Unfolding
Before Our Eyes
By
Shai Gefen
Yaakov
Novik has been working feverishly for the mass demonstration
opposing the division of Yerushalayim * We have asked everyone to
participate in the demonstration (May 15)* The ultra-Orthodox will
be most affected by Barak’s plan to divide Yerushalayim because
Orient House is only 200 meters away from the shtiblech of the
neighborhood of Beis Yisroel * The interview was given before the
protest took place this past Monday
“For
the enemy and foe has come to the gates of Yerushalayim” are the
words of Lamentations, and these words are unfortunately being
fulfilled today. Prime Minister Ehud Barak is preparing to give
terrorists the villages around Yerushalayim, which are just meters
away from the Temple Mount.
As
this column is being written, Israeli representatives are sitting
with Palestinians in Eilat in order to formulate the text that
will make it easiest to give terrorists the villages of Abu Dis
and Ezriya, referred to by the Palestinians as an “advance.”
Palestinian representatives at the negotiating table said they
were unwilling to continue talks with Israel until Israel gives
them those villages.
Protest
groups from the Right, which were nearly silent up until now, have
gone to battle in an uncompromising stance in order to save
Yerushalayim and to prevent the destruction of the settlements.
Preparations
are being completed for the mass demonstration under the banner
“Dai L’Nesigos Chinam” (Enough With Withdrawals For
Nothing In Return), in the course of which demonstrators will
demand of Barak: “Cease withdrawals for nothing. Do not divide
Yerushalayim, and do not surround it with the Palestinian ring of
strangulation.”
The
demonstration will take place in Zion Square in Yerushalayim. Tens
of thousands of people are expected to appear and to protest Barak
handing over land surrounding Yerushalayim to enemies, endangering
the lives of the people of Yerushalayim who would now live a
gunshot away, r’l, from the neighborhoods given to
terrorists.
Those
organizing the large demonstration are the members of Mateh
Maamatz, headed by Mr. Yaakov Novik, the man who for years was
behind the Right’s stormy demonstrations. These demonstrations
on more than one occasion changed public opinion in Eretz Yisroel
to that of protesting the government’s policy of withdrawals.
At
Mateh Maamatz they are promising an uncompromising battle, and
they note that this is only the beginning of a long war of wills,
which will include all segments of Yerushalayim, beginning with
the ultra-Orthodox, whose thousands of members will be exposed to
Palestinian terror, and concluding with the unaffiliated members
of the public.
A
SIEGE ON YERUSHALAYIM
Mr.
Novik, how are the preparations going for the big demonstration?
We
are working around the clock to be properly prepared for the
demonstration. We advertised around the country and have turned to
all members of the public, including the religious and the
ultra-Orthodox, to come and participate. We are sure that a large
religious contingent will show up, for if anyone is going to be
affected by Barak’s plan to divide Yerushalayim, it will be the
religious sector. As you know, there are a number of religious
neighborhoods that border the areas Barak is planning to give away
to the Palestinians.
The
Right is returning to the streets after a long period of silence.
They say that this is the first demonstration in Zion Square after
Rabin’s murder. Does this show a reawakening on the part of the
Right?
I
don’t make comparisons. We are setting out on an uncompromising
battle, and I hope that we will succeed, G-d willing.
Do
you feel that the public is beginning to understand the problems
with the course Barak is taking?
The
problem is not with the public. The public is highly intelligent
and understands exactly what is going on. There has been a serious
problem within the political realm since the time the Likkud
formulated the Wye Accords, and today it is hard to see a
political solution to the problem.
The
situation today is such that we are reaching the bottom of the
barrel and the public is beginning to understand that it doesn’t
have a choice; it understands that Yerushalayim will be under
siege and the entire country will be put into a very critical
situation – perhaps even worse than our situation during the
period of the War of Independence.
A
siege? That’s reminiscent of days gone by. Aren’t you
exaggerating?
Barak
is placing Yerushalayim under siege, with everything that implies.
His plans are extremely dangerous for the future existence of the
Jewish people in Eretz Yisroel, not just in Yerushalayim. The
signals the Arabs receive from Barak have their effect on every
front throughout Eretz Yisroel.
If
he gives them these villages, and then other villages, in a state
of all-out war, G-d forbid, they can undermine all the army’s
plans and cause chaos on the roadways. They will be able to cut
off Yerushalayim from all the peripheral neighborhoods, and then
it will be terrible.
Do
you think that those groups who did not identify with the topic of
Eretz Yisroel shleima understand the severity of
Barak’s course of action?
Today
the problem is not that of Eretz Yisroel shleima.
