בס״ד agreement and hence ד' חול המועד פסח 20 Nisan 5779 NEWS make it easier to  April 25, 2019 achieve one in the Issue number 1241 A colleccollectiontion of the week’s news from Israel future. From the Bet El Twinning / Israel Action Committee of And finally, the Trump plan could 6:35 Beth Avraham YosephYoseph of Toronto Congregation give the Israeli government an Toronto 7:55 opportunity to advance its vision of

applying Israeli law over swathes of Judea and Samaria, primarily the large Events… settlement blocs with regard to which there is wall-to-wall consensus in Israel. May 8, 6:15pm In light of the Palestinian rejection, which means Trump’s deal most Mizrachi Yom HaZikaron Commemoration and Yom HaAtzmaut likely won’t gain any traction, Israel will be able to claim, justified from Celebration at the Schwartz Reisman Centre, 9600 Bathurst Street. its point of view, that it cannot wait for the Palestinian side any longer and wants to take unilateral steps in the spirit of the Trump plan—which the administration will presumably support. And thus, 52 years after the Six Day War in June 1967, June 2019 Commentary… could bring tidings of change, even to the point of another revolution in the status of Judea and Samaria. This revolution, we can assume, will Deal of the Century: From the Golan to Judea and Samaria receive American recognition similar to Trump’s recognition of Israeli By Eyal Zisser sovereignty over the Golan Heights. (JNS Apr 24) This coming June, upon the conclusion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Trump administration will supposedly unveil details of its so- called “deal of the century” to bring an end to the century-old Israeli- A Fading Friendship? By Yisrael Medad Palestinian conflict. Even before its birth, however, many have already Dear (Former?) Friends, been quick to bury the plan. After all, many of the relevant parties aren’t To: The ADL, Ameinu, ARZA, Central Conference of American hiding their reservations, some openly declaring they will refuse to accept Rabbis, , MERCAZ USA, National Council of Jewish it. Women, Rabbinical Assembly, Union for Reform Judaism and United The Palestinians are looking on forlornly as their dream of having all Synagogue of Conservative Judaism their demands of Israel delivered on a silver platter by the international Your letter to U.S. President Donald Trump expressing your belief community goes up in smoke. While it might seek to meet the Palestinians’ that peace must be “based on the principle of a negotiated two-state desires, the deal of the century is reportedly light-years from the solution,” that it “is the only formulation to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian concessions that previous administrations, from Clinton to Obama, were conflict that will ensure Israel’s future as Jewish, democratic and secure,” willing to grant them. U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal makes no and that he “affirm long-standing bipartisan consensus that the two-state mention of the creation of a Palestinian state, and also makes no demand of solution is the essential path to an Israel existing alongside a future state of Israel to withdraw from all of Judea and Samaria to pre-1967 borders. Palestine in peace and security and that you declare that the United States Arab countries, which can’t afford to be viewed at home as will not support any Israeli proposals to annex the West Bank, in “selling out” the Palestinian issue for a pittance in American whole or in part” is really presumptuous, arrant vanity and, more to the point, besides interfering in an internal Israeli debate, a חג שמח economic aid, will follow in the wake of the Palestinian rejection. Arab rulers would be happy, of course, to bring the strategic attempt to undercut Israel’s existence, security of its Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an end and turn their attention to citizens and the essence of . the real problems afflicting them, such as the Iranian threat or their failing I could see if you had written that you, as leaders of these economies. But from there to a willingness to lie on the fence for the organizations, with all your membership, had added something like “and Palestinians, Israel and Trump, the distance is great. since we all intend to live there some day, we want this policy for our own Israel, too, particularly its right-wing camp, has expressed trepidation good.’ That, at least would be an expression of genuine concern for over the deal, which could call on the Jewish state to concede significant yourselves. But to continue to sit there and subvert Israel’s independence, portions of Judea and Samaria. While a Palestinian state won’t be its democratically elected government, promote your own Diasporic established in these areas, the Palestinian Authority’s presence there could supremacy and endanger Israel—not to speak about repeating a “solution” become legitimized as a fact on the ground, recognized by the international mantra that is wrong—is really a classic chutzpah. community. It’s one thing to get involved in issues of culture and religion, and to The script, therefore, is already written: The Americans will propose demand egalitarianism at the Western Wall Plaza although, for some the plan, which will be rejected or squandered and relegated to the dustbin reason, Jewish egalitarianism at the Temple Mount is quite anathema to of history as “another plan” in a long line of