The murderous terror attack in Jerusalem got a tailwind and encouragement from the first signs of political pressure on the Israeli government to make concessions and withdrawals.
Incitement and terror are again raising their heads. The sequence of terror attacks and attempted terror attacks has reached a peak with the murder of Eliahu David Kay, hy"d.
We feel the pain of loss along with the entire People of Israel and pray for the healing and well-being of those injured in the terror attack.
The Arab enemy continues to place Jerusalem at the center of its aspirations and it does so in every possible way, whether in the political-diplomatic arena or by terrorism.
These two arms seek to seize Israel and pressure her into withdrawal from the People of Israel’s life source, but the People is strong and united around the unity of Jerusalem and Israel’s sovereignty over it.
It seems that the efforts of the American administration to pressure the Israeli government to establish a consulate for the Palestinians in Jerusalem, together with the revival of the idea of a Palestinian state on the part of some ministers in the government and the steps to strengthen the PA economically, are breathing new life into the Arab hopes of establishing a state on the ruins of Israel.
This hope is the engine driving the wave of terror that has been raising its head in recent weeks.
As an appropriate and vital response, the Israeli government must unite around the unequivocal public statements issued by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Minister of Justice Gideon Sa’ar, that an American consulate will not be established in Jerusalem.
At the same time, we must increase our demand to implement the plan for Greater Jerusalem - to expand Jerusalem’s borders on all sides, an act which will make clear to the entire world the State of Israel’s increasing hold on her eternal capital.
The People of Israel has looked longingly toward Jerusalem for two thousand years of exile; it longed for the Land of Zion, Jerusalem, during its most difficult days.
Now, as the nation is blossoming, we must not weaken our hold on her, we must not show weakness.
Especially now, we must strengthen our historic and practical connection to the city, continue to build the layer of the People of Israel’s Jewish identity in its Land, and in doing so, deal a real blow to Arab hopes to see Israel’s destruction, G-d forbid.
May we be built up and consoled by the building of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel!