Arik Sharon, in Yediot Acharonot
(Tammuz 1998):

"I made a huge error over the past thirty years, by not sufficiently emphasizing the historical Jewish claim to the lands of Judea and Samaria. This land is the birthplace of the Jewish nation.

The feeling that you rightly deserve to be in a certain place - which is an important component in security - is first and foremost dependent on your sense that the land is yours. To think that security alone is significant, was a mistake. It was not only my mistake, but it was also my mistake.

"For years, I spent too much time stressing Israel's need to maintain control of Judea and Samaria for security reasons. Though there is still no replacement for the problem of "minimal depth", someone can always come and say, "We'll give you this or that aid or guarantee to address your security concerns."

The security issue has a temporal dimension to it, and it is very easy to challenge. But the historical right, the real issue, is more powerful than any other claim.

"The spiritual basis for the Land of Israel is the stories of the Tanach [Bible]. From the holidays, to the seasons, to the landscapes, everything is history. The Cave of Machpelah: What other nation can boast such a monument? What other nation has a 4,000 year-old tomb, in which the nation's forefathers are buried: Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebecca; Jacob and Leah?

In the United States, people marvel at the burial place of Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln's Tomb. In the States, millions frequent 200-year-old sites, while here we are privileged to visit landmarks thousands of years old! This sense of history strengthens us and instills in us a sense of our right to be here. I confess that I, too, erred, by not pointing out that "security" should have been linked to this more central notion.

"The current generation of Israelis has not been taught the link between history and security. If you read Abraham Mapu's book, Love of Zion, you'll see that he wrote of this connection in the middle of the last century. He never set foot in the Land of Israel. He never had to! When you read his work, you feel as if you are personally walking along the roads of Samaria. The previous generation lived with this strong sense of connection to the land.....A person simply won't defend a land which he doesn't believe is his..."