them throughout the 100 years you. I guess you get to cherry-pick. But do you not realize that your appeal of conflict. could be perceived as an attempt to override Israeli democracy, as if to But it would be a mistake to think Trump’s deal will be completely overthrow the elected government? Are you seeking to devalue Israel’s inconsequential: It could have far-reaching implications for the future of sovereignty? Do you wish Israel to simply become a vassal state of Israeli-Palestinian relations and more importantly, the future of Israel itself. America? Back in 1982, former Prime Minister Menachem Begin lectured First, the details of the plan will become the starting point for any future the United States, informing then President Ronald Regan through his discussions about the conflict. And thus, instead of or in conjunction with Ambassador Sam Lewis that Israel is no “banana republic.” the Clinton outline or former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s offer to Israel stays out of internal American Jewish affairs as regards policy P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas, Trump’s plan will also be evoked and used to issues. Israel does not tell Jews to support this or that party. It does not tell significantly improve Israel’s bargaining position opposite future American you to support civil rights, homosexual issues, health concerns, matters of administrations and even the international community, which still views the the environment or to oppose any of them. It does engage on internal Clinton and Olmert proposals as the basis for any Israeli-Palestinian peace Jewish activities, such as Soviet Jewry in the past. But that is an issue of talks. community. Your actions simply position you as anti-democratic. Oh, and Second, the Trump proposal could pave a path to a solution by it distances you from the White House. essentially removing several central issues from the agenda for both sides, The essence of your actions is not all the above. You have chosen to chief among them the issue of Palestinian refugees. The American plan, prefer a political persuasion over a religious belief system. Whereas Eretz which calls for refusing these refugees the right of return and settling them Yisrael is “equal to all other mitzvot,” you presume that a secular, liberal, in their current countries, could materialize even without a final-status humanist-based outlook—now “improved” with radical progressivism and

Readers are requested to please mail contributions to: BAYT - re: Israel News, 613 Clark Avenue West, Thornhill, Ontario. L4J 5V3 Annual Rates: Friend - $36, Supporter - $50, Benefactor - $180. Dedications are welcome at $120/week. Call (905) 886-3810 for further info. See Israel News on the internet at www.bayt.ca and www.frumtoronto.com or email [email protected] to request to be added to the weekly email. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of BAYT. hardened with an anti-Trump view—overrides all that. public, which continues to vote for center-right parties that no longer You have distilled Judaism, altered it, framed it as a reflection of your consider the two-state solution viable with regard to Israel’s security? own politics, rather than having your politics influenced by Judaism. Nine Jewish groups, including five associated with the Reform and You have been unable to pass down to a second-generation traditional Conservative movements, wrote a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, Jewish values that stride both religion and common morality and ethics. released on April 12 to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, in which they You have decided to play up to a contemporary liberalism, which has little asked him to preserve the two-state solution in the face of a pledge by to do with what our grandparents and parents engaged in. You have Netanyahu to apply sovereignty to Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria. become ensnared in foreign gods and allowed your children to stray. This is an absolute disgrace. These leaders still worship Obama, and You have become extreme. Fanatic. Irrational. despise Trump. Obama dismissed Israel’s concerns about the Iran deal; Your Judaism is becoming fake, I feel, when I read this: “Passover’s Trump canceled the deal. Obama promised to move the U.S. embassy to real message is about celebrating interfaith families.” Really? The Jews that Jerusalem but did not do so for eight years. Trump fulfills that same locked themselves up in their houses in Egypt so as to avoid being together promise, and yet these leaders are against it? Even worse, these leaders with the Egyptians now want their Passover holiday to promote preached to their followers that Trump’s moving the embassy was a intermarriage? That’s ridiculous. mistake. These are not leaders who care about Israel. As long as you kept religious (mis)interpretations to yourselves, that In their letter to the president they write, “We believe that it was one thing. Even demanding room at the Kotel, while rejecting all [application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria] will lead to greater traditional customs, was within the ring. But in demanding a two-state conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, severely undermine, if not solution, which means no Israeli rule over Jerusalem (that the Arabs would entirely eradicate, the successful security coordination between the State agree