The retired officers recycle the magic of withdrawal and retreat, but reality is much more complex and the people are sober and demand sovereignty
Disseminating miracle solutions for complex problems is one of the major problems during the pre-election period. Parties seek to present solutions in slogans of up to four words to be emblazoned on billboards. But the public is smart and understands that complex situations require complex solutions.
These days we are in the midst of a well-financed (it is not yet clear by whom) campaign of intimidation in which former military authorities are seeking to return us to the blueprint of withdrawals and concessions and to instill fear in us from the vision of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria by wielding the sword of demography.
The same self-appointed “experts” are again trying to sell us the “Arab Peace Plan,” which includes a complete withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights and establishment of a Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem. These former officers conceal the fact that they are left-wingers who, in the past, supported every proposal calling for Israeli withdrawal and capitulation. That was the case in the Gaza Strip, that was the case in Lebanon, and that is what they sought to do in the Golan Heights. We are still today paying the price in blood for the consequences of those initiatives, Hezbollah threats and Hamas rockets.
Despite the respect for their past as officers, these are people lacking historical and political awareness, lacking understanding of the destiny of the Jewish people, and lacking familiarity with the Arab, Middle Eastern mentality according to which the one who capitulates and withdraws invites the next attack until he ultimately surrenders.
One does not need to be a security expert to understand the disaster latent in withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. The objective that the Arab leadership has unceasingly declared is establishment of greater Palestine that stretches from the Mediterranean to the Jordan. Iranian and jihadist forces from all over the world will enter this state that those “experts” are seeking to establish; missiles fired on Ben-Gurion Airport will become a daily occurrence, preventing planes from taking off. Millions of Arabs will stream from Jordan to Judea and Samaria and will create a full-fledged demographic threat, with their ultimate objective being a “return” to Yafo, Ramle, Haifa, and Ashdod. The world will see and will again and again demand more withdrawals in order to appease the angry Arab mob.
All this is before we mention our historical obligation to take possession of the Land of Israel. Jews cannot relinquish Judea! There is no moral validity to our presence in Ramat Aviv if we cede Beit El, Shechem and Hevron to foreign sovereignty.
An Israeli withdrawal from the cultural cradle of the Jewish people and from its heartland will be national suicide. Only total Israeli control and sovereignty in Judea and Samaria will yield security, stability, and a moral-historical basis for our presence here.
For 51 years, we are responsible for the fact that a political question mark hovers over Judea and Samaria. The status quo, which, perhaps, pacifies certain right-wing supporters, does not really exist. Under its auspices, the Palestinian Authority (PA) is building and taking control of lands in Areas A and B, and establishing facts on the ground specifically in Area C. The Jews, in contrast, are paralyzed and subject to a building freeze. If this issue is not resolved soon, no land will remain available to the Jews. A clear Israeli declaration that there is no intention to withdraw, accompanied by actions, will thwart the hopes of the Arab enemy to establish a state on our ruins.
The challenge of sovereignty requires that we soberly address the demographic threat. In that interest, several proposals have been raised, whose purpose is one: A single Jewish State between the Mediterranean and the Jordan, in which there is a solid Jewish majority and an Arab minority loyal to the state. In order to ensure that result, it is possible to proceed in stages:
In the first stage, sovereignty will be applied to the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, with no change in the status of the Arabs. Already at this stage, the insane idea of the establishment of a Palestinian state will be halted. In the second stage, sovereignty will be applied to the territories of Area C, which constitute 60% of Judea and Samaria (with some necessary border adjustments). The approximately 80,000 Arabs residing in those areas will be granted resident status like that enjoyed by the East Jerusalem Arabs. In the third stage, sovereignty will be applied to the rest of Judea and Samaria, and for the Arabs there, municipal autonomy will be established under Israeli sovereignty, which will oversee the school textbooks and maintain exclusive control of security and foreign policy.
We must take an honest look into the future. In 30 years there will be 20 million people west of the Jordan. Our grandchildren and great-grandchildren expect us to conserve the land for them, to provide the option of a comfortable life, with reasonably priced housing, economic prosperity, and security and political stability.
In summary: Between the Mediterranean and the Jordan there is only one national entity – Israel. Our primary commitment is to the Jewish people. The aforementioned steps are gradual; however, it is possible that we will be surprised by foundational historical events as in ’48 and ’67 when multitudes of Arabs decided to leave. We can also anticipate and must facilitate the aliya of at least another million Jews from the Diaspora. Under those circumstances, the entire balance will change even more – for the best.