We are happy to present you with our 19th Sovereignty bulletin, sent to members and supporters of our Sovereignty Movement. You are invited to read, get updated and join:
Dear Friends,
Greetings.
With deep concern, we received the Prime Minister's announcement of the peace agreement reached with the United Arab Emirates. In his speech, the Prime Minister focused on the historical significance of the agreement and its labeling as the successor of Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Rabin, but preferred to skip his assent to the American demand to postpone the application of sovereignty.
This agreement of the Prime Minister turns the Land of Israel and sovereignty into a currency for the merchant which Israel agrees to pay in the political arena. It seems that the prime minister has turned to the left, perhaps due to his legal difficulties and no longer sees himself as the leader of the right-wing camp.
Instead of choosing as a leadership model the sovereignty steps taken by his predecessors, Levy Eshkol in Jerusalem and Menachem Begin in the Golan Heights, Netanyahu chooses other steps taken by his predecessors, Menachem Begin with Egypt and Yitzhak Rabin with Jordan. As will be recalled, in exchange for the agreement with Egypt, Begin relinquished all of Sinai and destroyed all the Jewish communities on the peninsula.
In exchange for the agreement with Jordan, Rabin gave up enormous amounts of water and agricultural land. From Netanyahu, the right-wing camp expected political leadership of the first kind, leadership of sovereignty, grip and a stronger connection to the Land of Israel, and not leadership of setbacks, capitulations, concessions and treatment of parts of the homeland as bargaining chips.
If this is indeed the way Netanyahu chooses, then there is no alternative but to replace him with a national leader with an ideological backbone who sees his historical mission in applying sovereignty and preserving the Land of Israel and its historical destiny.
Another warning light
Even before the publication of the agreement with the United Arab Emirates, we received another worrying signal. According to a report by senior commentator Ehud Yaari, the PA has renewed its ties with the United States after receiving a promise from the White House that Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria will not be applied unilaterally.
Anyone who has followed the moves of the Deal of the century since it was announced and even before, is not surprised by this. Time and again, all American representatives have made sure to see sovereignty as part of a deal that also includes the establishment of a Palestinian state. Among the tone-setters in the White House, were the voices that prevented Israel from applying immediate sovereignty as promised immediately after the plan was published.
These things are not surprising, but they certainly light another red light that should flash in front of all lovers of the Land of Israel and its loyalists. Sovereignty is an act of historical, moral and political justice and not, God forbid, a currency passed to the merchant, payment for the tearing of the Land of Israel. We will continue to be vigilant, warn the people of Israel and their leaders and warn of any plan that includes an outline in this spirit. We will continue to call for sovereignty without any connection or affiliation to the Trump plan.
We are not blinded
This week, the media reported that the Ministry of Settlement functions without its own budget and is actually subject to budgets from the Prime Minister’s Office. A senior member of the Settlement enterprise was quoted as saying that small offices that were established for political purposes and might be dismantled are placed under the Prime Minister’s Office so that it will be easier to dismantle them in the future.
If this is indeed the case, it is concerning and disturbing. The Ministry of Settlement was supposed to be an integral part of every government in past and the future Israeli governments. This is not a temporary political card but a true necessity for the development of the settlement enterprise from the Golan to the Negev, through the Galilee, Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
The present reality reinforces the suspicion that behind the establishment of the ministry is one goal, which is simply a “gesture” to the Right at the beginning phase of the Trump plan, a plan, as mentioned, whose purpose is the establishment of an Arab state in the heart of the Land, while surrendering the great majority of Judea and Samaria and tearing apart our Land.
The leadership of the Right camp must make it clear to the Prime Minister and his ministers that our eyes will not be blinded by their actions. The establishment of a “displacement ministry” does not impress anyone who wants the good and the territorial integrity of the Land of Israel. We will continue to be vigilant and thwart any trend toward withdrawal, surrender and concessions on the Land of our inheritance.
We wish to congratulate Minister Tsahi Hanegbi on entering the Ministry of Settlement. We hope that he will walk in the great footsteps of his late mother, the great prophetess of the vision of sovereignty, Geula Cohen, obm. For this, Minister Hanegbi will have to anchor well the activities of his office in economic, organizational and practical aspects. We wish him great success!
Minister Cohen Offers Reassurance
Our movement continues its activities vis-à-vis ministers and members of Knesset to create and consolidate a sovereignty coalition.
This week, together with the head of the “Bitahonistim” (the Securityists), Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, we met with Minister of Intelligence Eli Cohen and laid out for him our positions regarding the Trump plan and the necessity for sovereignty to strengthen Israel’s economy, security and ideology.
Minister Cohen, who until recently served as Minister of the Economy, is well aware of the economic benefits inherent in the application of sovereignty, and we took this opportunity to thank him for the many ways in which he acted to develop and strengthen the industry in Judea and Samaria during the years of his tenure in the Ministry of the Economy.
