The media calls them “escape tunnels”, since they were designed for illegal purposes, after all organized passageways used for smuggling goods to the Gaza Strip had been blocked off. However, these tunnels actually serve as a means for transferring explosives, tools of combat, and ammunition. Similarly, they are used for transporting large quantities of metal, which are then used to make the latest Kassam rockets for attacks upon cities in Eretz Yisroel. Those unwilling to fight against the quiet terrorism over “straw and stubble” will eventually be compelled to desecrate the Shabbos “armed with weapons of war”.
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry
1.
Listen carefully: Who called two weeks ago for the capture of the killers of Seraya Ofer, may G-d avenge his blood – the retired IDF colonel who was brutally murdered in his Jordan Valley home? It was none other than the president of the state of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres, who issued an agonizing declaration to the press, demanding that everything possible be done to capture the terrorists. But wait a minute: this is the same Shimon Peres who has been calling for the release of terrorists for years. Does Mr. Peres support the incarceration of terrorists or setting them free? Is this a practical joke?
2.
The tragic murder of Seraya Ofer Hy”d was the third killing of a Jew in Eretz Yisroel during the last month. They’re not talking anymore about “growing unrest”; a new kind of terrorism is emerging. Instead of organized acts of terror or a public uprising, we are getting accustomed to attacks by lone terrorists acting independently. This is why the media is branding these recent incidents as a regular crime. They express puzzlement over the suggestion that any time a Jew is murdered, it is automatically considered nationalistic in nature.
There is no difference between one murder and another. Terrorism is terrorism. When Arab terrorists penetrate a Jewish settlement and kill a Jew simply because he’s a Jew, that’s not a random act of crime. There’s no personal vindictiveness here, merely a desire to harm a Jew because he is a Jew. By the way, this also wasn’t just a murder for “nationalistic” reasons; this was the killing of a Jew al Kiddush Hashem.
This is exactly the difference between the submissive approach of the government of Israel and the security forces on the one hand, and what really must be done on the other. When we check every homicide to determine if the motive was “criminal” or “nationalistic,” due to a personal dispute or a random act of bloodshed, we unwittingly give a semblance of legitimacy to such acts of murder.
Just two years ago, IDF Central Command Gen. Nitzan Allon commented on the murder of Ben Livnat Hy”d at the entrance to the tomb of Yosef HaTzaddik in Sh’chem, stating that it was “a reaction to the illegal activities of the radical right-wing.” The general entrusted with the task of doing everything to thwart terrorism is looking to justify the murder of Jews. The main thing is to blame the settlers. The murderers are not responsible for these atrocious crimes; it’s the settlers of “the radical right-wing” who are to blame.
3.
It’s a pity that the security forces caught the murderers of Seraya Ofer Hy”d. They are now entering a rest home in Shata Prison, and they will soon leave as part of a “gesture” to the terror authority of Abu Mazen, may his name be erased. Their families will receive a monthly stipend from the Palestinian Ministry for Prisoner Affairs, funded by considerable money from Europe. When they leave prison, they will have earned a degree in law or business administration, paid for by the state of Israel of course.
It would be far better if the security forces and the government of Israel didn’t engage in such humiliating actions without purpose. If they’re not capturing terrorists in any case, at least they shouldn’t degrade themselves.
In the meantime, all discussions on “determined efforts to capture the murderers” have turned Eretz Yisroel into the only sovereign nation to make a distinction between one murder and another. If you commit a general killing, you are treated severely and you receive a harsh punishment. However, if you murder Jews, all you have to do is wait for the next prisoner exchange. Then, all the advocates on behalf of the murderers will come and explain to us that these were “veteran terrorists,” i.e., before the Oslo Accords. When we’re talking about the murderers of Jews, the law is unimportant. All that matters is the personal ambition of left-wing activists, who feel a need to show respect and understanding for these pre-Oslo terrorists. They’re making it seem as if since Oslo, acts of murder have ceased and a magical aura of tranquility has pervaded the streets of Eretz Yisroel.
4.
Is there another country in the world that constantly places security guards at the entrance of every shopping center and coffee house? We have become used to living in fear. We have become used to living under the threat of terrorism. Now we are becoming used to living with wanton acts of murder that fail to shock anyone.
Successive Israeli governments have invested billions in huge defense programs, such as Iron Dome, designed to make it possible to live under the threat of missiles. Thousands of huge cement blocks have been placed all over southern Eretz Yisroel near bus stops or public places in order that people can find a safe place to hide. Every bus stop in the Shomron has been a protective bunker for some time now.
Left-wing organizations are always talking about the suffering of the Arab population, but does anyone dare to talk about the suffering of the Jewish population? Why do people have to go through strict security checks each morning at the central bus terminal, when all they want to do is travel to work in peace? This quiet mode of terrorism has caused great disorder and confusion in our lives. Why are children in Sderot, not yet three years of age, forced to go through air-raid drills by running to bomb shelters when the sirens start to blare?
5.
The halacha in Shulchan Aruch that prohibits relinquishing territory in Eretz Yisroel states that “even over straw and stubble” we must go out against our enemies “armed with weapons of war and desecrate the Shabbos.” In recent years, this halacha has acquired new significance, as the Jewish People deal with the terrorism seeping out of the tunnels of Gaza and Rafiah.
The tunnels were dug for smuggling oil and building supplies, but they eventually became the biggest terrorist threat confronting Eretz Yisroel today. Gilad Shalit was smuggled through one of these tunnels, and yet another tunnel was discovered last week near the southern kibbutz of Nachal Oz.
The media calls them “escape tunnels,” since they were designed for illegal purposes, after all organized passageways used for smuggling goods to the Gaza Strip had been blocked off. However, these tunnels actually serve as a means for transferring explosives, tools of combat, and ammunition. Similarly, they are used for transporting large quantities of metal, which are then used to make the latest Kassam rockets for attacks upon cities in Eretz Yisroel.
Those unwilling to fight against the quiet terrorism, over “straw and stubble,” will eventually be compelled to desecrate the Shabbos “armed with weapons of war.”
6.
A small and seemingly inconsequential news item appeared in the national media last week. It was reported that the British Consul in Eretz Yisroel had expressed satisfaction with the discussions between representatives of the PLO and the Israeli delegation in charge of the “peace talks.” It turns out that there has been a series of frenzied negotiations for the purpose of reaching what they call “the permanent settlement.” While we have heard a few media reports here and there, they fully realize that the secret to its success is secrecy. These talks are being conducted far from the complacent public eye, and as the British consul put it – “with mutual respect,” i.e., each side coming with concessions for the other.
Once again, a right-of-center prime minister is advancing talks on territorial compromise, and the entire right-wing applauds him as it then falls into a deep slumber. Various organizations in operation during the Gush Katif expulsion have already turned to other methods and new objectives. And so it goes in the country of smugness and complacency.
Thus, before the inconsequential news item on “secret talks” blows up in our faces, it would be fitting if we internalized the fact that we are now following a most dangerous diplomatic process. Before going out with signs proclaiming “The Disengagement Is Blowing Up In Our Faces,” we shouldn’t be so naive, because this time around, the proclamation will be directed at us, not the prime minister. For his part, Mr. Netanyahu is remaining faithful to his principles when he declares on every platform that he supports the establishment of a Palestinian state r”l. If anyone is being untruthful now, it’s us – we’re deceiving ourselves into believing that all is well and everything is calm. However, it would be appropriate for us to wake up – now, and not a moment too soon.