MK Son Har Melech at Youth for Sovereignty Conference: As long as there is no sovereignty, there is no security, no equality, no rule of law, no infrastructure development.
Knesset Member Limor Son Har Melech described in her speech to the participants of the Youth for Sovereignty Conference in Sderot the practical significance of the absence of sovereignty, and the depth of commitment to act to realize the vision.
She opened her remarks by emphasizing the uniqueness of the youth, those who shake off the dust as she put it, "those who rise up and awaken us all and they are the hope of us all." She defined Sderot, the host city, as the "city of heroism" where the conference is taking place, calling out clearly "the time has come for sovereignty. Not rhetoric, not promises. Actual application of sovereignty now," she said and mentioned the sovereignty legislation expected to come up in the Knesset in the coming days.
The decision to abandon Gush Katif, she said, effectively abandoned Sderot, Netiv HaAsara, Nahal Oz and the entire Gaza envelope. "The price of lack of sovereignty is not theoretical. It is embodied in trauma, in children who hear sirens from age zero, and if we don't learn the lesson, we will pay the price again in Judea and Samaria. As long as there is no sovereignty, there is no security, no equality, no rule of law, no infrastructure development. As long as Israel does not declare that these are its borders and this is its territory, the world will continue to challenge our right and the State of Israel will continue to live in uncertainty."
She defined the reality in which hundreds of thousands of residents in Judea and Samaria still live under military rule as absurd. "They are not citizens with equal rights; Israeli law does not apply to them fully. Every establishment of a kindergarten, road development or public transportation upgrade involves approvals from the civil administration, military directives and sometimes High Court petitions that can freeze everything," she said and noted how striking and obvious these things are from the Israeli Knesset. "Jews in the State of Israel should not live under different laws," she declared. "As long as sovereignty has not been applied, there are no long-term outline plans for cities, no real transportation budgets, no regular maintenance, no state investments. Every road is paved as a band-aid and not as part of comprehensive planning. A settlement not under sovereignty must fight for its right to bring in water, electricity and internet. This dictates quality of life and the future. The army operates in legal uncertainty and contradictory orders, to protect the settlement and on the other hand not to exceed legal limitations that are becoming increasingly tight."
The absence of sovereignty, she said, has significant security implications. When the army's hands are tied by legal pretexts, there is no deterrence and terror increases. Now, unlike in the past, said Son Har Melech, the political reality has changed and the claims that the world will not accept sovereignty are no longer relevant. "The situation has changed. There is a right-wing government, there is broad public support and there is an American president who is friendly to settlement and does not issue ultimatums. We have an opportunity and we must not miss it. Sovereignty is not a slogan but responsibility and an obligation to the residents of the communities and outposts and to the next generation growing up in Sderot, witnessing the price of hesitation and weakness. Sovereignty is not only a historical right and moral obligation but also the only way to ensure security and law. The time has come for sovereignty now."