From lenny@... Sun Oct 20 02:30:34 2002 Return-Path: X-Sender: lenny@... X-Apparently-To: Darka_shel_Torah@yahoogroups.com Received: (EGP: mail-8_2_2_1); 20 Oct 2002 09:30:32 -0000 Received: (qmail 21015 invoked from network); 20 Oct 2002 09:30:31 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.217) by m1.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 20 Oct 2002 09:30:31 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mxout2.netvision.net.il) (194.90.9.21) by mta2.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 20 Oct 2002 09:30:31 -0000 Received: from lenny_nm.netmedia.net.il ([62.0.149.175]) by mxout2.netvision.net.il (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.2 HotFix 0.8 (built Jul 12 2002)) with ESMTPA id <0H4900IJ7X04WF@...> for Darka_shel_Torah@yahoogroups.com; Sun, 20 Oct 2002 11:30:29 +0200 (IST) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2002 12:28:25 +0200 Subject: News & Commentary X-Sender: lenny_nm@... To: lenny@... Cc: jsid@... Message-id: <5.1.0.14.0.20021020121843.009f27a0@...> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Content-type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT From: Lenny Goldberg X-Yahoo-Group-Post: member; u=10571125 News and Commentary

Et tu, Eitam?
Minister Effi Eitam from the pro-settlement NRP party stated last week that IDF soldiers cannot refuse orders to dismantle outposts. This statement came in the wake of  the threat by the government to uproot outposts such as Assaf near Bet El and the Gilad Farm near Kedumim. The statement also came in the wake of the Yesha rabbis (and NRP rabbis!) call to soliders not to evacuate outposts if it goes against their “consciounse”.

Eitam’s statement  comes as a blow to those staunch right-wingers who had pinned hopes on him as the new “messiah”. Much had been written regarding his impressive army credentials and uncompromising stance on Eretz Yisrael, rooted in religious fervor. And now, he blatantly ignores the “psak” of the Zionist rabbis, and behaves like the consummate politician. 

 “Where has Efi Eitam Disappeared To”  the posters on the wall ask? He can be found at Gilad’s Farm taking the air out of the sails of the young demonstrators who came to prevent dismantlement of the farm. He can be found sitting comfortably on his Knesset seat, praising this present government which he describes as an “asset”. 

And What About the Trampist Transferists?
Speaking of false messiahs, beware of the political parties who are playing the “transfer” card. This is not because of sour grapes - we are not bothered by the fact that Rabbi Kahane took on the issue of removing the Arabs at a time when it was anathema, and now others are reaping the harvest. Rabbi Kahane always raised issues which were considered beyond the pale (such as the Soviet Jewry issue in the late 60’s) and made them an accepted legitimate question for debate.

What we are warning against is the significant differences between the transfer hitchhiker parties and Kahane. The Moledet party speaks of a voluntary transfer (“transfer m ‘ratzon”). Whether it really believes this or says it because they do not want to get banned, does not change the fact that the concept is ludicrous. No Arab is willing to be transferred. The only kind of transfer is one in which, willingly or unwillingly, they will go. The second basic difference is that through lack of courage, they speak only of the Arabs of Judea-Samaria-Gaza and not the ones who live in Israel. We know that the latter are far more dangerous than those who live in the territories.
 
But the most essential difference is that Rabbi Kahane threatened the whole gamut of Israeli society. He presented an alternative to the entire political structure in Israel. His purpose was to create a Jewish state with all the values and concepts that so differ from the Hellenized, gentilized western Israel of today. The removal of Arabs is only one aspect of a society  and state rooted in Judaism. For Moledet, it is a chance to win a few seats, become a cabinet minister, and join “the chevre”.

That is why no one really fears Moledet. They do not threaten the ideas and values and beliefs of the Hellenists. They are part of them. Kahane followers are different. They are Jewish. Such men are dangerous.