                                                               
                      A Voice from Hebron
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
                                
               Give up Jerusalem . . . for "Peace"
                         March 4, 1997

     Bibi Netanyahu has shown himself quite adept at juggling impossible situations and not
losing his balance.  From the moment he was elected his government was shaky at best.  Yet, he
managed to keep it from falling apart, time and time again.
     In addition to his internal problems, he now has created a problem of credibility. . . not
only with our "peace partners" but with his constituency, his coalition, his party and even his own
cabinet!  This article will not attempt to analyze all of the problems of the government.  That
would take a book.  I would just like, for a moment, to examine the implications of the plans to
build a new Jewish neighborhood on Har Homa in Jerusalem.
     We remember, too well, the lawless Arab riots in reaction to the opening of an exit to the
tunnel under the Western Wall.  Rather than smashing the PLO and discarding the Oslo
agreement, our "right wing" government accepted outright insurrection, including the murder of
Jewish soldiers by their PLO partners in joint patrols, as "an unfortunate mishap".
     As a result of this shameful attitude, today we find Feisal Husseini openly threatening a
renewed and more violent uprising if Jews build on Har Homa.  Politicians in our government
have actually suggested that we refrain from building in reaction to such threats!   What is worse
is that, in spite of bold statements to the contrary, we have refrained from building.  Mayor
Olmert said that bulldozers could be on the scene within twenty-four hours of a decision to build. 
That decision has allegedly been made already and we have yet to see a bulldozer at work.  
     What has been done is that Netanyahu went to visit President Clinton, as well as every
Arab leader he could see, to "explain" why he wants to build on Har Homa.  He then came home
and promised to build for Arabs too, in a lame attempt to placate them.  Arab leaders have openly
threatened a violent reaction should building take place there. Jewish building in Jerusalem has
been termed by Arab leaders as "an act of war".  Arafat threatened to declare palestinian
statehood, and Bibi counter threatened to bring the peace process to an end should such a
declaration be made.  One wonders why our prime minister hasn't already stopped this suicidal
process, as Arafat's state is already functioning, declaration or no.
     After the announcement to build was made, the army deployed reinforcements to prepare
for violent reactions.  Meanwhile, Arafat has been traveling all over the world and getting much
sympathetic support for his position.  France, the USA and China, to mention but a few, have all
expressed their "disappointment" with Israel's decision to build in its own capital.  
     As a direct result of Bibi's caution,  we have world condemnation for a natural right which
we have still neglected to exercise!  Bibi has put himself in an irreconcilable position.  If he does
build, and he should, he will evoke world condemnation and strong opposition in the Knesset.  He
may even have an Arab revolution on his hands which could well be bigger than he thinks.  Aside
from dealing with violent armed terrorists, he will find world opinion supporting them!  It could
even go so far as to evoke intervention on the part of Arab nations and lead to a real war.
     If, on the other hand, Bibi should back down and refrain from building, he will evoke
condemnation from most of his coalition; he will have eroded any vestige that yet remains of
integrity for his declared policies; and he will have succumbed to Arab blackmail which, in effect,
will have succeeded in paving the way for the "peaceful" demise of the Jewish State.
     He will either have to stop and fight.  Or continue to surrender.  This, of course, has
always been the only option.  Rather than think ahead at the implications of what they were doing,
our leaders have almost always opted to surrender "for peace".  Peace is not any closer and we
continue to surrender more and more.  The moment we decide to stop, the war we had hoped to
avoid will be upon us.  The only difference is that we will have retreated from much of our
homeland; armed and trained our enemies and given them bases on Jewish soil; and, as a result of
our policies, we will have given justification to the nations of the world to side with our enemies. 
After all it was Israel who set up Arafat as King of Palestine.  How dare we now try to limit his
rights to his own homeland?
     This is neither a fantastic or new scenario.  It has been visible for tens of years.  It is
unthinkable that, at this late date, our own leaders choose to pretend that the path they have
embarked upon will lead to "peace".  The policies of every Israeli government were designed not
to solve problems.  That would be too painful and difficult.  The policies were one of "let's just
do the easiest thing and hope everything will work out somehow."  In other words, "put off our
problems for today, and let our grandchildren worry about it later".  
     Well, the "later" is upon us.  The problems not only have failed to disappear, but have
increased in magnitude.  With new, young, intelligent leadership we expected to see at long last a
change in direction; a clear recognition that one doesn't make deals with terrorists, and that Arab
terror is not a "criminal act" rather one performed out of national and religious motives.  As such
no punishment or "negotiation" will stop it.   
     The only course for serious Jewish leadership to take is to, once and for all, assert our
independence.  The unique function of Israel, as the Jewish State must be openly declared and set
into law.  It was, at best, wishful thinking, and at worse self-deception, to think that we could
welcome our Arab enemies to be equal citizens in a Jewish State.   The result of this error in
judgment has finally come home to roost, yet we still refuse to even admit we have a problem! 
We now have a large Arab population which boasts of citizenship and the right to use that
citizenship to alter the nature of the state.  We have many Jews who support that position.  Our
own Prime Minister has consistently supported the concept of Arabs as equal citizens.  The
founding fathers of the newborn state never intended that the Arabs would ever be in a position to
influence the government, and were less than honest in their "magnanimity".  Today we even have
a movement to permit an Arab to run for prime minister!  One need not have a vivid imagination
to guess with whom our Arab citizens will side when war breaks out with the PLO.
     Anyone who cannot see where this is leading is simply afraid to open his eyes and look. 
There is a very real and violent confrontation ahead of us.  It will come in any event.  If we
grapple with it now, from a position of relative strength, we have a chance to avoid much
suffering.  If we continue to live with the illusion that the problem will melt away by itself, then
the confrontation may come a bit later, but it will come. And when it does,  all the pretty words
and "peace ideology" will melt away like the mirage that it is and we will have no choice but to
fight for our existence against our Arab enemies, on their terms, both within and outside of our
borders.