For decades, we’ve repeatedly heard the
claim that it’s not the right time to promote sovereignty. On the other
hand, it has become evident that waiting for precisely the most
opportune moment never yields any tangible results on the ground.
There will always be reasons and excuses
to postpone this step, although history has proven that despite the
“poor timing” of applying sovereignty over the Golan Heights and
Jerusalem, determined Israeli leadership knew how to take critical steps
essential for Israel’s future.
This was accomplished by leaders (from the
Likud and Labor, from the right and left) guided by unwavering
ideological conviction, firmly convinced of the justice of the Jewish
people’s cause, and willing to act despite international pressure and
threats from both adversaries and allies worldwide.
This is the kind of pioneering, ethical
leadership that is needed today to promote sovereignty over Judea and
Samaria. Moreover, the current timing may be the most opportune in
decades.
The concept of sovereignty as a practical
political goal is now much more widely accepted in Israel than at any
time in the past. The vast majority of Israelis have become completely
disillusioned with dreams of coexistence and peace after the ruthless
determination of its adversaries to annihilate Israel through various
brutal and monstrous means became so painfully evident on Oct. 7.
The people of Israel understand today,
unlike at any other time in the past, just how dangerous the idea of a
Palestinian state is to Israel’s physical survival and are increasingly
open to considering the idea of sovereignty and the ways to implement
it.
Experts in the Middle East, including
those not necessarily aligned with the right, believe that the most
vulnerable issue for Israel’s enemy is that of land. Consequently, it is
imperative to use land to respond to the enemy’s brutal acts of
aggression.
The Arab enemy is indifferent to the loss
of life, civilian or otherwise, and is unfazed by international
pressure, interpreting it as a sign of divine mission. However, the loss
of territory it misguidedly believes belongs to it will undoubtedly
cause considerable distress.
That is why the application of
sovereignty, on the ground and through legislation, is not only
historically just and the fulfillment of a vision, but also the most
effective response to terrorism. This fact underscores the simple logic
that in the wake of Oct. 7 and the cruel attack on Israel’s
sovereignty—in our communities, IDF bases, and vast areas of the Land of
Israel in the north and the south—we must respond decisively and
emphatically by asserting Israel’s sovereignty over the Land of Israel.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s
announcement this week of his intention to promote through legislation,
and not only on the ground, the application of Israeli sovereignty over
Judea and Samaria comes at precisely the right time. This declaration
embodies the self-evident historical justice of the return of the people
of Israel to its land and constitutes the realization of the Zionist
dream of sovereignty over the Land of Israel.
It is also the most appropriate response
to the murderous intentions of Sinwar and his savage cohorts, who have
never hidden their desire to destroy Israel by any means.
Out of concern for the people and Land of
Israel, and based on a deeply rooted historical perspective, we the
citizens of Israel must support and empower our leaders who promote the
vision of sovereignty wherever we can.
Most importantly, we must unite our voices
and urge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as one who is profoundly
committed to safeguarding the survival and future of the State of
Israel, to promote the vision of sovereignty both in legislation and on
the ground. This momentous historic achievement will be forever
enshrined in the annals of our nation as his legacy.
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