Good Zionists, Bad Zionists

Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parshath Pinhas 5769

Actually written seven years ago, this article is still relevant today.

Good Zionists, Bad Zionists
Yoel Meltzer, 18 Tammuz 5769/July 10, 2009

"Arabs don't make such trivial distinctions."

One of the unwritten laws of war is that the winning side is allowed to do as it pleases after the cessation of hostilities. This law is even more relevant when the victor turns out to be the side that didn't initiate the war, or didn't want the war to occur in the first place.

Thus we find Israel, after its victory in a war that it initially tried to avoid in 1948, utilizing its victory to expand its territory. For several years after this war, new communities started to appear on the map, such as Ashdod in 1956, Karmiel in 1964, Dimona in 1955 and Arad in 1962 (to name just a few).

Then, nearly 20 years later, and faced with the prospect of an Arab onslaught, Israel was forced to fight another war in 1967. Like the war in 1948, that war resulted in a decisive victory for Israel. Then, once again, as it had done after its 1948 victory, Israel utilized this victory to embark on a campaign of expanding its territory. New communities started to dot the map, such as Kiryat Arba in 1972, Kedumim in 1975, Karnei Shomron in 1977 and Efrat in 1983 (to name just a few).

However, this is where the similarities stop. For some reason, the communities that were founded after 1948 have always been considered legitimate by the Israeli public, while the communities that were established after 1967 never quite managed to gain the same degree of legitimacy in the eyes of some sections of the Israeli public. They are, in fact, considered illegitimate by some here in Israel.

Of course, the argument that the latter communities were established in the midst of, or near, large Arab population centers, or "on Arab lands", doesn't hold much sway. This is so especially since the same can be said of many "more legitimate" communities started after 1948, and even of some communities started before 1948. If this is the case, then what is the reason for the different treatment of post-1967 communities as compared to that of their pre-1967 counterparts?

It seems that the only logical answer is that the earlier communities were founded by the Good Zionists (David Ben-Gurion and friends), while many of the latter, post-1967 communities were founded by a different type of Zionist; namely, by the type that believes settling Eretz Yisrael is a mitzvah, and who draws his inspiration and motivation for such ideals straight from Judaism. This is the only plausible answer as to why this second group of Zionists and the communities they have built have become stigmatized and deemed illegitimate by so many here in Israel.

Unfortunately, what many here in Israel who deem such post-1967 communities as illegitimate fail, or perhaps refuse, to understand is that in the eyes of the Arabs, all of the communities (pre-1948, post-1948, post-1967) are illegitimate. The Arabs don't make such trivial distinctions. Only we, the silly Jews, make such distinctions.

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth.

Self-Restraint or Adequate Force???

Self-Restraint Prolongs the War.
by Prof. Paul Eidelberg

US Admiral Bull Halsey said, "Hit hard, hit fast, hit often." Rationality and responsibility are qualities quite foreign to those who shape Israel's policy toward its enemy, the Palestinian Authority. Their policy is "Hit softly, hit slowly, and hit seldom."
In Hebrew this policy is called havlaga - "self-restraint". This policy is motivated by fear of world opinion, perhaps also by the desire to display Israel's moral superiority vis-à-vis the cruelty of her Arab enemies. It is an utterly inane and immoral policy.

Havlaga prolongs the war. It therefore increases the number of Jewish as well as Arab casualties... Yet this has been the policy of Israeli prime ministers and their cohorts since the signing of the Israel-PLO Agreement of September 1993. How demoralizing, how revolting! And yet, not a single party in the Knesset protests against this cowardly and self-destructive policy. Even the religious parties, which proclaim the principle of pikuach nefesh - "saving life"...

The Jewish people are known (even by their enemies) for their kindness and mercy, which is why Arabs store weapons in hospitals and schools, and shield themselves behind women and children. In time of war, however, "do not show [your enemy] any pity" (Deuteronomy 7:17), on which verse the Ramban comments: "Through the mercy of fools all justice is lost."

Justice, justice is what Israel stands for: justice has ever been the sacred cause of the Jewish people. Today, however, inasmuch as Israeli governments display no confidence in the justice of Israel's cause, is it any wonder that the Jew-haters of this world now question whether Israel has a right to exist, indeed, call for Israel's eradication?

Happy and Joyful Hanukkah!
May the courage and spirit of the Maccabees always remain with us!