to), is being, well, stupid. How will you be able to pray there? of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and galvanize efforts such as the To now bring that warped thinking into play to injure and harm Israel BDS movement that are intended to isolate and delegitimize Israel. It will and its diplomatic and political relationships, you are entering dangerous create intense divisions in the United States and make unwavering support tides. for Israel and its security far more difficult to maintain.” I have no power but that of my pen. Nevertheless, please treat this both Who cares what they think? Seriously. More than 80 percent of the as a remonstration, a call for teshuvah and a warning. Israeli public voted for parties that are against the two-state solution. Even Let us hope that this shared Israel-American Jewish community their great hope, the Blue and White Party, did not campaign for friendship is not fading … (JNS Apr 17) implementing the two-state solution because the Israeli public wouldn’t have voted for them if they had. Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Progressive Jewish Leadership is Dead Wrong on Israel Rep. Mark Pocan also denounced newly re-elected Netanyahu’s vow to By Avi Abelow annex the West Bank as both immoral and a flagrant violation of I write this article with deep sadness—so many Jews are being misled international law. by their leaders. This is a wake-up call to those Jews truly interested in the “Prime Minister Netanyahu’s campaign threat to annex the West Bank truth and remaining connected to Israel and the Jewish people: You must signals an alarming and unprecedented violation of human rights and stop listening to the lies and misinformation of your Conservative, Reform international law,” Jayapal and Pocan said in a statement. “This move to and progressive leaders, who are making you ashamed of Israel and your entrench Israeli control over disenfranchised Palestinians would be a Jewish identity. They are hiding from you that we are the most blessed moral catastrophe.” generation of Jews ever, able to have sovereignty in our own homeland and “In the wake of his narrow reelection, we urge Prime Minister making a huge impact on all of humanity. There is so much to be proud of, Netanyahu to reverse course from his provocative campaign rhetoric,” the yet they focus on their own ideological agenda that, simply put, ignores U.S. progressive leaders said. “Elected leaders should be advancing the reality. cause of peace—not undermining it. We will make clear that Congress The two-state solution is dead but still dangerous. Many leaders of U.S. firmly rejects the unilateral annexation of West Bank territory.” Conservative, Reform and progressive Jewry have turned the two-state There’s only one problem: The move to apply sovereignty in Judea solution into a religion, dismissing the concerns of the Israeli public. The and Samaria does not go against international law and does not violate the Israeli people just voted for Prime Minister for a fifth human rights of the Arab Muslim residents there. The representatives also term, and these U.S. Jewish leaders are dismissing the Israeli public with expose themselves as hypocrites since they are silent about the daily their protest. human-rights abuses those same Arabs experience under the Palestinian They are misleading their public, blaming the growing divide with Authority and Hamas. (JNS Apr 21) Israel on Netanyahu while it is they themselves who are creating it. They are doing tremendous damage to U.S. Jewry by ignoring the true danger decimating their communities: assimilation and intermarriage. In addition, Islamist Terror is Alive and Kicking By Yoav Limor their public pressure on Israel for the two-state solution is pushing even It seemed that Islamic terrorism had been defeated, or at least brought more Jews away from Israel. They are convincing their followers that Israel to a halt. The extinction of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and the is to blame, leading their followers to be ashamed of Israel. Shame on them. marginalization of the Islamic State (IS) in general, provided a sense of Smart liberal Jews know their leaders are wrong because a true liberal relief to many in the Western and Arab worlds. supports Israel, knowing that Israel supports their liberal values. This followed several years in which terrorism appeared to strike These leaders preach to their followers that Israeli sovereignty over without mercy and without borders. The Islamic State phenomenon, which parts of Judea and Samaria goes against their liberal values. This even has swept up masses of people in the Middle East and Europe (but also though the most blessed Arab Muslims, and minorities in the Middle East North America, Asia and Australia) since the summer of 2014, threatened in general, are those who live in Israel. Only in Israel do all minorities have to disrupt long-standing practices: For short periods, fear reigned in Paris all freedoms and equality. Under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas they and London, Sydney and Brussels, and in every city and village in the don’t have the same freedoms as in Israel. Only in Israel do the Arab Arab world. Muslims actually get to vote; P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas is in the 15th The understanding was that in the absence of coordination and year of a four-year term. cooperation, the “war on terror” was