Choni Davidowitz
I would suggest that since the miraculous victory of the IDF in the 1967 Six Day War, there has been one continuous intifada. Although Israel defeated seven Arab armies in a mere six days – It took Joshua seven years to accomplish the same victory – and regained sovereignty of a major chunk of the Land of Israel after 2 000 years of foreign rule. But it failed to bring peace and security to its citizens.
Instead Israel has been forced to endure a continuous violent uprising by hordes of Arabs who were allowed to remain in the country. Thousands of Jewish men, women and children have been killed and wounded in intifadas by these Arabs.
The question should not be whether this is the third intifada, but rather why the uprising has lasted so long, and how it can be stopped. The answer is clear. As in the first conquest of the Land of Israel (Caanan) Joshua was commanded to… “drive out (vehorashtem) all the Land’s inhabitants before you… clear out the Land and live in it since it is to you that I am giving the Land to occupy.
“If you do not drive out the Land’s inhabitants, those who remain will be barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides tormenting you in the Land that you settle. I will do to you what I originally planned to do to them.” (Num 33: 52-56)
Well into the second generation since the return of sovereignty to the nation of Israel of the Land one commentary of the above Torah passage stands out. “Verashtem”. When you drive out the Land’s inhabitants, you will then merit to give your children the Land as an inheritance. If you do not drive them out, then even if you conquer the Land, you will not merit to give it to your children as an inheritance. (“yerusha” – not in vain are the words yerushah (inheritance) and horashah (driving out) so similar in Hebrew). (S’forno on Num 33;52-56).
Sadly, by allowing the Arabs to remain in the Land in violation of G-d’s command, they will continue to torment our nation. This is the plain truth and no amount of negotiation or discussion will change Torah truth. Even if the people of Israel keep Torah (or do not), as long as hostile Arabs are allowed to remain in the Land, future generations will not live securely.
I suggest South African Zionist leaders study a little Tanach before proposing solutions for the future of Israel.
Johannesburg
