                                                               
                      A Voice from Hebron
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
           A Note of Condolence to Benjamin Netanyahu
              on the Demise of Jewish Self-Respect
                        January 17, 1997

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

     I listened to your explanation of the Hebron sellout last night on television and, while it is
hard to challenge your apparent sincerity, there is no problem at all to challenge your assertions.   
     You stated that you did not want Oslo, but could not deny the facts on the ground.  After
all the PLO is sitting in Ramallah and Bethlehem.  While, I cannot disagree with you that there
were unpleasant facts that had to be dealt with, I must vigorously oppose your conclusion that
there is nothing that you could do about it.
     Even had you felt the need to accept these facts, that in no way obligated you to
compound them by adding new ones.  While the USA may, indeed, have pressured you, it is still
your obligation to be our Prime Minister.  Mandella, of South Africa, under threats by the very
same USA, angrily and publicly refused to be intimidated.   Saddam Hussein, that evil dictator of
Iraq, defied the greatest nations of the world even under pain of attack.  He is still enjoying his
independence.  
     You sir, at the very least, could have said, "Okay, what's done is done.  Now we must
stop and reassess our priorities."  You talked about "reciprocity".   Why did you not demand it in
advance of any further agreements?   Why did you not demand it retroactive to former
agreements?  You could have given a deadline for the return of the murderers of David Boim,
which, if not met, would require the return of control of Ramallah to Israel.
     Yes, Mr. Prime Minister, even using your present philosophy, which I personally reject,
you could have turned this nightmare around rather than perpetuate it.  Of course it would have
been a difficult course to take.  Instead you chose the naive and futile concept of "take a chance
for peace". It certainly is easier to surrender than to fight for what is yours.  You, Mr. Netanyahu,
more than most people, know full well that you have a better chance at getting rich at the roulette
table than finding peace by surrendering anything to terrorists.
     As long as Arafat and his henchman enjoy freedom on Jewish soil, the lives of Jews
throughout the Jewish State are in constant jeopardy.  You are responsible, not only for the rivers
of Jewish blood which will soon flow all over our homeland as a direct reaction to this shameful
retreat, G-d forbid,  but for creating a situation which will soon find all of our "peace partners"
including Jordan and Egypt joined with Syria and others, in a renewed attempt to annihilate Israel. 
You have telegraphed to our enemies an image of Jewish weakness and an unwillingness to fight
for what is ours.  It will not take the proud Arab nations long to interpret that position as good
reason to muster all of their energies to complete the job which they, up until now, felt unable to
achieve.
     You have not done a "favor" for the handful of patriotic Jews living in Hebron.  You have
rejected Jewish sovereignty over the only legitimate claim we have to the Land of Israel!  If the
entire city of Hebron is not rightfully under Jewish sovereignty, then you have no legitimate claim
for any part of Israel to be under Jewish sovereignty.   You have lent legitimacy to the Arab claim
that Jews came from outside and took what belonged to Islam!  Once you have rejected your only
grounds for legitimacy, then the rest of your peace process can only be a continuation to negotiate
the terms of the eventual replacement of illegitimate Israel, with legitimate Palestine.  That, Sir, is
what withdrawal really means.
     Maybe Yitzchak Mordechai really thinks that we face a rosy world of peaceful relations
with our Arab brothers, but I cannot believe that you labor under such delusions of fantasy.  The
Arabs, unlike most Jews,  are a proud and self-respecting people.  They believe and will continue
to believe that all of the Middle East belongs to them.  To suggest that you are willing to share
what is yours with them proves to them that you don't even recognize your own claim to the
Land.   
     I saw the smiling faces and heard the jeers as the proud Jewish army surrendered the
military compound in Hebron to the PLO.  I saw the pride as the Jewish flag was removed and
replaced with the PLO flag.  If you watched that humiliating episode and did not experience
extreme remorse than you have no business acting in the role of Jewish leadership that you have
assumed.  
     Mr. Netanyahu, with your background I know you have come to believe that the
democratic process is the ideal way to resolve issues.  This being the case, would you dare
approach the United Nations to let them decide, democratically, whether or not the Jewish State
of  Israel should be replaced by Arab Palestine?  After all, if the majority is always right, perhaps it
is time to dismantle the Jewish State in deference to the will of the majority?
     Those of us who voted for you really expected more.  You are bright, intelligent, and
seem to really understand the factors which brought about the rebirth of Jewish sovereignty to our
ancient homeland.  You know that this country came into being against the will of the nations of
the world.  You know that it continues to exist against the will of the nations of the world.  Why,
at this late date, do you conduct yourself as if anything you do will gain Israel genuine acceptance
as an equal member in the family of nations?  Can't you see that all France, America and England
want is to use this country to serve their own interests?   Not one nation would give a fig if we
should disappear.   How dare you curry favor which such "friends".   Our relations must be based
upon our interests, first and foremost. 
     Your handshake with the French president was almost as humiliating as the one with
Arafat.  When he declared Jewish settlement as "illegal", you should have sent him packing, not
shared dinner with him.
     The key to your success, if there is yet any hope for it, does not lie in the concept of
"reciprocity."  It is far simpler than that.  If you really hope to stay in power and bring this
country to genuine peace and security, then there is only one concept which you must demand of
friend and foe alike, "respect".  No self respecting nation negotiates its right to its homeland.  Any
challenge to its territorial integrity is always met with an iron fist.   President Kennedy risked
World War III over a mere challenge to his "sphere of influence" in Cuba.   Could you imagine
Clinton sitting at a negotiation table to discuss giving parts of Texas to Mexico, for peace?  Or
even the other way around.  Would Mexico, even under military threat, consider ceding part of its
land to the United States?  How then could you, the leader of the only country in the world which
has clear and unimpeachable title to its homeland, have as much as considered parting with one
grain of Jewish soil . . . especially to those who seek to take all of it from us?
     No, Mr. Prime Minister, I am not at all encouraged by either your actions nor by your
attempt to justify them.  You might have gotten a majority to vote for this treasonous agreement,
but even Hitler got a majority to back him.  That didn't make him right.