destined to fail. The result was a Paradoxically, by supporting the creation of a state called “Palestine” global campaign—a mini-world war of sorts—in which countless these “liberal” leaders are condemning the Arab Muslims to live under countries, many of them hostile to one another, contributed their part to persecution and oppression, either under the P.A. or Hamas. Under neither defeating IS. In Syria, Russia along with the United States led a broad of these regimes have there been elections for more than a decade, and in coalition against IS. The Americans also led the fight against the IS in both women and gays are persecuted, and anyone can be arrested and Iraq. But alongside these two, Iran and Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia and, tortured for political reasons, without any protection under the law. according to numerous reports, Israel, also took part in the offensive. By supporting a two-state solution, these Jewish leaders expose This operational focus, along with intelligence cooperation, led to the themselves as fools willing to go against all the liberal values they preach. prevention of numerous terrorist attacks, the assassination of senior IS Instead of allowing the State of Israel to come up with other solutions officials and ultimately the dismantlement of the elements of the terrorist to move forward in dealing with an enemy that wants to destroy it, the organization that threatened the world order. The buds of its activity are leaders of U.S. Conservative, Reform and progressive Jewry are leading still evident in Iraq and Syria, and certainly in the Sinai Peninsula and their followers astray by religiously continuing to push for a two-state Southeast Asia, but IS is no longer able to stoke fear the way it did at the solution. Who are they to ignore the concerns of the majority of the Israeli height of its power. Those who thought the defeat of the Islamic State would mean the in the past has only served to exacerbate divisions. It’s hard to see a defeat of terrorism were very, very wrong. The Islamic State might have summit ending in a ceremonial signing, followed by a timetable for the died, but the idea at its foundation is alive and kicking all over the globe. implementation of all that was discussed. Is the never-ending Whether it is followers of Al-Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, National “arrangement” with Hamas a prototype? Will Egyptian President Abdel Thowheed Jamath in Sri Lanka or the Bedouin working for IS in the Sinai, Fattah El-Sisi also mediate the “deal of the century”? If he does so in a all of these people share a common radical ideology, which is based on the manner similar to his mediation with Hamas, he’ll probably have to idea that infidels must die. change the Egyptian constitution again and extend his term beyond 2030. The path to achieve this goal, whether in Strasbourg, San Bernardino or But perhaps there’s a tangible reason for El-Sisi to mediate, because Colombo, runs through fear. That is the secret power of terror: the Israel has certainly taken part in talks about building a deep-water port disruption of life. That is why these terrorists attack soft targets that will between Gaza and El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula. It’s difficult to result in mass casualties and widespread media coverage: Sri Lanka’s exaggerate the effect such a port would have, even with all of Israel’s packed tourist hotels and churches served this purpose well. security demands met. The Palestinians won’t receive more territory, but As in Syria, there is no way to fight terrorism in Sri Lanka without a such a port—if it’s built—will be a revolutionary economic initiative from combination of intelligence and operational activity. One doesn’t need the Gaza’s perspective. details that have been released thus far (the information relayed by the The same can be said with regard the vast sums apparently being Indians, the alerts that went out in Sri Lanka that included the names of offered to Jordan and Egypt. There will be economic development for the some of those involved in the attacks) to understand that this was a serious betterment of the Palestinians, and Abbas will be able to postpone the failure by the government: A series of attacks, carried out within a short Trump deal and hold on to power until he dies. It’s the only way he can period at least six different sites, as well as others later on, requires early continue ruling and also resign, which everyone has anticipated for the intelligence gathering, extensive logistical preparations, careful past two years at least. (Israel Hayom Apr 22) coordination and of course, the recruitment of terrorists. All of these components provide the government with a series of opportunities to thwart the attack. Years of fighting Palestinian terrorism The Right’s Victory over the Leftist Media By Haim Shine have made Israel a world champion in the field, as well as the unofficial At the Likud post-election victory party I saw many people guide of all of its counterparts around the world. We paid for our expertise rejoicing—women and men, religious and secular, young and old. The with blood and money, but there simply is no substitute. Those who want to cheers were mainly an expression of the right’s victory over the leftist save lives must act ahead, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and treat media. The attendees had internalized