Unfortunately, that is no longer a relevant battle. Today we are
fighting for our house, for our physical existence as Jews
who live in Eretz Yisroel. I don’t think it is necessary to
discuss this sorry state of affairs at length. The country is
going further and further into a state of siege within an
autonomous and hostile Arab area. Today people don’t talk of
peace. Everyone knows that we are no longer talking about peace,
but about how not to anger them. Despite this, there will be
constant friction with them. They don’t want peace. They want to
get what we are willing to give them, and then they will besiege
the country until they can take everything, while we will be at
our weakest point.
The
situation is so absurd that the Palestinians are not prepared to
talk with us until we give them Abu Dis, and they demand this as a
prerequisite. Tomorrow they will demand another prerequisite in
order not to halt the process, and each time we will say, “Will
we disrupt the peace process for some little village which we
don’t occupy anyway?” There’s no end to this. We have
nothing else in reserve to give. Whatever we give them today has a
direct bearing on the security of the lives of Jews.
The
battle is not about some ideological point or another. It is about
the very existence of the Jews in Eretz Yisroel. Danger is
approaching imminently. Each day there is an additional weakening
of the existence of the state and its ability to survive.
I
must point out that everything the Lubavitcher Rebbe envisioned
regarding Eretz Yisroel is unfolding before our very eyes today,
day by day and moment by moment. This is a battle for Jewish
existence. The Jewish nation is presently in one of its most
difficult moments, with an extremely weak leadership.
THE
ENTIRE COUNTRY
IS A BORDER
You
speak about a war around the house. It’s no secret that Israeli
Arabs within the Green Line have actually begun fighting Eretz
Yisroel, a war referred to by Mr. Alek Ron, the representative of
the northern district of the police.
Indeed,
there is a quiet Arab takeover in the Negev and the Galil. They do
what they want: build, plant fields, expand, and nobody says a
word. When I speak of a siege, I am not referring only to
Yerushalayim, Yehuda and Shomron. I am talking about a general
problem that has expanded to the entire country. What Alek Ron
said was just the tip of the iceberg.
Where
do you think they get their nerve?
The
Israeli Arabs and their leaders in the Knesset are closely
associated with Arafat. The Arabs take advantage of the Left, who
are in power thanks, in part, to their votes. The Left relies on
Arab support, and the Israeli Arabs do as they please.
In
Kiryat Shemone, too?
Naturally,
the Arabs on the northern border have the same agenda. The problem
on the border with Lebanon is a war on the house, on the peaceful
civilians in the northern cities. It is a grave mistake to think
that trying to appease the Arabs with gifts will result in winning
their friendship.
The
war today is difficult and bitter on all fronts, not just around
Yerushalayim. We are talking about Arab sovereignty in the Negev
and the Galil, the battle of the Arab students which should be a
red light for the leadership of the state.
Let’s
talk about the current problem with Yerushalayim. What is Barak
planning to do with Yerushalayim?
Today
they are talking about giving away Abu Dis and Ezariya as an
“advance payment,” as the Israelis put it. The Arabs are
demanding all of East Jerusalem. If we’re talking about an
advance payment, this means that the neighborhood of Tzor-Bachar
and the other neighborhoods of East Jerusalem will be returned
next. But that won’t be enough. They will always raise points of
contention, with the goal of leaving the option of an all-out war
when they have the military strength. At that point, after giving
them all the territories, returning refugees, and arming their
terrorists, our situation will be critical indeed.
Are
you hinting at something?
Giving
away the villages near Yerushalayim will cut off the city from
Maaleh Adumim, Yericho, and the Jordan Valley.
Are
you saying that in such a situation nobody will be able to say,
“It doesn’t affect me?”
Everyone
suffers from terrorist activity, even Dizengoff Center. Arab
terror doesn’t differentiate between Jews on the Right and Jews
on the Left.
Which
segment of the population is more exposed to attack?
I’ll
surprise you by saying that it’s not those who live past the
Green Line. It’s those who live in the cities, the ones who feel
most secure. Today in Yesha every settlement has a security plan,
and every settlement is surrounded by fences. They have
ammunition, so it’s harder to attack them, except for the roads.
After
they give away the villages near Yerushalayim, terrorists could
enter unprotected houses on the outskirts of Ramat Shlomo, and in
the near future, in the neighborhood of Beis Yisroel in the heart
of Yerushalayim, where people are unprotected. The infiltrations
will come as a surprise. You must remember that the religious
neighborhoods border on the villages the Palestinians want. Orient
House is merely 200 meters away from the shtiblech of Beis
Yisroel.
That’s
what happened when Dovid Kotoraza (may Hashem avenge his blood), a
resident of Ramat Shlomo, was murdered on his way to daven vasikin...
There
are many examples, but I want to speak in general terms
rather than focus on one incident or another. We are creating a
security problem in that we are exposing a huge segment of the
population to Arafat’s terror, and he’ll do what he wants with
the residents of Eretz Yisroel like a potter with his clay.
