Israel Matzav

Is a demonstration the answer?

Wednesday night's rally in Jerusalem has been postponed at least to Sunday due to rain expected tomorrow (in fact, it's just starting to rain here now). Some people think the rally is not enough anyway.

The protest rally, entitled, "The Olmert-Abu Bluff Agreement Will Blow Up in Our Face," was to have been held Wednesday evening. The Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria, together with other nationalist organizations, took out full-page ads in newspapers and distributed flyers in many areas. Because of the expected rains, however, the event has been canceled; it may be rescheduled to this coming Sunday.

A prayer rally at the Western Wall which was to have preceded the rally has thus far not been canceled, however. The Rishon LeTzion, former Chief Sephardic Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, is scheduled to attend, as are rabbis and yeshiva heads from around the country.

Some in the nationalist camp feel that the cancellation of the rally is no great loss, and that in fact the Yesha Council's strategy in fighting the planned Annapolis summit is weak-kneed and bound to fail. Former Council member Elyakim HaEtzni, a Knesset Member for 2.5 years in the early 1990's for the right-wing Techiya (Revival) party, writes that protesting without taking real action is akin to enabling the acts to occur.

HaEtzni writes that it is time to emphasize again and again that history is liable to find Ehud Olmert guilty of crimes against humanity for the following two specific acts: Turning the land of Eretz Yisrael into Palestine - an irreversible act, in that no matter how many times we are forced to reconquer Jerusalem or Samaria, it will always be known as the State of Palestine and we will have to return it - and expelling tens of thousands of Jews (in the first stage) from their homes. The latter, HaEtzni says, is akin to the ethnic cleansing overseen by Milosevic of Yugoslavia.

HaEtzni has issued a challenge to the nationalist camp: "If you feel that the State of Israel is poised to lose its legitimacy via the concessions it plans to make, join this proclamation." His proclamation reads, in part, as follows:

At the Annapolis Summit, the Prime Minister plans to:

• divide Jerusalem and give the Temple Mount to the Moslems
• withdraw from all of Judea and Samaria
• establish in the heart of the Land of Israel a Palestinian terrorist state
• give the enemy control of the hilltops and strike a mortal blow at Israel's ability to defend itself
• carry out a mass expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Jews
• bring Arab "refugees" into the land and thus recognize the "right of return."

This national catastrophe, which will jeopardize the State of Israel's continued existence, is to be carried out by a lowly and irresponsible political gang in order to survive in office for several more months in the shadow of criminal investigations being waged against some of its members.

We Declare:
The government has no right to use the State of Israel in direct opposition to the purpose for which it was established, namely, to steal from the Land of Israel from the Nation of Israel and give it away. By doing so, the regime 'upends the playing board,' violates the principles of national partnership and basic values on which the State is founded, and renders itself illegitimate.

When a government acts to destroy all that it was entrusted with defending and developing, it is incumbent upon every person not to cooperate, not to obey and to resist every decision, order, and law that leads to national suicide and the perpetration of crimes against humanity.

Dear reader, ask yourself: Do you understand that in Annapolis, Olmert is about to violate the principles of national responsibility and remove himself and his government from the realm of legitimacy? Are you partner to the conclusion that one may not obey orders and laws of this nature and that they must be actively opposed? Do you agree that every loyal Jews must declare that any cession of the Land of Israel will not obligate him or the Jewish Nation?

If so, join this proclamation, in order that your children and grandchildren will know where you stood at this time: Were you amongst those who lent a hand to the crimes, those who remained apathetic, or those who found the civic courage in their hearts to say 'No' to these crimes.

I have been told (in a private discussion I had with someone outside of Israel as a result of an earlier version of this declaration that was sent to me) that what Haetzni envisions is 'civil disobedience' and not the C word. The last two people in this country to lead a campaign of civil disobedience ended up being convicted of sedition. I think that's the wrong result (and that they should not have been convicted of sedition), but you have been warned.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:25 PM