A United Israel

By: Jackie Ross

I was walking down Agrippas last night with a friend, past Machane Yehuda and the famous Shuk, appreciating the mild November night in Jerusalem, and just how fortunate we are to live in this special city. We came up to a parking lot and I paused to inspect the car that stood out like a sore thumb - one of the UN envoy trucks had been parked overnight. My friend quipped that the UN employees were flouting their status to secure an easy parking spot while being able to enjoy the lively nightlife at the shuk across the street. I was left feeling more pensive. This was another reminder that the rest of the world is tripping over themselves to tell Israel what to do with its land.
 

 
Again, America has been pushing Israel to make peace with the Palestinians, who continue to promise a Third Intifada if they don't get their way. The latest report is that if Israel doesn't come to a permanent agreement with the Arabs by January, the US will impose a plan upon them. This is after Susan Rice, President Obama's national security advisor, told the NY Times that the Middle East isn't a priority for the Obama Administration, and that," there's a whole world out there, and we've got interests and opportunities in that whole world." Seems rather contradictory to me.

The reason why having a 'peace plan' foisted upon Israel, rather than allowing the two sides to organically come to an agreement amongst themselves. Rather than list every time negotiations between the two sides has resulted in outbreaks of terror in Israel, I would instead propose thinking of one time it didn't.

As the video below demonstrates - when push comes to shove, international peacekeepers, especially from the UN, aren't reliable when it comes to maintaining cease-fires, or preventing hostile nations from sending rockets into Israel.
 
Israel took the step of returning Gaza to Arab control in 2005, much to the consternation of most of the Israeli public, and immediately, the free elections the US had been promising would usher in a new era of democracy in the Arab world - only brought Hamas to political power. Tens of thousands of rockets showered on Israel later, the world is still pushing Israel to give back land to those who openly promise to wage war on the Jewish people. This time, the land in question is much more strategically sensitive. The Golan Heights, which Israel annexed in 1981 and therefor is part of the state, are literally high - and therefore are a liability if Syria was to regain control of it, being able to shower down rockets easily across the whole Galil (norther part of the country). It also is an important watershed - supplying Israel with 30% of it's annual rainfall. With Syria in the midst of a devastating civil war, the pressure to return the Golan has subsided - for now.

The big question being asked of Israel by the international community, is when she is going to give Yehuda and Shomoron, also known as the West Bank, over to the Palestinians so they can create their own country there. This is what is known as the 'Two State Solution'. As part of the 1993 Oslo Accords, which have been blamed for igniting the Second Intifada, some areas of the West Bank were given over to Palestinian control. One of these areas was Schechm, also known as Nablus, which happens to be the location where Yosef Hatzaddik is buried. Jews were supposed to be able to go visit the grave of their holy ancestor, but that is not what happened. Once a year, the IDF escorts visitors under heavy guard to visit the tomb - otherwise no Jew is allowed to go. The trip is dangerous, and Jews have been killed by Palestinian Authority police just for being in the city. 

There has been a demonstrated history of what can, and will, occur if Israel were to ever give back land to the Palestinians. Yehuda and Shomron are also know as the 'Bible Belt' because it is where so many of the stories in the Torah took place. Jews have lost access to these sacred sites, such as Hama'aret Hamachpelah in Hevron before, it would be unthinkable to forfeit them when we are finally able to freely, and safely, visit the places that are so important to our hheritage.

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