The Meaning of Disengagement

The last few weeks have been very difficult for Jews in Israel, as well as for all the forces in the Free World struggling against terrorism. The Prime Minister of Israel, who in the past was one of the greatest fighters against terrorism, succeeded in getting the Disengagement Law passed by the Knesset, thus awarding apparent legality and legitimacy to the eviction of thousands of Jews from their homes and the elimination of entire communities. The Gush Katif pioneers, who bravely withstood thousand of mortar bombs fired at them indiscriminately by the Palestinian Arab enemy, will be forced, if the plan is implemented, to leave in accordance with the decision of the Israeli government, against whom they will not fight.

 The political arena

It was not easy for the Prime Minister to get the Knesset to pass the Disengagement Law. The opponents of disengagement, headed by Ichud Leumi MKs, have continued to wage a stubborn campaign against every stage of approval of the law, against approval of the State Budget, and against many specific clauses of the law. Unfortunately this tremendous parliamentary effort did not succeed in preventing the passing of this evil law, but this does not mean that our forces are taking a rest. Efforts are continuing to undermine Sharon's narrow coalition.

In fact, the key lies in the hands of the Rightist part of the Likud. It will be sufficient for five Likud MKs to prefer elections to disengagement in order to cause the collapse of the government. The coalition has been permitted to survive until now by virtue of the formula, "referendum", to which we have been opposed all along the line. The illusion that it will be possible to halt the disengagement by means of a referendum has permitted Likud MKs to appear as loyal supporters of Eretz Israel while avoiding the risk of new elections. This illusion is now vanishing together with the option of a referendum. For the first time the Likudniks will have to decide between disengagement and early elections.

 Persuasion in the field

We are engaged in intensive persuasion and information activities in the field, mainly in development towns in the southern part of the country, in the bastions of Shas and the Likud. This is aimed at increasing the public pressure on Shas to not even consider supporting Sharon directly or indirectly by voting in favor of the budget or by joining the government; and at strengthening the Right wing of the Likud so that they will receive feedback from the field telling them not to fear standing up to Sharon.

The line we have adopted does not focus on procedure (referendum, etc.) but on substance, that has virtually disappeared from the public debate and from the Rightist publicity material: the grave, direct security danger threatening Israel in general, and the towns and settlements in the south in particular, as a result of the disengagement plan. We are currently completing the production of a powerful publicity film, 40 minutes in length, dedicated entirely to these grave dangers. The film will be distributed in tens of thousands of copies, and in numerous ways.

The film will be launched as part of a large event opening a campaign against the disengagement, based on uniting all the political forces of the Jewish Right. The event is planned to take place on Monday, Nisan 2 (11.4.05), in the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds.

Looking to the future

The determined struggle for Gush Katif and Northern Shomron must not divert our attention from the main campaign, in which the destruction of Gush Katif is only the first battle. We shall do everything in order to win this battle, but whatever happens we must ensure that we will win the great campaign, in which our chances of victory are very great, as long as we do not despair.

Sharon has succeeded in passing his disengagement plan because of the use he made of Likud supporters, who voted for the Right but received the Left. He won't be able to play this trick again: If we act correctly we can ensure that in the next elections many votes will shift from the Likud to the real Right, a Jewish Right that draws it strength from deep links to belief, and does not reveal ideological shallowness of the kind displayed by Netanyahu, Livnat, Hanegbi, and Katz.

Partners in America

An overall look at the struggle also brings us to deepening of our activities in the US, as part of the heartland to heartland campaign. As we described in previous newsletters, this is a campaign designed to strengthen the commitment of the pro-Zionist Christian public in the heart of the US, in the religious homeland of the Republican Party, to Jewish possession of Judea and Samaria. The campaign, including the publication of a book, makes the American Christian public aware of the Biblical meaning of these parts of the country, and re-creates the links between the Return to Zion, that they regard as a divine, historical event, and places such as Hebron, Beit El, Shechem and, of course, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The book naturally presents MK Benny Elon's political program, the sole one that associates the Biblical vision of Eretz Israel for the Jewish people with a realistic political program that will bring overall peace to the Middle East.

The book was presented by Benny Elon in a convention of the Christian broadcasting stations in the US, that was recently held, and was very warmly received. Many Christian leaders have already signed the commitment to Yesha appearing in the book. This is a preparatory stage for activities amongst members of Congress themselves, activities that will be successful because of the pressure applied to the representatives by their voters.

As part of the campaign we have launched an Internet website and you are invited to visit it: www.heartlandtoheartland.org

The disengagement as the first battle

Our approach that holds that the disengagement is only the first battle in the large campaign for the future of Yesha was expressed in "Ariel Sharon's Uprooting Plan", that we distributed to all the households in Yesha last summer. This map displayed the separation fence with enclaves of blocs of settlement about which the government had decided, and predicted that in the wake of international and judicial pressure the fence would in the end follow the route of the green line. This would mean the return to Little Israel and the pre-1967 borders, defined by Abba Eban as "Auschwitz borders".

Unfortunately this forecast is being realized, and last week's government decision approved the new "corrected" route of the fence, leaving all of the settlements in Yesha, apart Gush Etzion, outside the State of Israel. In reply to a parliamentary question by MK Benny Elon, Minister Meir Shitrit expressed clearly, in the name of the government, words that only he, as the sole Likud MK who voted in favor of the Oslo agreement, can say. We can't hear such words from Sylvan Shalom or Binyamin Netanyahu, who are still deceiving their voters and perhaps themselves regarding the meaning of the process which they are supporting as members of Sharon's government.

We attach here, for your perusal, excerpts from the Knesset debate regarding the vote of no confidence proposed by MK Benny Elon, and Minister Shitrit's reply. The words are fascinating and speak for themselves. Let us hope that the approaching month of Adar B will be accompanied by good tidings and that we will see the fruits of the great labors of those loyal to this country and this nation.

As usual we shall be pleased to receive comments about this newsletter in order to continue to advance the program.

Sincerely,

The Right Road to Peace Site Editor

 To learn about the role of Likud ministers in the government and about the future of Yesha, you can view excerpts from the Knesset debate held on 28.2.05:

Binyamin Elon (Ichud Leumi):

People are making a terrible mistake when they think that this is about the evacuation of Gush Katif and Northern Shomron. This is actually about a comprehensive plan, and therefore I am optimistic and believe that even if, G-d forbid, we won't succeed immediately regarding a certain part, in the comprehensive plan of Prime Minister Sharon, I believe we will succeed, because obviously there will be at least one election campaign before its execution, and the comprehensive plan is an attempt by the Prime Minister, and I repeat that to my shame, the ministers don't know what is involved. Two government decisions have been totally changed – that of June 6, 2004 and that of October 1, 2003. And the ministers are not at all aware of what is happening.