                                                               
                      A Voice from Hebron
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
     Against Whom is Netanyahu Running. . .Barak or Arafat?
                         June 10, 1997

     There may still be some people who speak about a right wing in Israel.  Perhaps there are
those who still think that we have radical elements in our government who seek to promote the
Zionist process.  After all, we now have a government led by a disciple of the great Zeev
Jobotinsky who proclaimed in his poetry that both sides of the Jordan River belong to Israel.
     The reality is that all of our leadership is leftist and has, for all intents and purposes,
rejected the basis for Zionism, the establishment and maintenance of a Jewish homeland in the
Land of Israel.     Even the alleged right wing government today is no longer expressing
opposition to some form of Arab sovereignty on Jewish soil. In fact we already have defacto PLO
sovereignty within the Jewish State, and no steps, on the part of the Israeli government, are even
being considered to alter the situation.  On the contrary, even without peace talks further
concessions are already being discussed.
     The crux of the matter is the universal obsession in this country with the word "peace".  It
is only a word and its definition has been stretched far beyond its identity.  If Arafat agrees to talk,
that is peace.  It matters not that he murders his own people who dare to sell Jewish land to Jews
(an exercise which is praised by the moderate Egyptian government).  It matters not that he has
not made any effort to change his covenant calling for the destruction of the Jewish State.  And it
matters not that he demands that Israel stop all building in our homeland as a prerequisite for
"peace" talks.  
     Now I could understand the Arab factions in our Knesset and the extreme left advocating
our self-destruction, but I would have expected even the Labor party to have drawn some lines by
now.  One cannot refrain from pinching himself to be certain he is not having a nightmare when
we watch a Likud led government openly suggesting that Israel will have no choice but to
abandon Jewish enclaves in the Gaza Strip . . . for peace.
     We have a so called "National Religious Party" which continues to sit in a government
which violates the most basic principles of both "nationalism" and "religion".  Rather than leave
the government, they choose to act as a mediator to moderate the disintegration of Zionism.  
     Let me tell you something about peace that I just learned yesterday while I was watching
Israeli television.  It seems that our government has a contingency plan in the event that the peace
talks do break down beyond repair.  In such a case the Ministry of Housing is prepared to build
100,000 new housing units in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.  You see, when we have "peace" we
must stop living.  It is only when "peace" fails that Jews are justified in building their homeland. 
What logic!
     Netanyahu, who flexed his muscle by building on Har Homa, could not help but try to
assuage the anger of our enemies.  He thus made the absurd suggestion that he will build even
more homes for Arabs than for Jews!   Now that is Zionism!   Further, at the ground breaking
ceremony for a new college in Ariel in the Shomron, our right wing Prime Minister expressed his
hope that Arabs, as well as Jews,  will learn at this school.  Maybe he plans to challenge Arafat for
leadership of the PLO?
     Every step of the way our prime minister has taken great pains to show his resolve to live
with our enemies.  He has fallen prey to the sickness which likens "discrimination" against Arabs
in Israel with "racial prejudice".  It matters not that our Arab neighbors seek to replace Israel with
"Palestine".   Our leadership refuses to admit that we are in a very real state of war with our Arab
citizens in Israel as well as with the Arab nations surrounding us, peace treaties notwithstanding.
     Our bright and eloquent Prime Minister truly seems sincere in his quest to find peace with
Arafat and Assad.  He may also still believe in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus.  It is nice to
believe in pleasant fantasies.  But, if you are the leader of the Jewish State,  it is an extremely
dangerous and irresponsible practice.   