that the Blue and White Party was every terrorism alert with the utmost seriousness, suspect all potential invented by the media, for the sole purpose of ousting Prime Minister enemies and see to security for any object that requires protection. They Benjamin Netanyahu. must not fear going on the offensive, causing potential attackers to spend Indeed, Channel 12 reporters Guy Peleg and Amnon Abramovitch most of their time on the run instead of in pursuit. have continued the election campaign as if the issue had not already been Modern technology has provided terrorists with countless opportunities decided by Israel’s citizens. The failure of the left seems to have lent them to coordinate, update and learn, as well as equip themselves with a plethora new energy, producing headlines familiar from days past. of weapons. But it has also provided countless opportunities for defense: Former Supreme Court head Aharon Barak has written more than once The state has the ability to access computer networks and phones and that the court has no sword or purse, but it does have the public’s trust. collect the intelligence that can prevent terrorist attacks. This ability has There sometimes seems to be some dispute over the definition of the word been harnessed numerous times around the world in recent years, and will “public,” however. The Israeli left has already proved numerous times that likely be harnessed in Sri Lanka from this point forward, possibly with the in its opinion, the public, which it sees as a herd of ignorant, trouble- assistance of Israeli firms that are considered global leaders in the field. making, reckless fools, is of no importance to modern liberalism. It is only But this will not be the only Israeli connection to the Sri Lanka attacks. the progressive and enlightened public that is deserving of attention and As the attacks in Colombo were underway, tens of thousands of Israelis appreciation. In the eyes of the judicial elite, the public is the “legal were spending their Passover vacation in the Sinai. They went there despite community,” which includes judges, lawyers, academics and the the travel warnings, with the attitude that “it won’t happen to me.” Egypt commentators that serve as the link between the court and the masses. may not be Sri Lanka, in particular given that foreign publications have We recently received an instructive lesson on how the collaboration linked Israel to constant activity in the Sinai. Yet the threat remains as between the judicial elites and those under their command in the media relevant as ever, and as Sri Lanka showed, waits only for a convenient operates. As soon as the possibility of Likud Party member Yariv Levin target and the right opportunity to act. (JNS Apr 23) being appointed justice minister was raised, Peleg railed against the move, claiming he could not fathom Netanyahu giving him the portfolio with the knowledge “his affairs are expected to be heard in court.” A sharp Shattering Past Conceptions of Mideast Declarations By Amnon Lord message that it would not be wise to appoint a contrarian minister Next month will mark two years since U.S. President Donald Trump’s unwilling to align with the judicial system’s takeover. Levin’s possible historic visit to the Middle East. It was during that visit that discussions appointment was immediately and crudely compared to former Prime began for a peace plan that focuses on neighboring countries Egypt, Saudi Minister Ehud Olmert’s appointment of Prof. Daniel Friedman to the role Arabia and Jordan more than on the Palestinians themselves. of justice minister. Over these two years, Israel has steadily improved its relations and I did not laugh when Abramovitch joked that the significance of cooperation with these countries, while Palestinian Authority leader Levin’s appointment would be another year in prison for Netanyahu. This Mahmoud Abbas has opted to admonish and mock the president—“may was the darling of the judicial elite issuing an explicit threat to Netanyahu. your house be destroyed,” “you son of a dog.” The Americans have Now the only thing missing from this story is for them to try to frame removed from their safe all the valuables Israel has always desired: Levin. We’ve seen this before. The judicial elite knows how to frame Jerusalem, reduction of aid to the Palestinians, expelling the Palestinian appointees and thwart appointments of those they do not cherish. Former embassy from Washington, drastically cutting the budget of the United Supreme Court vice president Elyakim Rubinstein joined the “gevalt” Nation’s Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). campaign against the appropriate and important trend of decentralizing The recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights—the government power among the authorities, as is accepted in enlightened crown jewel unveiled prior to the April 9 Israeli election—is the clearest states. sign that the current U.S. administration no longer considers the 1967 The power accumulated by the Supreme Court and its representatives borders a sacred cow grazing the blood-soaked fields of the Middle East. in government fractures the foundations of democracy. Justices are All these steps indicate that the upcoming Mideast peace place (aka, the supposed to resolve conflicts and protect the minority from the oppression “deal of the century”) is essentially a vision comprising a series of of the majority. Israel is one of the