While the Israeli Left is deeply wallowing in inconsistency and stagnation, the Israeli Right is in the midst of a bona fide political renaissance – Sovereignty plans are proliferating.
Another detailed and courageous political program for the application of sovereignty was unveiled by MK Betzalel Smotrich and presented at the convention of the National Unity party.
The Israeli Left is deeply wallowing in inconsistency when it, on the one hand, proclaims that its political program to partition the land of Israel is designed to preserve Israel as a Jewish state, while at the same time encouraging the absorption of the infiltrators from Africa. Contrary to this intellectual and ideological stagnation, the Israeli Right is in the midst of a bona fide political renaissance.
If, until not so many years ago, Uri Elitzur, of blessed memory, and Caroline Glick were in splendid isolation when they wrote and spoke about the vision of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria; since then, thank God, the sovereignty conversation has amplified and intensified in the Israeli public arena and the political programs in that vein have proliferated.
In addition to Minister Naftali Bennett, who publicized at the time his “Stability Initiative,”today, the programs of many additional ministers and members of Knesset can be heard. Minister Yisrael Katz is spearheading the “Greater Jerusalem” program in an attempt to deter any possibility of establishing a Palestinian state in the future, a program that will lead to an overwhelming Jewish majority in Jerusalem and challenge those on the Left and in the Center who assert that their concern is focused upon the Jewishness of the capital. (It is worth noting that this program corresponds with the longstanding program of Aryeh Hess, who for several years now is active in “Greater Jerusalem.”) Minister Yariv Levin is working vigorously with his fellow minister, Ayelet Shaked, to equalize the status of legislation in Judea and Samaria with that of sovereign Israel.
Many members of Knesset publicized programs of their own for the application of sovereignty. The most famous program is that of the lobby on behalf of the land of Israel calling for the application of the law in Maale Adumim. However, there is also the program of MK Miki Zohar calling for granting rights to Palestinians other than the right to vote in elections for the Knesset. MK Yoav Kish presented a program based on the concept of administrative autonomy.
As stated, at this time, MK Betzalel Smotrich is presenting a comprehensive program for the assertion of sovereignty over all the territory of Judea and Samaria entitled: “The Victory Program,” as is former MK Moshe Feiglin, chairman of the “Zehut” party. The program of former MK Prof. Aryeh Eldad that viewed Jordan as Palestine is also worth mentioning. Likewise, there is former MK Elyakim HaEtzni, who claims that sovereignty should be applied over Judea and Samaria in its entirety, while in areas A and B there will be autonomy.
Outside the political realm, political programs are being developed and are being raised for public discussion. In this context, it is worth mentioning the humanistic program of Dr. Martin Sherman, which calls for encouraging voluntary emigration with reparations, as well as the political program that will be published soon in the book by Yaakov Sabag, resident of Ofra, who, until recently, was a senior officer in the Civil Administration.
There is the program: “Peace in the Land” that was developed by Rabbi Hanan Porat, of blessed memory, Uri Elitzur, of blessed memory, Avraham Shevut, Adi Mintz and Prof. Hayyim Gewirtzman, which was been recently updated by Adi Mintz.
In the course of the last few years, the Right wisely established many extra-parliamentary bodies, which research, publicize and influence the public realm and the political discourse in Israel. The various programs, the research and the momentum in the consciousness that was created in the public arena is leading to a bona fide change and to a restoration of the political helm to a Zionist orientation, Jewish morality and to a profound connection to the land of Israel.We will also mention the Federation Movement, headed by Emanuel Shahaf and the political proposal of Dr. Mordechai Kedar calling for the establishment of local “emirates” for the Arab residents of Judea and Samaria instead of an independent state. We must of course also mention the detailed program of Rav Beni Alon, of blessed memory: “The Israeli Program” (the regional peace framework).
This momentum is making waves, not only in the political arena in Israel, but also overseas. European ambassadors and diplomats are no longer disregarding the nationalist-sovereign discourse in Israel. They are conducting meetings, listening, asking and discussing and conveying the messages to their leaders in the European capitals. The new American administration, too, considers the programs of the Right as a political fact that cannot be disregarded, especially in light of the bloody failures of the Oslo programs that popped up from the Left. The international media clears more than a little room for the purveyors of the matter of Sovereignty and they sound their voices loudly, clearly and without a sense of inferiority.
We, in the “Women in Green” movement, which has been at the forefront of the Sovereignty campaign since 2011 by means of conferences, publishing the Sovereignty journals, establishing the Sovereignty website, lectures, study groups, petitions, etc., welcome all the programs that will inculcate into public opinion our commitment to the Land of Israel and the vision of Sovereignty. It is also refreshing to see the youth of “Eretz” (the Sovereignty youth movement supported by Women in Green) promoting Sovereignty among the younger generation. It is clear to us that when a vision and an objective is placed before the Jewish people, it does not disappoint.
The time when the Israeli Right lagged behind the Israeli Left and sufficed with defensive responses and with stating what not to do, is over. We are in a new era, an era in which the Right leads and shoves into the darkness of history the hallucinatory program promoted by the Left to partition the land and to establish a terrorist state in its heartland.
However, now, in order to ensure that all those impressive programs proposed by politicians and diplomats will not be stored in a file cabinet but will be transformed into political actions, the stage has moved to us, to the people. The tailwind that the people can and must provide for the sovereignty programs is vital to instill in these programs practical life. This is the hour to enlist in the Sovereignty movement. Each and every one can join through actions and ideas, by contributing, exerting pressure, by raising awareness and leading towards the realization of the vision.
With the help of God, we will ascend and inherit it.