Britannia Radio

Date: Friday, September 14, 2012, 9:27 AM

Israel’s Moral Obligation David Wilder September 14, 2012 This morning I read an article which literally chilled my blood. I’ve read, heard, so much – what could possibly be new? An article published inforeign policy journal titled: “US Preparing for a Post-Israel Middle East? The article quotes a paper presented to US President Barak Obama, called: “Preparing For A Post Israel Middle East.” Prepared by the US Intelligence cream of the crop, the paper “concludes that the American national interest in fundamentally at odds with that of Zionist Israel. The authors conclude that Israel is currently the greatest threat to US national interests because its nature and actions prevent normal US relations with Arab and Muslim countries and, to a growing degree, the wider international community.” Many of the reasons detailed in the article mention the Jewish-Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria, the extremist, violent ‘settlers’ and the anti-democratic, apartheid-like state of Israel. Easily, the conclusion reached from such an analysis is that the world, i.e. theUnited States, would be better off without an Israel. Such a report, sitting on the desk of an already anti-Israel US President can only leave Ahminidjad feeling pretty good as he evaluates the chances of US participation in a future Israeli attack on his Hiterist-Nazi regime. Late yesterday afternoon, at my Beit Hadassah home here in Hebron, I received a text message – in Hebrew, four words, ‘zachinu b’tik Beit HaShalom’ which, in simple English means, we won. We won the court case for Beit HaShalom. We knew that a decision was imminent. Final arguments had been presented. It was a question of time until the judge ruled. We knew that, according to the facts presented, our chances were good. But inIsrael courts, facts aren’t necessarily a deciding factor. You never know. I was stunned. I couldn’t believe it. An Israeli court ruled in our favor. Tears came to my eyes, and muttering something, but not really speaking, I held up the phone so my wife could read the notice. Then I recited the age-old blessing said upon happy events: Shechechianu – Blessed is He that allowed me to be present for this joyous event. Beit HaShalom was purchased for an extravagant amount of money by Morris Abraham and his family. We moved in on March 19, 2007. We remained there until Ehud Barak, then too minster of defense, ordered the police and IDF to throw us out, on December 4, 2008. The Arab who sold the building, Rajabi, claimed that we had stolen his property. We had a film of him counting the money paid for the building. He argued that he’d changed his mind and returned the money. In court, when asked to provide proof that he’d returned the money, he admitted that he had no receipt or document of any kind. “We Arabs do everything based on trust.” Anywhere else in the world, such a case would never have reached court. But Israel isn’t anywhere else in the world. The rightful owners were expelled, the building was sealed and guarded, and the court case commenced. Four years in court, tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees, more hours than can be counted invested. Knowing that justice isn’t necessarily a key factor in such cases. Yesterday we won. The court ruled that the government has up to 30 days to return the building to us. Pictures flashed through my mind: rain and snow blowing through window-openings, when Barak refused to allow real windows to be installed. One of my daughters lived there with babies. Her floor was a big puddle. Our comrade, the late Eyal Noked z”l, working tirelessly, day and night to make the apartments minimally livable. Knesset members, ministers, petitions, whatever, in an attempt to convince Barak. To no avail. Until yesterday. What must happen next? Following the recent expulsion from another legally purchased building in Hebron, Beit HaMachpela, it is well known that, according to present Israeli law, the Defense Minister must sign permits allowing Jews to purchase property in Judea and Samaria. Without this, he can have Jews expelled from such homes. However this is easily resolvable following the learned conclusions of the Levi Commission, which, contrary to the US intelligence opinions, ruled that civilians living in Judea and Samaria, and in places like Hebron, does not, in any way, violate international law, the Geneva Convention or the Hague accords. As such, the commission determined that such rules, demanding expressed permission from government officials to purchase property in Judea and Samaria, totally superfluous. The above-mentioned intelligence document claims that Jews have no rights to live in our G-d-given homeland. They define Hebron, Shilo, Beit El, and all communities in Judea and Samaria to be ‘palestinian,’ claiming that we dwell here illegally. Their conclusion, that the Israel is a bone in the throat of the international community of nations, is undoubtedly, one the most anti-Semitic rulings in recent history, a worthy inheritor of ‘the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.’ The title: ‘Preparing for a Post Israel Middle East’ is pure, unadulterated incitement, calling for Israel’s demise. Israel must respond. Responsibility rests, not with Barak. It sits on the shoulders of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and the Knesset – the present legal framework under which Israel is governed. A few days after the expulsion from Beit HaShalom, on December 7, 2008, I published an Op-Ed in the Jerusalem Post called ‘Extremism breeds Extremism.’ There I wrote: “If I bought a home in London and was told that a Jew purchasingon 'that side of the city' would cause a violent reaction, how would that be viewed? Probably as anti-Semitism and racism. Why then can't a Jew buy property in Hebron, just as people purchase homes all over the world?" The State of Israel can react in various ways to the above-mentioned report. Perhaps the most suitable response would be the immediate return of Jews to Beit HaShalom and Beit HaMachpela, here in Hebron, basically telling the authors of the report exactly what we think of it and them. Following the illegitimate expulsion from our homes in Beit HaShalom, the state of Israel, under Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, has a legal responsibility to return this property to its lawful owners, immediately, ensuring that Barak not torpedo this move. But on a higher level, his government has a moral obligation to stand up to the virulent US anti-Israel, anti-Semitic propaganda, which justifies the annihilation of the State of Israel. This can be fulfilled by stating, loud and clear, not only in words, but with actions, that we will continue to live in our land, all our land, be it in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or Hebron. This is our land, always has been, always will be. This is Israel’s moral obligation to our people, our history, our land.  comments

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