                                                               
                      A Voice from Hebron
by Gary M. Cooperberg           
                    Burning the Jewish Flag
                 Jewish Hypocrisy at its Basest
                          May 27, 1997
                                
     A flag usually symbolically represents a country. The blue and white flag of Israel,
however, is more than that.  It is a symbol of the Jewish people; of the miraculous rebirth of the
Jewish State; and of pride in Jewish national identity.   
     I must admit, in spite of the fact that I do consider the rebirth of the Jewish State as the
beginning of fulfillment of Jewish prophesy, that I am disappointed in the way our country is being
run.  I certainly would prefer that our country be ruled according to Jewish law derived from our
Torah.  But, despite the fact that we have misguided leadership and have made many grave errors,
Israel is still our country and will, eventually, evolve into the proud Jewish state envisioned in the
Bible.
     There are Jewish religious sects which do not accept this concept.  To such people
building a Jewish State before the arrival of Mashiach is sacrilegious.  There are even some among
these who strive to see the current state fall!  
     My response to this attitude is simple.  I relate it to the Biblical narrative of the spies. 
Moses sent leaders from all the tribes of Israel to spy out the Land prior to leading the people into
Israel.  Aside from Joshua and Caleb, all the other leaders declared that it was impossible to
conquer the giants living there.   The people believed the majority and cried all night.  This
angered G-d who told Moses that, because the people cried for no reason, he would make that
day a day for national mourning for all generations.  This was the ninth day of Av when, in future
generations, both Temples were destroyed.  
      When the people realized their mistake they repented and girded themselves for battle. 
"We were wrong," they declared.  Moses tried to warn them that it was too late.  G-d had already
decreed that they would wander in the desert until those who blasphemed would perish there and
their children would inherit the Land.  They did not heed Moses' warning and attempted to go up
to the Land.  They were severely beaten by the inhabitants and could not enter the Land of Israel.
     From this narrative we can see that, were it the Will of G-d that we not enter the Land, we
would not have been able to enter the Land.  On the contrary.  We see that not only were we able
to enter the Land, we, miraculously, defeated our enemies who vastly outnumbered us and sought
to destroy us, much less keep us out.   The facts clearly indicate that it was G-d's Will that we
return to our homeland and rebuild the third Jewish commonwealth here.  I can see no
justification to deny the evidence.  In my opinion those religious sects who deny the legitimacy of
the Jewish State have made a grave error.
     There are some who consider degrading our national symbol to be a righteous act.  I too,
was appalled to see the pictures of religious Jews burning the Israeli flag on Lag b'Omer.  What
surprised me even more, however, was the extreme indignation on the part of so many of our
politicians.  Why did this surprise me? 
     It was not so long ago that I remember another publicized desecration of our flag.  It
started in Jericho when we clearly watched, as did the entire world, as the PLO army tore down
the Israeli flag and replaced it with the symbol of the PLO murderers.  This act of contempt for
the Jewish state by Arafat did not prevent the Jewish government from continuing the retreat.  We
saw more desecration in Gaza and in so many other locations it is hard to recall them all.  Where
was the indignation and anger then?  





      Where were all the righteous "patriots" when our peace partners, rather than gratefully
accept our offer to permit them to govern themselves in our homeland, decided to "conquer"
those areas and create defacto Arab sovereignty over Jewish Land?  
     The fact is that there were a few complaints.  In response when the mighty IDF retreated
from Bethlehem, the grateful terrorists threw flowers instead of rocks at our soldiers in a sarcastic
expression of compliance to our complaints.
     Pompous members of Knesset who ignored deliberate acts of degradation of our flag, and
illegal acts of violation of Jewish sovereignty, have suddenly found their tongues to take action
against Jewish flag desecrators.   That is, pure and simple, racism!  If they really cared about
Jewish pride and the symbol of our country, Arafat would have been kicked out of here
immediately after the fiasco of Jericho.  Instead we "tolerated" far worse desecrations, including
the cold blooded murder of our soldiers in Shechem by the PLO police using our own weapons!! 
And still we continue to live with our enemies.  
     The Knesset is in special session to discuss what to do about Jewish flag desecrators at the
very moment that our Prime Minister is on his way to Egypt to humble himself before Mubarak. 
How can we get Arafat to accept more concessions and continue the wonderful peace?   When
Arafat raises the terrorist banner over Jewish soil, that is acceptable.  Why?   The PLO flag is also
a desecration of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel.  How dare our government accept such
an expression of contempt without reacting swiftly to remove it?
     I agree that anyone who would burn a Jewish flag should be punished.  It is an act of
contempt toward the Jewish State and not to be tolerated.  But I cannot stomach the hypocrisy of
those who hold high the banner of pride when pointing fingers at Jewish flag desecrators after
years of accepting humiliation at the hands of Arafat's goons.  
     Let us have a consistent policy of Jewish self respect.  Throw the Jewish flag desecrators
in jail.  But first throw the PLO out of Israel.   