So, What's It Like To Be On Arafat's Hit List
Interviews by Shai Gefen

 Is there no end to the Palestinians’ chutzpa?! Two weeks ago the Palestinians tried giving their Israeli “peace partners” a list of “wanted Jews.” Beis Moshiach interviewed some of the people on this list: Noam Livnat of Alon Moreh, Boruch Marzel of Tel Romeida, Chagai Segal of Ofra, Noam Federman of Beit Schneerson in Chevron, Yehuda Etzion of the Chai V’Kayam movement, and Knesset member Tzvi Hendel, who has received death threats and has round-the-clock Shin Bet protection. Actually, it looks like all of Ahm Yisroel is on the hit list, r’l. May Hashem protect us.

The Sharon government’s policy of restraint has not exactly quieted things down in the Middle East, despite Israel’s agreement to have American observers in the territories, and despite government rule by Leftist politics, which includes a total freeze on building in Yesha. Palestinian defiance continues to grow.

Their audacity reached its pinnacle when they sought to present the Israeli security forces with a “wanted list” along with a demand that Israel arrest these people. If Israel did not comply, these men would be on their hit list, r’l.

Yehuda Etzion
Director of “Chai V’Kayam”

You’re also on the list?

Yes, and I don’t have a lot to say about it. I don’t see it as a compliment or the opposite. I can only say that when a country turns its enemies into partners despite the latter’s daily attempts at murdering Israeli citizens, there’s no reason for the terrorists not to designate some of those citizens as “wanted.”

Furthermore, those that ask for our arrest are themselves wanted for murder and attacks in Eretz Yisroel. I can only praise Israel for not accepting their list, but just sitting with such despicable people in order to work out security arrangements is itself contemptible.

How did you get on the list?

It’s no secret that they read our newspapers. They see and hear about my work on the Temple Mount and they put me on the list. In addition, the fact that I used to be the head of the Jewish underground is reason enough to want my head.

Are you afraid for your life?

I have no intentions of protecting myself. I am not afraid. In Ofra there are two neighbors who were murdered even though they weren’t on this list. They want the blood of every Jew. My neighbors recently went to work and were murdered on the way. Even if, chalila, I am attacked, my blood is no redder than that of any other Jew, even if I’m on their list.

You are greatly involved with the Temple Mount. Even under Sharon’s government the Temple Mount continues to be desecrated!

The situation is far worse than it was under Barak. The Temple Mount is closed to Jews now, though open to Arabs. The desecration continues and Arabs are destroying every Jewish remnant. Not only does the Sharon government do nothing to prevent this, but they even give their quiet consent.

Is this the Sharon you were hoping for?

Sharon has done some good things in his life, but we all know the other sides to his personality. We all remember that he was the man who destroyed Yamit, so we never saw him as the man who would save us. I suggest Sharon look and see where his predecessor, Barak, is today.

Should the Right throw him out?

I don’t give advice to my friends on the Right. That’s not my job right now. But I’m sure that the way Sharon is acting now he won’t be able to last long even if he’s confident that he has a broad-based government and even if he’s riding high in the recent polls. We’ve already had prime ministers with polls like these who found themselves on the way out.

Chagai Segal
Editor and news announcer on Arutz 7

You are on the Palestinian hit list...

I’m unimpressed by it. It’s Palestinian chutzpa. Their demand comes from the concessionary attitude the Sharon government has towards the Palestinians, where instead of fighting them they still sit down with them. Although Israel did not accept the list, it certainly shows how far the Arabs’ defiance goes towards a government that doesn’t fight them and prefers talking to them.

You are one of the senior staffers at Arutz 7, and this isn’t the first time that the Palestinians are attacking Arutz 7 for inciting against them.

I’m glad they also understand that Arutz 7 is objective and is the media that’s been exposing the holes in the Oslo Accords from day one, as well as other things about the Oslo Accords. It’s no wonder that they see us as the enemy. Apparently the Arabs are also aware of Arutz 7’s power.

You recently had a broadcast in Arabic. Why?

So that the Arabs hear us, too. I am not directly involved in that program, but we have an Arabic broadcast which generates a lot of Arab responses.

Are you afraid?

I’m not afraid of them or impressed by anything. I sleep just as peacefully at night, but I’m certainly furious about the feeble reaction from the Sharon government. I expected a stronger response from them to a liquidation list against its own citizens, but that’s typical of the Sharon government. It fits with the other steps he has been taking or not taking, including the policy of restraint. I am sure the Palestinian chutzpa will increase because of Sharon’s policy of restraint and because he didn’t respond strongly to the request for our arrests.

What do you have to say about Sharon’s politics?

I interviewed Sharon more than once on Arutz 7. He always expressed his anger against any government that didn’t deal properly with terrorism, and he continually attacked the policy of restraint. Only he knew how to get rid of terrorism. But from the moment he became prime minister he has been acting precisely like the other prime ministers. I think Sharon is using Peres as an excuse. There’s definitely a sense of hopelessness in the face of a government that grovels before its enemies, and conducts a policy of restraint and concessions.

