Have we already forgotten what he taught us?
                     by Gershon Ben Shabtai
                        November 8, 1991

       A little more than a year ago, Rabbi Kahane, z"l, Hy"d,  was  murdered.  While his
followers have been doing the best they can to continue on his path, the void left by him is
clearly felt.  
       The Madrid conference, which could have been a new starting point for the Jewish
State to at long last give expression to a strong Jewish position, instead has become another
UN type folly of Israel bashing.  What do the Arab nations know about peace and human
rights?  They have always oppressed their own populations and are constantly in a state of war
with one another.  How dare they presume to lecture the Jewish State on the topic of peace
and human rights?
       The problem with our puny leaders is the same one suffered by the spies sent out by
Moses.  We assume that in the eyes of our enemies we appear to be as grasshoppers.  And, in
our own eyes we appear as grasshoppers.  It is time that we stop thinking and acting like
grasshoppers and begin to act as proud Jews.
       Shamir insisted, and to his credit, that bilateral talks take place in the Middle East. 
That is not exactly a very narrow venue, nor a one sided one.  Yet the Arabs, who still prefer
not to as much as recognize the Jewish State, do not agree.  Big and impartial Jimboy has
already announced that if the parties cannot agree on a venue, he will decide for them.  How
nice to be impartial.
       Not to be outdone by anyone, Israel's foreign Minister and good friend of Big
Jimboy, debonair David Levy, has already announced that a disagreement on the venue of the
bilateral talks will not deter them from continuing.  In other words when Israel insists upon
something it should be considered only a hopeful suggestion.  
       Nothing of substance has even been suggested as yet, and already we have decided
to back down!  It is bad enough that we have no leaders, but who is complaining and warning
of the crisis that is coming?  It is not Madrid, Arabs or the United States that has created a
crisis.  It is only the grasshoppers parading as Jewish leaders who have.
       And the darling of the TV setters, Bibi Natanyahu, is even more dangerous than the
rest.  His boyish charm and aire of certainty ring sweet only for a short distance.  For he too,
despite his moments of strength and wit, has clearly implied a willingness to accept the land
for peace formula the minute the Arabs can show their sincerity.  He is betting on their
stubbornness and, maybe he will win.  But what happens when the Arabs get smart and
produce their own version of boy charming who assures us of their sincerity?  What then?  Do
we give up Israel for "real peace"?
       I have said it before and I will say it again.  The solution is not to boycott talks.  It
is not to simply refuse to give away Jewish lands.  The only way to assure our success at any
talks is to have a consistent and irrevocable Jewish position; we want peace but we refuse to
choke on it: 
       We categorically reject the concept of any palestinian entity, including the so called
Jordanian one; we demand Arab responsibility for Arab refugees who must be repatriated into
Arab lands; we demand the return of Jewish lands occupied by Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon,
and Iraq; we demand the return of all Jews living in Arab lands; we demand reparations, not
just from Iraq's attacks during the Gulf War, but for properties stolen from Jewish refugees
who were forced to flee from Arab lands even prior to 1948; etc.; etc.
       Whenever an American official suggests that Jewish settlement in Israel is illegal,
we should issue a harsh statement suggesting that such remarks are a clear interference in our
internal affairs and constitute both an impediment to the peace process as well as to the
continued good relations between Israel and America.
       Who is saying this today?  Techiya has threatened, several times, to leave the
government (which finds Shamir yawning), and Moledet is also contemplating that possible
action.  Who cares?  What will these brave actions, (if indeed taken) actually accomplish?
       Where is the protest?  Who, besides Abie Nathan, (who is siding with his enemies
and doesn't even know it), is making personal sacrifices to try and wake up our sleeping
government?
       Who is camping outside the Prime Minister's office demanding that he take a Jewish
stand and stay with it?  Where is the Rabbi Kahane shouting these things at public forums and
getting arrested for incitement, but making headlines?  
       Peace will not come by appeasing friends or enemies.  It will only come when we
Jews all get involved to the point that we are willing to risk everything rather than betray
Jewish principles.
       Rabbi Kahane is gone, but that is no excuse for any of us to sit back and do nothing
while our country is facing grave danger.  He showed us what to do and how to do it.  If we
all do not stand up now then we deserve the horrors that await us.