                                                           B"sd

                      A Voice from Hebron
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
               Why Shouldn't the Arab Stone Jews?
                      How did he get Oslo?
                        December 8, 1998
                                
      Last week we saw an orchestrated ambush of a Jewish car near Bet El in which the two
occupants miraculously escaped with their lives.  The event was truly an educational one.  Many
lessons can be learned from watching the video.  The first lesson is that our military has accepted
stoning as a normal practice.  Seconds before the near murder, an army jeep was pelted with
stones and didn't even bother to slow down, much less stop and disperse the mob.  The second
lesson is that our enemies are using our own media to terrorize the entire population.  This event
was carefully staged, which is why the video camera was on the spot to film the entire grizzly
event.   The third lesson, which is directed toward our Arab enemies, is that, not only is there no
danger involved in trying to murder innocent Jewish motorists, but by so doing it is possible to
influence the Israeli government into meeting its demands, which, in this case, is the freeing of
their fellow Arab murderers from Israeli prisons.   Why shouldn't the Arab stone Jews?

     While our prime minister vehemently declared his refusal to release criminals with blood
on their hands, Gideon Ezra, a former head of the GSS, publicly declared his opinion that
criminals who are over 45 years old and who served prison terms of twenty years or more could
be released.  Can anyone fail to see that this statement was made in direct reaction to street riots? 
Can anyone fail to see that such statements openly encourage more violent attacks against Jewish
civilians?   Why shouldn't the Arab stone Jews?

     And, yes, there is even a fourth lesson to be learned.  Jews have learned that it is wrong to
shoot at our attackers. . . and so have our enemies.  Any time a Jew fires his weapon, even in a
clear case of self defense, the Jew is taken to the police station for questioning, and often held
overnight or longer.  It is also not unlikely that the victim of such attacks is found guilty for firing
at his attackers and given a jail sentence!  This fact only serves to further encourage Arabs to
attack Jews.  Just yesterday a Jewish van was bombarded heavily by rocks thrown by Arab
"demonstrators".  The driver fired his gun and dispersed the mob.  Yet today the Jewish victim is
being investigated to be sure that he shot in the air and not at his attackers!  This fact telegraphs
to would-be Arab murderers that Jewish self-defense is against the law in Israel.  Why shouldn't
the Arab stone Jews?

     I remember watching last week's attack.  After the driver's window was completely
smashed and more stones were flying throw it, the injured driver exited his car in a desperate
attempt to flee from the danger.   At the very moment he opened his car door, the immediate
reaction of the rioters was to back off.  Why?  They harbored a question as to whether this man
was planning to retaliate to the attack by shooting at his attackers.  It only took them a second or
two to realize that this was not the case and then they resumed the stoning in full force.  This
broadcast was viewed by Arabs as well as Jews and it taught our enemies that we are afraid to
fight back.  Thus this video, in and of itself, was an act of provocation which encouraged the next
attack which took place yesterday.  And the one which took place yesterday only augmented the
lesson.  The video was edited to prove that the Jew took out his gun, including a superimposed
arrow to point out this "crime".   After all, the Arabs were "only" throwing rocks.  And the Jew
dared to take out his gun.  Why shouldn't the Arab stone Jews?

     All of these "lessons" only accent the fact that we have no leadership in this country.  Not
political leadership and not military leadership.  Our present leadership has placed its civilian
population in grave danger by permitting these attacks to continue and by restraining both security
forces and civilians from taking the most basic precautions to defend their own lives.  Why
shouldn't the Arab stone Jews?

     If we had genuine leadership which recognized its primary responsibility to protect the
lives and safety of its citizens, it would stop these events from taking place.  It would understand
that we cannot make treaties with terrorists.  All areas where such attacks take place should be
declared closed military zones and the press should be barred from entering.  Orders should be
given and publicized as widely as possible, that stone throwers are to be shot on sight.  Only when
the rioters understand that they are placing their own lives in danger will they be encouraged to
desist from such activities.  This is not the case today.  Why shouldn't the Arab stone Jews?

     The entire Oslo "peace process" was begun in reaction to Arab terror.  The  Jewish State
belongs to the Jewish people exclusively.  No other people has a right to any part of this country. 
Yet we have begun to hand it over to our enemies in reaction to outright murder!   Not only is
this irresponsible, it is an invitation to our enemies to continue to murder us.  We can see the
results of our efforts to make peace with terror.   Why shouldn't the Arab stone Jews?

     The Jewish people needs new leadership which is not afraid to accept the responsibility of
leadership.  This country has never ceased to be in a state of war.  The Arabs continue to plot our
destruction.  In spite of this fact both left and right wing governments have actually invited our
enemies to take up positions within our borders.   We have given them military outposts and even
armed them.  We have given terrorists safe havens within Israel to escape after murdering Jews.
Just last week a Jew was shot in his car near the Jewish community of Kadim, and the Arab who
tried to murder him escaped into PLO territory just given over in our last "honoring" of Wye! 
And we have punished Jews for daring to defend their own lives.  Why is it that we cannot seem
to find any contender for leadership who is willing to take the most elementary steps to protect
our citizens from those who come to destroy us?  Why won't Sharon or Bibi tell Madeline that
not only will we not continue to give away our country, but we intend to take it all back?  It is
great to have a democracy, but I do not understand the contention that it would be better to see a
PLO state rise under Likud than Labor.  What difference does it make which prime minister
surrenders to our enemies?   I don't want such a prime minister.   I need a prime minister who is
willing to stand up and throw out our enemies and stop making "peace" while our enemies are
making war.  Instead we trade rubber bullets for real rocks.  Why shouldn't Arabs stone Jews?  