Jerusalem News (3 February, 2014, 3 Adar-1, 5774)
Contents:
1. Bennett: Jews living in Palestinian state is "U-turn for Zionism" by HERB KEINON.
2. Assad Preparing Heavily-Armed Alawi Enclave in Sythia
Assad 'armed to the teeth,' stockpiling weapons of mass destruction
3. Torah Perspective: The Prohibition to Forego National and Ethnic Independence.
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1. Bennett: Jews living in Palestinian state is "U-turn for Zionism"
By HERB KEINON, JPOST.COM STAFF
LAST UPDATED: 01/28/2014 18:33
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/LIVE-Naftali-Bennett-speaks-at-security-conference-in-Tel-Aviv-339624
Extracts:
[Naftali] Bennett, during his speech, stressed his disappointment in the peace process
and said that Israel must not give back land to the Palestinians.
"People said that giving back land would bring security, but in the year
2000, terrorism was rampant in the streets of Haifa, Tel Aviv and
Jerusalem," he said.
Jews cannot live under Palestinian sovereignty for the simple reason that if
they do they will be killed, he said.
Not only did Bennett not back down from criticisms he sounded Monday against
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's suggestion that the settlements may
remain under Palestinian sovereignty in a future agreement, but he ratcheted
up his criticism.
"It will not happen, and cannot happen," Bennett said of the idea. "You know
why Jews can't live under Palestinian sovereignty? Why? Because they will
kill them. How do I know, because it happened."
Bennett said it happened in 1929 in Hebron, when the ancient Jewish
community there was butchered by their Arab neighbors, and it happened again
in 2000 when two reservists made a wrong turn and were lynched after being
taken to the Palestinian Authority police station in Ramallah.
Everyone knows, he said, that if an Arab wanders into to Herzliya he will
leave safely, but that if a Jew gets lost and ends up in Jenin he will be
killed.
"We all came here to the land of Israel in the name of Zionism," he
declared. "The essence of Zionism is sovereignty. If there is no sovereignty
there is no Zionism."
He said that placing Jews under foreign rule would be a Zionistic U-turn.
"We tried it in Europe, and it did not really work," he said, just an hour
after getting back from what he said was his first trip to Poland and
Auschwitz as part of a Knesset delegation.
"We were always proud that only a Jewish army will defend the Jews. What has
happen too us. What is the significance of even raising this idea. What does
it say about us."
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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
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2. Assad Preparing Heavily-Armed Alawi Enclave in Syria
Assad 'armed to the teeth,' stockpiling weapons of mass destruction
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Sunday Times: Assad's regime accused of arming Alawite region despite agreements to destroy weapons.
http://docstalk.blogspot.co.il/2014/02/assad-armed-to-teeth-stockpiling.html
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The Sunday Times quoted both Israeli and Russian sources as claiming that Syrian President Bashar Assad is stockpiling weapons of mass destruction in Alawite enclaves on the western coast of Syria.
According to the Times, these sources report that the work has been ongoing despite the first round of peace talks between Assad's regime and the rebels, held last week in Geneva. The talks are largely seen as having been inconclusive.
One source stated that Assad has turned over only four percent of the regime's chemical weapons and that the regime will miss this week's deadline to send all toxic agents for destruction abroad.
Israel believes that the collected arsenal is mainly consistent of chemical warheads for missiles and warheads, and that it is concealed within the Alawite enclave on Syria's western coast. One IDF source said about Assad's defense of the Alawite region between Latakia and Turkey that, "This region is now totally fortified and isolated from the rest of Syria.
Assad's apparent strategy is to defend the Alawite sector, a western diplomat stated. 'The reason for some of the worst ethnic cleansing and murder of Sunni civilians on the edge of the Alawite enclave in places like Homs, was to give better protection to the Alawites.'
The Alawites, an Islamic sect, represent only 12% of the Syrian population. About 75% are Sunnis.
The continued collapse of Syria as the civil war drags on was discussed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and King Abdullah of Jordan recently, where both shared concern over Assad's plan to carve out a heavily armed Alawite state.
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3. Torah Perspective: The Prohibition to Forego National and Ethnic Independence.
Recently the notion has arisen that Jews in the Land of Israel can be left under Palestinian Jurisdiction.
Israeli President (and EU favorite) Simeon Peres is one of those promoting the idea. In the past he himself said that is how the problem of Jewish settlers in those areas would be settled.
"I know my merchandise" he one said, i.e. The Jews would leave and that would solve the problem for him and those like him.
US envy Kerry also appears to be in favor of this.
PM Natanyahu suggested anew the idea in what he afterwards claimed was a bluff to show that the Palestinians did not want Jewish presence under any circumstances whatsoever.
Head of the Jewish Home Party (see item no.1, above) protested. This caused a minor coalition crisis since Natanyahu said that Bennet had spoiled his ploy to expose the true nature of the Palestinian side.
Whatever the case, the idea is against the Torah.
It should not have been mentioned or even thought about.
We are commanded to assert our national independence when we can and certainly NEVER to surrender any of it once attained!
Surrendering Jewish [and/or Israelite] Independence is Against the Law of God!
Deuteronomy 17:
14 When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me', 15 you may indeed set over you a king whom the Lord your God will choose. From amongst your brothers [ translated as, "One of your own community"] you shall set a king over you; you shall not put over you a foreigner who is not your brother.
Note the last words:
# you shall not put over you a foreigner who is not your brother. #
[Translated as # You are not permitted to put a foreigner over you, who is not of your own community. #
The Sages understood this to mean that it is forbidden by the Torah to appoint any non-Israelite to a position of authority (no matter how insignificant) over Israelites.
Safer haChinuch 497.
Maimonides, Laws of Kings, 1;4
# ...Not only for Royalty but also for any kind of authority whatsoever over Israel... as it says, "From amongst your brothers you shall set a king over you". All appointments of authority that you make must be only from amongst your brothers. #