this declaration was finalized. Over 1,500 rabbis are involved with this decision. Rabbis the world over are joining in solidarity with this call by the Israeli rabbis.

What is at stake is not only the 140,000 Israeli settlers involved in this program! It is the universal world support for the Israeli state that is being challenged.

American rabbis are splintered in supporting the current plans. Many are angrily stating that they will stop supporting Israel. They have spoken out against the Israeli government's plans, calling Rabin's action criminal. Israeli leaders, in turn, have accused the rabbinical leaders of fostering a hate for the secular state, calling the rabbis Sonaia Yisroel- haters of Jewish people or ayatollahs! The situation has degenerated to name calling by both sides.

This preposterous accusation reminds me of the following story. Two men are conversing. "Our rabbi is so pious that he talks with G‑d," says the first.

"How do you know?" ask his friends.

"He told us so himself."

"Yes, but maybe he was lying."

"Stupid! Would a man who talks with G‑d lie?"

I don't believe that 1,500 Israeli rabbis can all be lying when they state that the Torah is against any withdrawal. They want no land for peace exchange. It is also important to note that these feelings are not limited to only the religious followers; they are being echoed in the Rabin camps.

It would do good for the current Israeli leadership to heed to the rabbis' call. By  listening to the rabbis, Israel, the chosen people, will survive.