The Minister fully understood our concern regarding the clauses relating to the establishment of a Palestinian state that are included in the Trump plan and encouraged us, stating, “Don’t worry, we will not vote in the government for a Palestinian state”.
For a full report on our meeting with Minister Cohen, click here
A Song of Sovereignty
We also take this opportunity to report on the meeting that we held with Member of Knesset Michal Shir of the Likud. Michal is one of the more prominent supporters of the vision of sovereignty and together with her, we proposed a number of plans and steps for the continued progress in the plan for sovereignty in the fields of politics and policy.
To Naftali Bennett
The chairman of Yamina, Former minister Naftali Bennett, is exerting all of his weight and his best efforts in dealing with the economic crisis and the fight against the Corona Virus. He should indeed be congratulated for this. He presents a true north to the government, where it sometimes seems like the coalition and the opposition, arguing with each other. Member of Knesset Bennett presents clear ways in which to emerge from the crisis and his steadfast position is praiseworthy.
However, he should remember that in the future, and we hope it will be soon, the Corona virus will disappear and be forgotten and we will return to the normal routine of life. On the other hand, neglecting the political field and leaving sovereignty on the side of the road might be a political mistake with dramatic consequences for the future of Israel. Our movement calls upon Bennett and the members of his party to return to challenging the government by presenting the sovereignty plan at the center of the State of Israel’s agenda.
For me, sovereignty is…
And this time, our guest columnist is the new Member of Knesset Amit Halevi (Likud). We send him congratulations and wishes for success in his mission for the People of Israel and the Land of Israel:
“For me, sovereignty is the natural thing that was stolen from us more than two thousand years ago. Despite the fact that we have returned to the Land of Israel, it seems that we have not yet become used to it, but it is our obligation and we will complete it and apply our sovereignty over all parts of our Land”.
The Youth are also worried
Watch a short clip made by the Sovereignty youth who are worried and troubled by the Prime Minister's latest moves.
It is in Hebrew: "I trusted you" they say to the Prime Minister. "You promised Sovereignty and now you are using it as a bargaining chip". " How can you?"
To the attention of the viewer, Benjamin Netanyahu.
A painful farewell
Lovers of the Land of Israel together with us, friends of the Sovereignty Movement, are saddened by the passing of Helen Freedman, the co-founder and CEO of AFSI, Americans for a Safe Israel, a tenacious fighter for the Land of Israel and the People of Israel.
Dear Judy, dear Charlie,
The Sovereignty Movement mourns the passing of Helen: Her parting is great loss for the Land of Israel. Every step we took toward the redemption of Israel, Helen was with us, strengthening us and supporting us. She enlisted as a pioneer in the battle for sovereignty, out of deep faith in the vision and the task.
Helen loved the Land of Israel to the end and the Land of Israel loved returned her love. Helen’s footprints are forever etched on every hill, in every outpost in the landscape of the Land of Israel. The tours throughout Judea and Samaria brought the joy of life to her and to us. Her life was full of action and meaning. Helen dear, you will be sorely missed. You, Judy, fill her great shoes naturally, and this is a bit of consolation – to know that you continue in her wonderful path. May we be consoled with the building and sovereignty of the Land of Israel!
Helen visited us often at Oz veGaon- here is a short clip:
Together with Susie Dym
Our movement shares in the mourning of our friend Susie Dym, chairwoman of Matot Arim, on the sudden passing of her husband David last Friday.
Dear Susie, there is no remedy for your shock and personal pain, but in the continual building of Zion and Jerusalem there is something of the power to strengthen and uplift. Your ongoing struggle to strengthen the people and the Land is a significant step in paving to way in the path of Israel’s redemption and may you and your family be comforted and consoled with the building of the Land.
The gift of sovereignty
We have been very moved to receive messages from a number of members and supporters in recent days who chose to transfer the Corona grant that they received from the state, to the Sovereignty Movement. We thank you, dear friends and partners, for finding us worthy for your contribution.
We will continue to act with your help and with the support of your contribution to protect the Land of Israel and to promote the vision of sovereignty over its entirety, and we will do this as your faithful emissaries.
With the small sums that were collected in the metal boxes of the Jewish National Fund, the ground of the Land of Israel was redeemed, upon which communities were built and developed, forests were planted and fields were plowed. It is so in our days as well. The small amounts accumulate and they become a large amount that enables practical Zionist momentum . Any amount, small or large, that comes from you to us, provides us with a tailwind and a sense of partnership and mission along with the very ability to act as an extension of your arm carrying the banner of sovereignty in the public and political field in Israel.
If you too would like to join by donating the grant that you received from the state or any other amount, you can do so by contacting us directly:
For US tax deductible dollar donation
For Israeli tax deductible shekel donations
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Shabbat shalom,
Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar