The Sovereignty Movement to the Prime Minister: Your role is to protect the dignity of the people of Israel, even when facing a friendly American president. There is no place for threats, condescension, or disrespect between allies. Sovereignty is a necessity.
J.D. Vance feels “offended” and it’s really not clear about what or why. The ones who are truly offended are actually us, in light of the blunt and threatening tone of the American president toward the government of Israel, toward the Israeli parliament, toward the people of Israel, toward the Jewish people as a whole, when he tells us that if Israel applies sovereignty to the heart of our land it will lose all American support.
The ear hears his words and the heart contracts. Is this the friendly, sympathetic and supportive president? He is the one who speaks about us with such contempt?
With all due respect to the President of the United States, and with all gratitude for his contribution and assistance, we cannot accept such a tone and remain silent. American aid in wartime is not meant to be m golden handcuffs on Israel’s hands. Israel is not a star on the American flag. The assistance we received from the Trump administration helped the U.S. in its efforts to show it stands on the moral, good and just side of history. Israel granted the United States the privilege to take part in the defeat of evil. Israel and the U.S. are partners and as such they assist one another in different ways. There is no place for a condescending discourse full of arrogance and lordliness between partners.
We did not hear President Trump or any of his people speak in such a way toward the Arabs, despite violations of agreements.
A purely democratic process took place in the Knesset of Israel. The prime minister was supposed to defend the Knesset. As the leader of the greatest democratic power in the world, the American president ought to understand the meaning of democratic discourse, understand the right to express a position — even one he does not agree with — and act in a parliamentary democratic manner to promote a principled, ideological worldview. In a democracy there is no place for threats and intimidation.
The one who should and is obliged to respond to this blunt style is the prime minister of Israel as the representative of the Jewish people, yet to our regret and shame he apologizes and chooses to reprimand the coalitionembers who acted according to the dictates of their conscience and values.
Mr. Prime Minister, by your response you weaken us in the eyes of the nations. They detect weakness and smell slackness. The October massacre was such a moment when weakness and slackness were detected in Israel. The results were disastrous.
The issue of sovereignty is an existential necessity for Israel. Regional normalization can and should occur, but not at the price of harming the sovereignty, security and future of the State of Israel. Stability will come to Israel only when Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Bashan are officially defined as an integral part of the State of Israel. Only then will these areas not become nests of terror.
Mr. Prime Minister, we recall the rabbinic ruling: a king who relinquishes his honor has no honor. His honor is the honor of the people.