We are happy to present you with our Sovereignty bulletin #70, sent to members and supporters of our Sovereignty Movement. You are invited to read, get updated, send us your comments and join:
Greetings, dear friends
The hills of Jerusalem were on fire this week. Great flames threatened the safety of Israel’s capital, and besides the question of the cause of the conflagration (apparently arson) we take from these painful scenes the lesson of our love for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel, versus the attitude of others who only claim to love it, but are willing to incinerate her and her forests with their burning hatred.
A dangerous encounter
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is leaving for a visit in the U.S., where it is expected that the policy matters of interest to the Biden administration will be raised. One of these matters is Biden’s desire to establish a consulate for the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem.
For the administration, the motive is clear and simple. It is interested in promoting a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, so establishing a consulate would constitute a significant political anchor for additional steps whose purpose is to determine political facts on the ground in the heart of Israel’s capital.
But while these are the American administrations motives, the Prime Minister and his people must remember their mission as representatives of the Jewish People, who care only about Israel’s interests. This is their job and at this time, and this is why they have risen to power.
Ironically, it is the Prime Minister’s weakness that may serve him as a strong card against Biden’s pressures. Bennett can claim that even if such a step is supported by the Left wing of the government, it would lead to the government’s collapse from the other side, because the Right-wing components of the government will not allow it.
As Prof. Eugene Kontorovich wrote simply and clearly: “Here is the simple message to send to Bennet: if you agree to a consulate now, you can’t even argue that Biden forced you. Everyone sees they are in no position to force anything. Instead, you should use the diplomatic gift of this visit to firmly declare Israel’s commitment to full sovereignty in Jerusalem, with no foreign consulates, as well as building homes for families in Yehuda v’Shomron . Biden is in no position to have a diplomatic fight with an ally now”.
A broken reed
Beyond the political discourse that the Prime Minister is expected to conduct in the U.S., he and we must take in the pictures from Afghanistan and internalize their lesson: It is not the U.S. that will pay the price for its hasty and impulsive moves, but the local people who are left behind after the American forces pack up and disappear.
Any such promises of security guarantees and support are only good for the time in which they are uttered. Governments change, presidents change, decisions change, and we would be left alone to deal with the consequences.
Don’t be discouraged – we can have an influence
We must not allow a dangerous attitude of apathy to take us over. The heads of the YESHA Council and the Land of Israel Lobby in the Knesset have set out this week in a protest demonstration in front of the Prime Minister’s office due to a number of warning signals that were lit up this week:
For the first time, building permits for Jews in Judea and Samaria became dependent on permits granted to Arabs. As if to create a linkage in building permits between the two sides, and this, despite the unrestrained rampage of illegal building by Arabs in the PA in Area C.
According to the plan, building permits in the area are given to PA Arabs that will divide Gush Etzion in two and becomes a noose around the Jewish communities that will strangle them.
Along with permitting two thousand housing units for the Jews living in Judea and Samaria, thousands of planned buildings were removed from the agenda, despite having obtained all of the professional permits. In Binyamin Council the injustice cries out to the heavens, when out of two thousand housing units, only 14 were approved and even these might not come to fruition.
On top of all this, there is also real concern over giving Israeli permission to establish an American consulate for the Arabs of the PA, which would mean recognition of the division of Jerusalem.
The Council heads’ protest is important, primarily because it is a way to obligate us to take part in it. We are at a critical point in time, which obligates us to mobilize ourselves to prevent results that would be disastrous for the future of the State of Israel and the People of Israel. We must express our protest and demand our leaders to return to the values of Zionism backed by a broad national consensus: sovereignty, settlement, security, Judaism and aliyah.
Our message to the politicians: You were elected because of these values. You are obligated to these values and it is your privilege and duty to lead according to them.
This is not our way
Following many inquiries to us, we have published a clarification this week in the media on the phenomenon of SMS messages viciously attacking the Prime Minister and government ministers, in the name of Ribonut (Sovereignty).
In our response, we noted our complete rejection of the style of the messages, which has never been our way. We also noted that we are now considering taking legal action against that anonymous body that defines itself as Ribonut and sends derogatory messages.
We consider this to be a despicable impersonation by anonymous bodies using the name Ribonut. Even if the government takes steps worthy of harsh condemnation, outbursts and personal attacks are not our way or our style.
The fact that an anonymous body is using the name of the Sovereignty Movement to spread such political positions causes damage and constitutes severe harm to the Sovereignty Movement and its good name. Those who spread these messages hide behind the name of our movement are committing a cowardly act, which we totally condemn.
We have passed the matter on to continued action using two main channels: We are working with a private investigator to locate the source of the messages and we are working with Atty. Gilead Korinaldi to prepare and serve an urgent lawsuit.
To read more : Sovereignty Movement: Anonymous group is sending forged messages in our name:
My we be blessed with “when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it” (Ki Teitzei - Deuteronomy 25:19).
Shabbat shalom,
Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar