                                                           B"sd

                      A Voice from Hebron
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
                    A Light unto the Nations
               But first we need to find a Match
                       February 22, 1999
                                
     Last week I was surprised to see that someone, Lillian Chavkin of Brooklyn,  had written
me an open letter in the Jewish Press.  This was certainly a surprise.  It seems that she is one of
my faithful readers and she suggested that I run for Prime Minister of Israel.  While I appreciate
the good intentions of this suggestion, clearly it is not a reasonable path for me to take.  Aside
from the fact that I simply do not have the credentials necessary for such a post, I would point to
Benny Begin, who has far better credentials than I, yet hasn't a chance at getting elected, as one
example why not to consider such a venture.

     We have a big problem in Israel today.  Elections are not really one of them.  We have no
serious option for leadership.  Binyamin Netanyahu seems to be the  least dangerous of the
miserable choices offered us.  The real problem we face today is Jewish amnesia.  In our rush to
try to be accepted by the nations of the world, we seek to find ways to please those who hate us.
This effort is as needless as it is hopeless, yet it remains top priority with all political entities in
this country.  

     There was a time, not so long ago, when even the Labor Party and its leadership
vehemently condemned the PLO and refused, under any circumstances, to meet with them. 
Today the PLO is not only a full partner in "peace" negotiations, not only has it effectively
captured significant tracts of Jewish Land in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, where it rules freely with
the blessing of an alleged right wing government, but it has successfully infiltrated the Israeli
political system.  The PLO today has elected members of Knesset working to destroy Israel from
within the government! 

     Our Arab enemies have finally learned how to use the concept of "democracy" as a tool to
destroy the Jewish state.  On a political level, the concept of Zionism is as good as dead.  When
the United Nations equated Zionism with racism, Jews all over the world were in an uproar. 
When the Jewish State, in effect, changed its philosophy to accommodate that concept not a word
of protest was heard.  Zionism means Jewish return to all of her ancient homeland.  It means a
sovereign Jewish state to be governed exclusively by Jews and to serve as a haven for all of the
Jewish people.  It means fighting for Zion and, if need be, dying for her.

     These principles seem to negate certain democratic concepts, as well as the "peace
process", and thus our modern and progressive leadership has trashed them.  Not able to live with
the "racist" concept of a Jewish homeland, our founding fathers decided to invite our Arab
residents to enjoy the status of citizenship in the Jewish state.  Of course the main reason for this
was the feeling that the uneducated and destitute Arabs would sell their votes for favors to the
political leadership at that time.  Selfishness and the lure of  immediate benefits took precedence
over the reality that these Jewish politicians created a Trojan horse which would eventually
threaten the very existence of the Jewish State.  

     Today the formerly ignorant and destitute Arabs who were used by Jewish politicians to
further their political interests, now can boast that: Israeli health care has lengthened their life
spans; our national insurance sponsors their large birthrate; and our educational opportunities
have trained them to the point where they have learned how to use our wonderful democracy to
work towards destroying Israel democratically!

     But, by far, the worst and most devastating blow to the Jewish dream to be a free people
in our own country, is what is popularly referred to as "the peace process".  In reaction to a
virtual war which saw, not only rocks and fire bombs, but bullets and explosives damaging
property and taking Jewish lives, the Jewish government decided to surrender to Arafat. . . for
peace.  At first, at Oslo, we made an agreement to give limited autonomy to the PLO for peace. 
In reality the PLO rejected all limitations and virtually created a sovereign entity instead, while we
refused to notice.  Netanyahu's declaration that we will never accept a PLO state is superfluous. 
From the moment the PLO flag was hoisted in Jericho and Gaza Arafat had his state.  The very
fact that we are continuing negotiations after the fact is tacit acceptance of his clear and flagrant
abrogation of Oslo!

     There is only one way to politically rectify the situation and that is to declare,
unequivocally, that, owing to outright violations of both the letter and the spirit of the Oslo
agreement by the PLO, that agreement is null and void.  It is then the obligation of any self-
respecting government to take back all that was given away under false pretenses.  To do less will
only postpone the inevitable war and enable our enemies to attack on their terms, and from a
position of greater strength.

     Barak and Mordechai will, not only continue to surrender, but will simultaneously work to
dry up Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.  Netanyahu will continue to surrender,
but will try to hold on to those communities.  And, while it hardly even pays to mention Begin,
were he elected he will refuse to surrender any more, but will accept what has already been
surrendered and will continue to negotiate.  He too has fallen victim to the "post Zionist" fiction
which has found all of our leaders convinced that we must give up on, not merely the dream of
Zion, but the realization of that dream.  That the beneficiaries of two thousand years of Jewish self
sacrifice are able to witness and participate in our return to Zion, and then, from a position of
strength, give it away to those who plan to destroy us, is a tragedy which defies explanation. 

     So you see, Mrs. Chavkin, the solution to our problems is not to be found at the polling
places in Israel.  It will be found elsewhere.  What is needed, first and foremost, is for the Jewish
People, inside and outside of Israel, to be reminded who they are, from whence they came, and
where we are destined to go.  It is up to people like you and me to keep on trying to remind our
brothers and sisters.  We must sound the alarm, again and again, until we wake up the Jewish
people to the fact that our time has come.  The entire world is waiting for us to become the light
unto the nations which we are destined to be, but first we must light our own lamp.