The Fast Track
Today has been declared to be a fast day by the Yesha Council of Rabbis. From the JPost article:

"In light of the threats to the communities in Gush Katif and outposts throughout Judea, Samaria and Gaza," the rabbis wrote, "all people who are capable are requested to fast to annul the evil decree and save the entire Nation of Israel wherever they may be."

Quoting from Maimonides, the rabbis noted that Jewish law states that "it is customary to fast as a result of trouble which comes upon the community until there is mercy from the heavens."

The rabbis added that those unable to fast should "increase their prayers" and recite Psalm 83.

I am going to go out on a limb, and suggest not participating in this fast. Israel is not Russia, Sharon is not the czar, and his proposals are not "evil decrees." Israel is our country, which we built to be our eternal homeland, and we don't counter bad policy proposals by reciting Psalm 83. The Psalm says, "Ki hinei oy'vecha yehemayun, um'san'echa nas'u rosh" - Your enemies make a tumult, and they who hate You have lifted their head. This is not talking about the Jewish prime minister of the Jewish state.

Here are some suggestions of what you can do instead:

If you live in Israel:

• Find out about a political or activist group which you can become involved with.
  
• Go visit a community in Yesha which you've never been to. Ask for a tour.
  
• Make plans to ascend Har Habayit. Instead of Psalm 83, say Psalm 122: "L'maan beit Hashem Elokeinu avaksha tov lach."
  

If you live in the Exile:

• Take one step towards your aliyah. Find out about your profession in Israel, call the Jewish Agency, or just think about where you'd like to live. Wear a pin that says, "I'M MAKING ALIYAH!" and explain it to anyone who asks. Start thinking about your next vacation to Israel.
  
• Buy an Israeli newspaper. If you can, buy a Hebrew one. Read it, and feel like you're a part of it.
  
• Find an Israeli charity and write a check.
  

I found this article on Maariv, with beautiful pictures and descriptions of all the communities in Gaza. It's well worth the read. If you don't read Hebrew, look at the pictures.

Finally, read some Tanach. Read the book of Nechemia, or the book of Zecharia, or the second perek of Yishayahu. Plan to read more. Feel yourself connect to the past, as you envision the future.

We are living in a different world from the one we lived in 60 years ago, and we need to act and think that way. Good things will happen when, with God's help, we take an active role in making them so.
- posted by Ben @ 6:47 AM Permalink Home

 
Kumah Tu B'Shvat Shabbaton Info
Here is the schedule for the Shabbaton:

1a. 12:00 Take the 170 Egged bus to Beit El.
1b. The bus leaves from the third floor of the Central Bus Station (Tachana Merkazit) in Jerusalem.
1c. Get off in Beit El around 1hour later - ask to get off at the Yeshiva stop. I will be there to greet you. (There is also a bus at 1:30, 2:15, 3:00 - but if you take these you may miss the next event. I rather you take the 2:15 bus if you plan to be late.)
2. 1:00 Drop off stuff in the Moadon - our central place.
3. 1:30 Go planting olive trees in the mountains of Zion.
4. 3:30 - return to Moadon and take stuff to your assigned families (Prepare for Shabbat, shower, etc.)
5. 4:45 Meet at prayer hall for Carlebach style Friday night prayer
6. Go to the Friday night meal at the Moadon - our Seder Tu B'Shvat
7. After meal - go to your respective houses for Shabbat sleep.
8. Morning prayer - go with your family (probably 8:00 AM)
9. Eat lunch with your family after prayer.
10. 1:30 Meet back at the Moadon a our scenic guided tour.
11. 4:00 Mincha - The afternoon prayer
12. 4:30 We eat the Seudah Shlishit - the Third Meal together - hear our special guest speaker!
13. 6:00 Pray Maariv - the night prayer.
14. 6:30 Say goodbye, or stay for Bonfire (weather permitting)
15. 9:00 Shalom Shalom, we all go home, hope you had a nice time.

IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES - CALL ME - MY CELL PHONE: 050-356-263
Remember, the cost is 50NIS per person. Bring yourself, some fruit or wine, and lets have a great time!

All The Best,
Yishai
- posted by Yishai @ 6:08 PM Permalink Home

 
Kleiner's Speech
Michael Kleiner spoke at YU last night. I was there to hand out pins and articles, as usual. I was orignially going to speak, but it got late, so I left.

Kleiner made some interesting points, which I won't go into now. In general, he outlined his political plan: take the ten billion dollars that Israel is spending on the fence, and instead spend it on encouraging and financing Arab emigration from Israel. It's a reasonable policy - no one is forced to do anything, but they have the option. Why not?

However, let's look at the numbers. He claimed that in a poll, 37% of Arabs in Israel would leave if they had the finances. This means about 1.5 million people. The fence money divided among them would give about $6500 per person. The goal of this plan is to significantly change the demographic makeup of Israel.

Now, instead of spending $6500 per person to get Arabs to leave, why not spend $6500 per person to get Jews to come? Same demographic shift, no charge of "transfer," no chance of the money going to fund terrorism, and the biggest benefit of all - it continues the historic project of Zionism - the ingathering of the exiles, which is the very reason the State of Israel was created.

So, why didn't Kleiner think of this? Probably for the same reason that no one who comes to speak in New York talks about Aliyah: they've given up on us. Sharon still wants to bring a million more immigrants, but he talks about finding them in Russia, where many of these remaining "Jews" are not Jews at all. Why isn't anyone seriously talking about a million immigrants from the West? Furthermore, the only reason why we are talking about a major evacuation of the Jews in Gaza is that we assume we are done growing, and now is the time to close ranks. Immigration is no longer a major force in Israeli policy.

If we have come to the point where the State of Israel has given up on the majority of Am Yisrael which does not reside in Eretz Yisrael, then we have given up on Zionism, and the purpose of the Jewish State. And this is really the most "painful concession" of them all.
- posted by Ben @ 6:51 PM Permalink Home

 
Assumptions
Sharon says: "I am working on the assumption that in the future there will be no Jews in Gaza."

Maybe someday we'll have a prime minister that will work under the assumtion that in the future there will be no Jews in Exile?
- posted by Ben @ 5:29 PM Permalink Home

 
Deterrence
The JPost reports that Hamas is announcing its intentions to kidnap soldiers in order to secure the release of their prisoners. We knew we were rewarding Hizbollah's kindapping policies, but maybe we didn't expect everyone else to get in on the action? Plus, the fact that we are willing to trade live prisoners for dead bodies means there isn't even an incentive for terrorists not to kill Israelis after the kidnap them.

I have been trying to figure out why we have lost our deterrent power, and I think it may be that we still think of ourselves as golus Jews - the weak Jews who are always subject to the whim of the host Gentiles. We tell the Gentiles that we would give them anything, if only they will live in peace with us, or return our prisoners. The only reason the surrounding Arabs do what they do is because they know our reaction. Somehow, we need to gain the upper hand.

For example: Israel is militarily much stronger than Syria, even if they do have WMD from Iraq. Why do we need to give them land in return for them promising not to attack us? Surely the Syrians fear an Israeli military strike. Why not offer peace with Syria on even terms: we won't attack you if you don't attack us? Why not pass a law in Knesset forbidding the return of any land captured in a defensive war? Then, Syria can't attack us without fearing that they will lose Lebanon, or Damascus. As it stands, they are already a terrorist state. But if they attack Israel and lose land, Israel will be pressured to give it back. So, Israel has more to lose in such a war. Let's turn the tables.

The Arabs know that if they kidnap an Israeli soldier, we will release many prisoners. Let's announce that we will only agree to even swaps for prisoners, we will not make any exchanges for bodies, and we will retaliate against any organization taking prisoners with offensive strikes. Somehow, we need to gain the upper hand, so that future negotiations will not lead to even more bloodshed.
- posted by Ben @ 11:46 PM Permalink Home