Perhaps today it’s not worth his while to attack, but tomorrow
it will be worth his while. Can we forego our security based on
Arafat’s internal concerns?
Barak
said that for 2,000 years we did not pray towards Abu Dis.
Barak
himself hasn’t prayed for 2,000 years, not in Yerushalayim
either. Seriously speaking, it’s true that Yerushalayim is more
holy than the rest of Eretz Yisroel, but the entire country is
more holy than other lands. When we prayed towards Eretz Yisroel,
it included the area of Abu Dis. In earlier times, Jews bought
land in the area of Abu Dis and in additional areas which Barak is
ready to hand over to the Palestinians. Jews who returned to
Yerushalayim gazed out over Abu Dis, Eastern Jerusalem, and all
the areas near the Old City. Until today, we have the Turkish
deeds and documents of that land listed as Jewish land.
Do
you think that Barak is planning on dividing Yerushalayim?
The
Arabs haven’t conceded a single point and they will not concede
a thing in the future either. Barak would give the Kinneret away
too, if he knew it would pass a referendum. The same thing with
Yerushalayim. In my estimation he would be willing to return
Yerushalayim to the state it was in before the Six-Day War, but he
realizes the people won’t accept that.
Obviously,
Barak cannot give the Arabs everything they want, because you
can’t give them everything they want and still survive! So it
isn’t clear how far Barak will go. He doesn’t have a clear
plan. Barak’s limit will not satisfy Arafat, so ultimately he
will decide according to the opposition he will get from the
public. That is Barak’s only barometer: how much will the
Israeli public allow him to give away?
Is
that the purpose of the mass demonstration you are organizing?
Demonstrations
were always and will always be tremendously effective. Remember
the mass demonstration against withdrawing from the Golan that
took place a few months ago in Tel Aviv. After that, Barak
realized he could not give the Golan away. That demonstration had
a profound effect. If the demonstration had not taken place, Barak
would have been sure he could give the Golan away up to the
Kinneret.
We
have to learn from the Left. Every week, there are public
appearances by the Women in Black or the Four Mothers, both very
effective organizations. Just look how far they’ve gotten. Every
demonstration is extremely influential.
What
will happen after this upcoming demonstration?
I
think that as the process progresses, the people will protest more
vocally. Dangerous withdrawals such as these cannot take place
quietly.
Our
real problem is the complicated political machinations. But the
people are not fools. They are aware of what is going on and are
not quiet at all. As the process proceeds, people will see where
Barak is heading and what the Arabs are planning to do. If we do
not express public outrage in the streets, we will find ourselves
in the same place as those people who were transported to the
ovens in Auschwitz. These are tough words, but it’s the truth.
We
must fight and demonstrate. We must rise up. These actions will
definitely influence the government. The problem today is that we
must influence our own people too. The main reason for our
demonstrations is to strengthen our own camp. If we are strong,
then, with G-d’s help, we will overcome our enemies.
WE
MUSTN’T SLEEP ON THE JOB
As
far as the construction going on in the territories, is Barak
better than Netanyahu, as the people from Meretz and Shalom
Achshav claim?
He
is not better than Netanyahu, but he is better than the
Rabin-Peres government, which shut down all construction.
Barak’s government is giving the minimum in order to keep things
politically quiet with the Mafdal, Yisroel B’Aliya, and Shas
parties. By the way, Shas is also somewhat in favor of the
settlers. They got nearly 10% of the votes in Yesha.
Do
you believe Shas would sell Abu Dis in exchange for fifty million
shekel for their Reshet HaMaayan HaTorani?
I
don’t think it’s a problem of fifty million shekel. The point
is that without Shas, there is no government. As soon as they
threaten Barak with the dissolution of his government, they have
the money tomorrow, even without conceding Abu Dis. I think that
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is also aware of the danger involved in
giving Abu Dis to the Palestinians, and he also expressed his
opinion, saying that Abu Dis is part of Yerushalayim. It’s hard
for me to believe that observant Jews would endanger the lives of
Jews.
In
the meantime, Barak said he has postponed giving away Abu Dis.
He
postponed it because he is having difficulty getting it past his
coalition, but we mustn’t sleep on the job. We can get up one
fine morning to find ourselves in a shrunken Jerusalem with all of
East Jerusalem under Arafat’s rule, with all that it implies.
What
are you asking people to do now?
We
must fight with all our strength. We must be a huge presence. If
we are stubborn, we will succeed. It all depends on our
determination, how much we are willing to put out, and how far we
are willing to go to demonstrate against giving away Yerushalayim.
If we are unified, we will succeed in directing public opinion
against these dangerous talks, and then the immediate danger, at
least over here, will be removed.