Dear Sir,
As I wrote in my last article here (Al-Buraq: The New Palestinian Western Wall), there is a concerted attempt by the Palestinian Authority in conjunction with UNESCO to secure Jewish holy sites and convert them into Palestinian heritage sites. As you know, all this in an effort to make way for a PA State with Jerusalem as its capital. A city that would have no historic Jewish connection to Jerusalem in general, and the Temple Mount in particular. I prove otherwise in the above-mentioned article, even as we now move on to a new threat.
On Friday, a one-day parley was held in Paris regarding the frozen peace process where presumably the new French initiative was launched, sponsored by ministers (including John Kerry) from some 20 countries. As I’m sure you’re aware, the sole objective to this UN-style conference was to set a timeline for an Israeli withdrawal from our land, and what a divided Jerusalem would look like. In fact, it’s a prelude to a larger, high-profile conference scheduled for the fall.
In my humble opinion Mr. Prime Minister, Israel’s answer to this plan should be to move forward with the current bill and annex the large settlement blocks like Ma’ale Adumim and others along the West Bank. Israel’s response must be to extend our legal sovereignty, officially and unapologetically, in conjunction with this new bill that the Land of Israel Caucus has recently submitted. Other border cities in Israel should be included as well. Once that bill is pushed through, it will no longer be a problem to build in those places and Israeli citizens will no longer be threatened behind a negotiating table of a foreign country.
The future of the Jewish State lies with our being openly proud of our ancestral heritage, and proclaiming that only the God who gave the ancient Israelites the land over 3000 years ago, can take away that land. Further, the Bible promises us that another Jewish exile will never take place again. However, we must obviously deal with the threats at hand. As a result, with respect to the French, please don’t forget that at moments of crisis (such as the Gaza fighting in 2014), it was France that took the lead in pushing through an endorsement to the EU for a position on a permanent status that reflected only the Arab demands on borders, Jerusalem, and the interpretation of other UN resolutions. The sole purpose of that drive was to impose “parameters” on Israel that were in diametric opposition to Israel’s best (security) interests. Another case in point occurred back in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War, which I’m sure you remember well, when the Suez Canal cease-fire lines were simply run over by Nasser’s Egyptian troops after the UN (and other nations) had previously issued security guarantees to Israel. If you recall, those were none other than French troops stationed at the northern end of the Suez Canal, near Port Said…
What I’m suggesting to do now is launch a comprehensive diplomatic publicity campaign of our history and what that history has taught us (I’m sure your new media advisor has his hands full already!) and prepare in a practical and proactive way to put our own facts on the ground, so to speak. We should budget a media blitz to inspire people to actually come here and tour, to see for themselves the borders that will be proposed. The reason for this suggestion is simply because the ministers will not be seeking Israel’s approval at the end of the day, but instead a way to market their proposal and sell it to the public, at pretty-much whatever the cost. Quite frankly, we need our own “pro-diplomacy” articles, editorials and Op-eds to be written and sent all across the world, but especially to the broadcast and newspaper media of the nations that will be met on June 3rd, with another one yet again in the fall. Indeed, our own NGO’s and TV channels right here in Israel should be adequately funded to kick off a modified form of the initiative, spreading it across their own respective networks.
While my expertise is not in politics (my book: The ARK Report is about biblical archaeology and the Temple), I am particularly concerned about retaining the status quo vis-à-vis the Muslim population in Jerusalem, especially when I see what is happening on the Temple Mount. In fact, I’m sure the Israel Antiquities Authority is well aware by now of the Waqf’s intentions to break through one of the walls on the Temple Mount itself. How can France, the US, or the UN for that matter, expect to impose a new status quo when we can’t even enforce what we have now?
Furthermore, know that those attending the meeting will not hesitate to use the mainstream media to outright lie regarding the contents of the proposal, similar to what has now been leaked out about selling the public on the nuclear treaty with Iran.
To paraphrase the great Rabbi Hirsch in his commentary to Psalm #32: ‘When a person senses that suffering is about to descend upon him, he must take that opportunity to attain proper insight and judgement, taking into consideration his past, present and future achievements in order to formulate a response that will guarantee his future. It’s not only a Divine opportunity, but his responsibility.’ Since Mr. Prime Minister, you have publicly stated that you would like to be remembered as the “Protector of Israel” (as shown in my latest film: www.arkreportfilm.com), we the citizens of Israel look forward to you fulfilling that role in the best way possible, and indeed expect you to do so.
One more salient point. There is no such thing as a Jew without Israel, and there is no such thing as the Land of Israel without the Jew. The two are intrinsically connected, physically and spiritually, now more than ever. The holy Temple treasures that are buried in Israel are just waiting to be discovered, and it’s vitally important to retain these territories for the next generation. As more and more ancient relics are uncovered it sends a clear message to the world that the Jewish People are here to stay. Average citizens like me though won’t have a chance to have a say in the French proposal until perhaps it’s too late. Another good idea therefore would be to organize a national plebiscite next year which would establish a public consensus, similar to what was done in Canada when Quebec wanted to separate. Eventually, the Separatists were soundly defeated. This would be politically feasible, as it would essentially give the Israeli public a say in the matter, i.e. – Jew, Christian, Muslim, Druze and Bedouin as to what to accept and what not to accept concerning Israel’s borders, and Jerusalem as our undivided capital.
On this Jerusalem Day, the State of Israel is once again at a crossroads. But our future as a People is truly a glorious one. Please, Mr. Prime Minister, keep up the good work, and let’s keep it that way.
Thank you.
