                                                                 
                      A Voice from Hebron
             Self Hatred leads to Self  Destruction
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
                       November 22, 1996

     It was a bittersweet bar mitzvah.  The bar mitzvah boy, Yaacov,  had lost his dear father
two years ago, a young torah scholar and doctor who was beloved by the entire community. 
Chief Rabbi of Hebron, Rabbi Dov Lior, blessed the child that he should tread in the footsteps of
his righteous father.  
     The tragic loss of  Dr. Baruch Goldstein is still felt deeply throughout all of the Jewish
communities in the Hebron area.  His skilled hands were unmatched in the art of healing.  His
gentle, patient manner was always a comfort to those who would otherwise have hesitated to seek
medical attention.  Thus, aside from family and friends,  many of his former patients came to
participate in the bar mitzvah celebration of his son, Yaacov.
     Also attending, but not in an obvious manner, were members of the Israeli press.  With
Hebron such a hot item in the news, they hoped to find a spicy angle at the bar mitzvah of the
martyred doctor's son.  The fact is that it was just an ordinary bar mitzvah.  But, in an effort to
make news, the media created a cruel innuendo which accomplished nothing more than to rub salt
in the wounds of Dr. Goldstein's family.  The fact that so many people attended caused the
reporters to icily remark that "the seeds of hatred and violence are still alive."  Did they really
expect that Yaacov wouldn't or shouldn't have a bar mitzvah?  Did they really think that Dr.
Goldstein's friends would turn their backs on his son's bar mitzvah celebration?  No.  They just
wanted to make a juicy "news" story.  
     Not sufficiently satisfied with bringing pain to the Goldstein family, they turned on Rabbi
Lior.  By blessing the lad to walk in his father's footsteps was, to them, "incitement to violence". 
So thorough was their yellow journalism that it caused the Israeli police to call in the Rabbi for
questioning.  I have no doubt that the Rabbi admitted that he has a habit of blessing bar mitzvah
boys to walk in the footsteps of their fathers.  We can only hope that this has not become a
national crime.
     If this was not enough to cause anguish to the Goldstein family, a new outcry was echoed
over the airwaves suggesting that Dr. Goldstein's grave be removed to "a more modest location",
as it was becoming a national shrine.  Avigdor Kahalani, the Minister of Internal Security voiced
his desire to see the gravesite moved.  What is worse, so did Pinchas Wallerstein, the head of the
Yesha Council.  Wallerstein outdid himself in vindictive self-hatred when he fabricated the most
outrageous allegation of all.  It was reported on Israel Television that he said that the only reason
that the grave has not been moved is because of threats made by members of the Kach Movement. 
In other words, according to Wallerstein, the Town of Kiryat Arba, and the government of the
Jewish State are so afraid of a non existing party headed by a right wing Rabbi who was murdered
six years ago, that they were intimidated into keeping the gravesite where it is.
     The fact is that it was the will of the family and the community to bury Dr. Goldstein in
the Hebron cemetery.  That is the place where we bury our dead in Kiryat Arba.  It was only in
deference to an order by the IDF to bury him in Kiryat Arba, for fear of Arab riots, that the grave
was dug where it now is.  The family purchased the tombstone and submitted the required
blueprints for the architectual plans to the appropriate governmental authorities, in advance.  The
grave site was thus officially approved by the government.  It is malicious hogwash for anyone to
suggest that the tomb was established clandestinely or via political subtrafuge. 




     The sick and self-hating leftist press, as well as members of the alleged "right" who have
not the courage to stand up for truth and authentic Zionism, vent their hatred at the symbol of
those who did care about their people and their country.  They have chosen victims who are no
longer alive and thus cannot defend themselves against the spurious allegations heaped upon
them.  
     While Rabbi Lior was called in for questioning about his blessing of the bar mitzvah boy,
we would do well to ponder a very different "blessing" offered before the Israeli television
cameras a little over a year ago.
     Back in May of 1995, three terrorist murderers were cornered in Hebron and killed by IDF
soldiers.   A full ten minutes of Israeli evening news time was given to the father of one of the
terrorists who was killed.  When asked by the reporter to express his feelings the well composed
father replied, in perfect Hebrew, "I am proud of my son.  All I can say is "baruch HaShem"
(thank G-d).  The puzzled reporter queried the father, "Thank G-d?  Why do you say 'thank
G-d'"?
     The clearly proud father puffed up his chest and announced, "I say 'thank G-d' because my
son died as a hero and not as a pathetic victim.  I am extremely proud of him and I hope to bring
up my other children to follow in his ways."
     This proud enemy of the Jewish People was never called in for questioning.  His son died
proudly fighting for his people.  The father intends to bring up his other children with the aim of
redeeming palestine from the Jewish People.  All of Israel heard this call for revolution on prime
time television.  Did anyone care?  Where was the Police Minister?  Where was the head of the
Yesha council?  Dead silence.
     A people which is quick to condemn its own heros and to show mercy unto its enemies
can only expect to reap tragedy.  In case we haven't noticed, the Arab world does not seek to live
in peace with Israel.  Every "token of good will" we make is taken as a concession made out of
fear and weakness.  The so called "peace process" is a stupid strategy which plays into the hands
of those who seek our destruction.  It is high time for us to tear down the flag of "palestine" and
remove our enemies from our midst while we still can.