All too often when ideologues are appointed to senior government positions in Israel, any and every trace of their right-wing ideology vanishes and they become a new person – one that remains committed to political correctness and not Eretz Yisrael.
Some feel that such persons’ gaze back at the White House lawn ceremony during which Yitzchak Rabin and Shimon Peres were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Yasser Arafat YSVZ as President Bill Clinton looked on. They too are jockeying for their place in history, amid an awareness to become and internationally acclaimed diplomat, they must shed their right-wing skins for politically correct ones. Former President Peres used Oslo as a springboard, successfully achieving a status of the elder statesman in the international community and becoming the most respected diplomat in the world.
This is true of many but perhaps none more today the President Reuven Rivlin, who since assuming office has been a major disappointment to the right-wing as well as the religious all too often abandoning his pious Yerushalmi roots to be the “president of all the people”.
In his latest address, at the BaSheva-sponsored Jerusalem Conference no less, the right-wing version of the Herzliya Conference, the president spoke of calls to annex all of Yehuda and Shomron, adding he back such a plan on the condition this sovereignty is applied equally to both Jews and Arabs. Perhaps the most absurd point is the Arabs are genuinely uninterested, preferring to or compelled to remain loyal to the PA (Palestinian Authority). However, Rivlin the statesman explained today’s realities dictates such a move.
He spoke of how “Jews dreamed of their return to Israel for 2,000 years” and how today, “There are over 6 million Jews – the beginning of the Redemption”. He went on to speak of how the old yishuv arrived at the realization building would have to begin outside the walls of the Old City. This, he feels has led to today’s Zionism which demands settling valleys and hilltop including the Negev and the Galil. He spoke of how sovereignty has been applied in the capital and as such, there is equality for one and all and this must be the case in Yehuda and Shomron too.
He spoke of the need to enact laws that apply to both Israel’s character as a Jewish nation as well as a democratic on to ensure there is no contradiction between either.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
A “president” of the Jewish land must follow the Torah. He must know that: The ENTIRE land of Israel, including Yehuda and Shomron, belong to Jews and to Jews ONLY. The Arabs, French, Chinese and other non-Jews can reside in OUR land as guest if they behave and follow G-D’s laws. As simple as that.
It sounds like a practical strategy, and one that can allow for a “one state solution” for the most part. On the one hand we know that those nasty Palestinians who stink from the Top down but for a tiny few individuals, will never accept. And thus this may be a mere gesture, by which he may be hoping to make good PR. But judging by the Israeli Arab population, who by and large would never swap in their Israeli citizenship, why would these villages not go for it, and effectively reduce all the contention, give themselves better parnassah and health care, security, education and quality of living etc…I do not think Rivlin is quite the sellout you make him to be. I sense a shrewdness. As in, keep your enemies closer…do you think including Arabs into the so-called annexation will cull worse relations? I don’t see it. Plus don’t be naive. there would be intense behind-the-scenes security going on.(I say so-called annexation because Arye is right on that. It IS ours anyhow, but for the sake of argument…). And if you want to say that it will be terribly costly on the national budget- well, what do you think is already coming from Israel to the Palestinians in the name of Humanitarianism? Untold millions and billions.