Reply To: Har HaBayis Revisited

There seems to be some confusion here about “counquering” the Temple Mount and Eretz Yisrael in general.

The point in our gaining more strategic areas from the Arabs, rather than handing them crucial parts of the land on a silver platter so that they should not rabble-rouse, does not have to be in order to establish a Jewish kingdom there, although I would welcome such a thing. Perhaps, it is not proper to do that while still in Galus. This matter is debatable.

The point is that 5 million Jews live in Eretz Yisrael now, and they must be protected. And, yes, giving the Arabs Har HaBayis was aterrible tactical mistake, because it gave them a toe-hold in Jerusalem, which they now see as their capital. Had we retained sovereignty over the Mount, it is eminently likely that the Arabs would not be willing to “defend” Jerusalem itself. In Barak’s days we faced the possibility of Arafat ruling the Old City. You do the math. It is no secret that every concession to the Arabs has brought death and destruction to us.

It is very convenient to cowl in fear of Galus and do nothing. But by doing so we are simply putting ourselves in mortal danger.