only democratic countries in the world diplomatic and economic initiatives involving Israel and Arab countries. in which a majority needs protecting from the usurpation of the minority, The Palestinians are the objective of the plan—their situation is which under the auspices of the court tries to lead society without having supposed to improve, mostly economically. But taking a sober view, all been elected to do so. past frameworks of thought have been shattered. It’s hard to envision a The issue of the judicial system’s growing power is also given intense piece of paper resembling an actual peace agreement that Israeli and expression in the fundamental constitutional issue of the immunity of Palestinian leaders would sign. Maybe it can happen. But only at the end, public officials. In 2005, following the double votes in the , the which isn’t on the horizon. law that grants Knesset members immunity was amended with remarkable What we haven’t seen is a flurry of intensive diplomacy of the kind that speed. The amendment allows the attorney general to file an indictment against an MK directly with the court, without the need to first remove the Given the voting patterns of Palestinians—towards Islamicism and MK’s immunity, at the attorney general’s own discretion. This genuinely terrorist organizations for the most part—that openly advocate and work harms and significantly distorts the immunity of lawmakers, immunity that for Israeli and Jewish destruction and annihilation, a strong argument can is essential to their ability to carry out their mission. and ought to be made to strip Palestinians of their right to vote—period. The significance of the amendment is that in practice lawmakers do not The regional hostilities towards Israel in the Middle East are such that have immunity unless they ask for it to be activated—while also detailing Israel must take those threats seriously. It must work for a coalition of the reasons they require immunity. In a majority of enlightened forces to neutralize them. democracies, including France, England, Canada, the Scandinavian states The Israeli left should abandon its agonistic handwringing over so- and many others, it is law enforcement that must convince parliament to called Palestinian occupation and realize that applying Israeli law in Judea remove immunity, and not the other way around. The issue of lawmaker and Samaria, meaning the wholesale destruction of Hamas in Gaza— immunity should be re-examined, in particular at a time when the balance Hamas being a terrorist organization that can claim no rights as a group between the country’s branches of government must be restored. Leaders and no right to any square inch of land in the region—is an application of were elected to lead, attorney generals to serve as legal advisers and judges democratic law protecting the rights of the individuals who rightfully to judge. belong there. The Passover holiday is an expression of freedom and unity. May we be Speaking of Gaza, although the strip was unilaterally relinquished, able to eliminate the bitterness and together, out of fraternity and when one considers the reign of terror executed by the Hamas terrorists friendship, celebrate all of the good and beauty that exists in our lives in the and the unadulterated illiberality of the movement itself, Israel has every Land of Israel. A very happy holiday indeed. (Israel Hayom Apr 22) moral right to wage a ruthless and unrelenting war against Hamas and to re-settle the land if it ever so desires. America must also admit that it owes Israel political and financial The Moral Case for Israel Annexing the West Bank—And Beyond reparations for America’s many decades of support of the PLO and the By Jason Hill PA, which have pledged destruction to Israel, and have rejected all The April 2019 election victory for Benjamin Netanyahu will see him plausible peace offerings from Israel, preferring instead war and serve a record fifth term as Israeli prime minister and form a new right- destruction. wing coalition government. It also brings the promise of a commitment This political and economic reparation would see the United States Netanyahu made to the nation during his campaign: That he would annex supplying Israel even more advanced military capabilities, and funding Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Israel’s military defense in any manner Israel deems necessary for its Vowing to extend sovereignty without distinguishing between survival and unrivaled military status in the Middle East. Some may ask settlement blocks and the isolated settlements, Netanyahu promised not to why this is necessary. The answer is two-fold. transfer any sovereignty to the Palestinians. His victory in the elections Should a regional conflict between Israel and her Arab neighbors will, hopefully, see the enactment of Netanyahu’s promise. emerge, Israel will need to demonstrate extraordinary, excessive, and Israel made an altruistic mistake toward the Palestinian people after the unprecedented military might in a manner that can act as a deterrent and, if 1967 defensive war with Jordan. Rather than regard them as “war settlers” necessary, to irrevocably destroy her offensive enemies. or refugees or, after legally occupying conquered territory, as “illegal Additional U.S. militarization of Israel is also moral in its execution. It occupants,” they made the Palestinian people their political and moral sends a univocally clear