Do you have anything else to add?

I’d like to thank all those good people who called to express their concern for my welfare, both from Eretz Yisroel and abroad.

Tzvi Hendel
Knesset member

You met with Shin-Bet operatives who warned you of a possible attempt on your life, in light of intelligence information which came their way. You even get constant protection.

I don’t want to get into that. We are in Eretz Yisroel and we will continue to live in Eretz Yisroel forever.

Why is your party, Ichud HaLeumi, still in the government?

Despite the policy of restraint, there is still no negotiation under fire even though Peres is trying every trick in the book in order to achieve that. I would definitely agree with Rabin’s description of Peres as “a tireless digger.”

At what point must the Right topple Sharon?

I think that the minute Sharon begins negotiations about giving away land, the Right must leave. I can tell you that I am going through an intense personal struggle. They are freezing the territories, and Peres and Beilin run the government. The problem is that our leaving won’t topple Sharon; it will only allow the Merkaz party of Dan Meridor to get in.

Peres’ policies are being carried out under Sharon’s government. What business do you have being there at all?

First of all, I don’t have any position in the Sharon government, so I can’t be suspected of jockeying for position. It isn’t easy for me to be in Sharon’s government now, but the big question is: What will be gained if we leave his government now, when he is clearly not negotiating. I say clearly - the minute Sharon goes to negotiations, we leave.

You left Mafdal because it didn’t leave Netanyahu’s government after the Chevron agreement, yet now you remain in Sharon’s government?

With Netanyahu we had the opportunity to topple him, so leaving Mafdal made sense. If we have the opportunity to topple Sharon’s government by leaving it, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. I think Peres wants us to run away rather than him, and I prefer that Peres leave and we stay on to influence Sharon.

In the next few weeks I hope we resolve our future in Sharon’s coalition. We are definitely in a difficult situation. I told Sharon not to get excited by the polls, because his greatest support comes from those on the Left and Arabs, due to his policy of restraint. When it comes down to it, though, they won’t stand by him and he will fall. Unfortunately even the media’s bear hug influences Sharon.

Noam Federman
Resident of Beit Schneerson in Chevron

Your name appears on Arafat’s “wanted list.” Are you afraid?

I am not afraid. If they want to, they can try... The last one who tried getting near me was Achmed Tibi and everybody saw what happened to him. We rely on Hashem and are afraid of no one. We will continue moving around freely.

But why, among thousands of people living in Yesha, did they choose Noam Federman?

I am not surprised. It’s nothing new that the Israeli government tries to create parallels between us and murderers. The fact is that Israel has security meetings with terrorists! It’s like the Mediterranean bazaars where if you get something you have to give... This was Netanyahu’s policy, too. He said, “They’ll give and they’ll get. If they won’t give, they won’t get.” I suspect that when Shin Bet agents go to Rafik Tirawi or to Muhammad Dachlan and ask them to arrest a certain terrorist, they say, “We want something in exchange” - me or someone else.

Do you feel your blood has now been made cheap?

It’s nothing new. My blood was made cheap years ago. The Shin Bet consistently refuses to allow the army to give me weapons, which is utterly irresponsible. They know I am a target from way back and they don’t care.

Are you going to move to the center of the country any time soon?

Chas v’shalom. We remain to protect Chevron and to guard Ahm Yisroel at the front. I don’t reject the possibility that the worst could happen to me since Arafat’s bodyguard and his Tanzim unit are gunning for me, but I put all my trust in Hashem, our Father in Heaven, and I don’t intend to hide behind sandbags or armor plate. I prefer being a servant of Hashem and walking about freely, rather than hiding in some hole. We will continue with all our battles. We won’t give up until the last minute.

How do you view the present situation? Sharon has a policy of restraint while Peres runs the show...

Unlike others, I did not vote for Sharon, and certainly not for Barak. I preferred staying home, since I realized that the actions of the one were in the category of niveila, and the other, a treifa. I had no expectations from this man. Unlike others, I am not disappointed. For twenty years this man has tried to be conciliatory and apologize for the butchery of Arabs by Arabs in Sabra and Shatila, and this is the man who destroyed Yamit. I don’t believe in him since I believe he is capable of anything. So I say: don’t be disappointed. There are no expectations to be had from anyone who does not go in the ways of Torah and emuna. We should get this into our heads.

So what’s the solution? The Intifada rules. What can be done?

Today, when the army does nothing for our security, I would rather they got out of here as they did from Lebanon and left us the tanks - as they did for Hezbollah in Lebanon - and we would take care of the work.

It’s simply absurd. The army is not waging a war, yet the soldiers are protected from head to toe. Private citizens, on the other hand, who ought to be protected, are exposed on the front lines and are the ones being killed day after day. So what do we need the army for? So that they can arrange meetings to get lists of wanted Jews?