message to the world that in any conflict between problem. Israel and her adversaries, the United States stands willing and ready— After victory, the “war settlers” could have been seen as enemies of the along with her ally—to destroy any political agent that attacks the state: supporters of the Fatah (Palestine Liberation Organization) Charter, sovereignty of Israel. This is because Israel’s right to exist is non- which basically calls for the end of Jewry in the region. Under a malevolent negotiable and it has a right to unilaterally apply Israeli law over its and illiberal regime, they would have been regarded and treated as such, not nation-state. as Israel did treat them: as human beings with specific, inalienable rights. Continued militarization of Israel comprises protracted support of our Under a different set of political sensibilities, the Palestinian people political and moral alter-ego in the Middle East. The decline of the would have been militarily removed from the area because, morally Palestinian people is narrated by their willful ideological malfeasance. speaking, after the 1967 war, they never belonged there. The proper They have never come into their own as a people largely because they response from Israel should have been to immediately annex the land and have never explicitly held a philosophy that can support freedom, the basic make the people there the responsibility of their original political homeland: liberal principles of individual rights, and a free market economy. Jordan. Given Fatah and Hamas’s genocidal aspirations toward Israel and There can be no such thing as legitimate “Palestinian Territory” in a universal Jewry and, in the case of Hamas, of a global caliphate, a moral geographic region legally seized in a defensive war instigated by a foreign goal would be to reverse the potential sovereignty of every Palestinian aggressor. The purpose of war is always to vanquish the enemy. The losers movement in the region. It ought to force Jordan to re-revoke its of the war cannot make demands on the victors that the victors themselves citizenship status of the Palestinian majority in Jordan. would not have been put in the position of meeting had the adversary or The Palestinian terror war Fatah launched after the 2000 Camp David enemy not forced the victors into making it in the first place. Peace Summit and unilaterally accepted by the Palestinian people places Israel was forced into a war, which it won. It was then expected to them in a precarious position. Whatever actions Israel or any of her allies renounce and repudiate the consequences of its fairly won war by take against them in a war against terror are their responsibility, and are capitulating to the conditions of its vanquished enemy, which included, moral. A people that overwhelmingly approves of their terrorist leaders among other self-sacrificially undertaken goals, granting statehood, cannot be made to become citizens of any civilized country such as Israel. autonomy, right of return, and the ultimate elimination of Jewry from the No moral or political distinctions must be made between Fatah, Hamas, region. and the people who elect and or support them. No constituted people Since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994, Judea and responsible for the election and appointment of terrorist actors can or Samaria (the West Bank) have enjoyed joint rule by Israeli military should be entrusted with the responsibility of voting. government and the Palestinian Authority with around 98 percent of the They constitute a national security threat to Israel because a core Palestinians living in areas under jurisdiction of the PA. In such areas, the feature of their identity is a commitment to destroying Israel as a Jewish PA has destroyed the freedom Palestinians enjoyed under Israeli rule and state. Therefore, only a policy of radical containment or expulsion remains their economy through kleptocracy, corruption, nepotism, and authoritarian a viable option. No state can obstruct the case for the achievement of its forms of governance subject to none of the checks and balances that own justice and territorial safety by aiding and abetting its own destroyers. characterize Israel’s Knesset. By making strategic alliances with ISIS, Hezbollah, and other terrorist Jewish exceptionalism and the exceptionalist nature of Jewish organizations—should political expediency dictate such a move—we will civilization require an unconditional space for the continued evolution of witness the destruction of Jewish secularism in the region and religious their civilization. What’s good for Jewish civilization is good for humanity militarization of the entire region. at large. Jewish civilization is an international treasure trove that must be One cannot admit anti-Semitics devoted to the destruction of Israel protected. into the domain of Jewish civilization. There has to be some semblance of Not all cultures are indeed equal. Some are abysmally inferior and re-shaping the political sensibilities of those outside the historic process. If regressive based on their comprehensive philosophy and fundamental this is not possible, then we have to admit to their intrinsic humanity, but principles—or lack thereof—that guide or fail to protect the inalienable also, nevertheless, confess to their tragic status as political ballasts. rights of their citizens. The writer is professor of philosophy at DePaul University in Chicago.