The army doesn’t protect Jews?

They simply can’t. They are demoralized. Tzahal is a fearful army. We have no expectations from the army, and as I said earlier: it would be better for us if they left us the means to fight terrorism. What’s clear to us is that the state of the army now in Yesha reminds us more and more of the army as it was in Lebanon.

A week before your name was publicized on their wanted list, there were explosions in your car which miraculously didn’t harm anyone. Do you think it has to do with the list?

The truth is that at first I thought Arabs had done it to harm me, but after I saw the Shin Bet’s reaction, I wonder who was behind it. The same day there was a bomb in my wife’s car, I was called down by the Shin Bet who wanted to clarify that it wasn’t them who had done it! That was weird, and red lights went off for me regarding who was behind it after all.

Why? Does the Shin Bet want to liquidate you?

I don’t think they wanted to bump me off, but maybe they wanted to frighten me or incriminate me. There were incidents like this in the past, like with the Kahalani brothers in Kiryat Arba. The Shin Bet planted weapons in their car in order to incriminate them. I won’t hesitate to go to court with them if they continue these games, but I think even the Shin Bet are afraid that the story doesn’t smell quite right.

What should the Right do now?

As it says in Megillas Esther, the Jewish people have to stand and gather together for their very lives. The situation is extremely grave. We are putting our faith in broken vessels, when the Jewish nation elects spineless leaders, leaders who don’t believe in our eternal strength and in our future here. The emuna must be upright and true so that when challenged, the emuna proves itself.

Maybe we need to demonstrate to get Sharon to allow the army to win?

I don’t believe in the effectiveness of activities like that now, and I don’t believe in our present leaders. I think the slogan “Let the army win” is hollow. This is an army behind fortresses, and we saw with the spies Moshe sent what the significance of fortresses is (i.e., it means the city is weak). It certainly doesn’t demonstrate excessive strength. The solution must be a radical change to a life based on faith and timeless values.

How is it in Chevron?

It was much quieter this past week. Perhaps it follows the attack on the Arab family. We still don’t know who did it, but it has gotten more peaceful.

What’s it like to live in Beit Schneerson in the home of Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel?

It’s incredible. We are living Jewish history in our own home. We are also in the attic where the Rebbetzin would daven, and it definitely is a moving experience. May she intercede on our behalf and on behalf of the entire Jewish yishuv as she did in her lifetime, when she protected the yishuv.

Boruch Marzel
Resident of Tel Romeida

What does it feel like to be “wanted?”

It feels very Jewish. Actually all Jews are wanted. The Gemara says it’s a halacha that Eisav hates Yaakov.

You have the privilege of being first on the list!

(Smiling) I have some friends who are very upset that they are not on the list...

Why did they pick on you? Didn’t Rafik Tirawi have anyone else to pick on?

I don’t know why he picked me of all people, but I think that Tirawi himself has to be liquidated - the sooner the better - because it says, “If someone comes to kill you, get up and kill him.” I can tell you that to us, Tirawi is a wanted man.

What do you think of this situation in which the Israelis give their list of wanted men, and the Arabs in turn present their list, as though the two lists are parallel?

It’s bizarre and ridiculous when in the morning they give orders to kill women and children and at noon they come for lunch and talk to their Israeli “security” partners under the direction of the Americans. Does that sound normal to you? It won’t lead to peace.

And all this is happening under Sharon’s government.

I admit I worked against Barak, but I did not work on behalf of Sharon. Before the elections I said that the day after Sharon would rise to power, we would have to fight him. Now we see what direction things are going in. Sharon is following Peres’ policies almost completely. It’s actually the Sharon we knew from Yamit.

Have you protected yourself since you appeared on the list?

I am waiting for the Arabs to need protective armor. I sit on my porch in Tel Romeida exposed to the Arabs. I am not going to hide behind armor plate. Since the Arabs in Idana were killed last week, it’s been quiet. I won’t say I support what they did, but since that attack against the Palestinians in Idana, attacks against us here have gone down 50%.

How do you explain the fact that three Jewish leaders in Chevron are wanted by Arafat?

It’s hard to explain, but apparently even the Arabs sense that Chevron is the standard bearer in the struggle of the Jews for Eretz Yisroel.

Noam Livnat
Resident of Alon Moreh and brother to Education Minister, Limor Livnat

Mr. Livnat also appears on the wanted list presented by Rafik Tirawi, who serves as head of the elite Tanzim unit under Arafat. Livnat, who is a resident of Alon Moreh in the Shomron, isn’t impressed by the wanted list that includes his name.

Is there a connection between your name appearing on the list and your being related to the minister of education?

I have no interest in getting into my enemy’s mindset, and why they put this one or that one on the list.

The entire Jewish nation is on the list. They didn’t mean me personally. They intend to kill us all. They publicized the first fifty people they want to wipe out, ch’v, but their list is very long and includes millions of Jews.