Should We Apply Israeli Law To Judea & Samaria?

18 of Twelfth Month (Alef) 5771

JPost.com: Panel To Consider Applying Israeli Law To Settlements

Ron Friedman & Tovah Lazaroff, February 20, 2011

Removal of military law would make it near impossible, to impose a freeze on West Bank Jewish construction, approve construction.

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation is set on Sunday to debate a bill that would apply Israeli law to West Bank settlements which are now under military rule.

It would also make it difficult, if not impossible, to impose a freeze on West Bank Jewish construction.

Such a move would automatically strip Defense Minister Ehud Barak of the ability to authorize Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria, as such activity would then be determined by the Ministry of Housing and Construction in a manner no different from what happens with construction projects within the Green Line.

(Read the entire article...)

Sounds like a good idea, right? This is what settlers want, to enjoy the full rights of their Israeli citizenship, right? This would correct the current lack of fairness, and double standards involved here, right?

I wouldn't be too sure.

Many people, both in and outside of Israel, do not realize that those Jews living in Yehudah & Shomron (Judea & Samaria) do not enjoy the full rights of all other Israeli citizens. The fact that JPost.com mentions this, is a good thing.

Residents can be removed from their homes at any time by order from the IDF Central Command. At minimum, this is an annual event, during the fall, olive harvest.

Some in Yehudah & Shomron have entertained the idea of some form of autonomy. After all, many communities in Israel hold varying degrees of autonomy. The non-Jewish, Druze, Bedouin, and even the Black Non-Hebrews enjoy some forms of autonomy which Jewish communities do not.

The Israeli government even looks the other in regards to polygamy in the Bedouin and Black Non-Hebrew communities. The Black Non-Hebrews allow their men to marry up to seven wives. Black non-Hebrew also import members of their communities into Israel, from Chicago, New York, and elsewhere, at will, without ANY interference from the Israeli government. Visiting Jews can be deported from Israel for their religious and political beliefs. Yet, African-Americans, who have NO connection to Israel, are granted Israeli residency status, simply because this community threatened mass-suicide several years ago.

Secular Jews in Tel-Aviv sleep with whomever they want, whenever they want without fear of prosecution. But, if a Yeminite Jew were to apply for a marriage license with a second wife, he would not only be turned down, but brought in for evaluation and "re-education."

Even foreign workers, who happened to have given birth in Israel, are on the road to enjoying greater rights than settlers.

Settlers, even those who live in towns approved and supported as much as 30 years ago incur "stay-away" orders at the will of a military general, administrative detention (jail for up to six months without due process), and countless other forms of harassment, even though they are Israeli citizens.

The report on this bill continues to blabber away about its history of failures in the K'nesseth, its current support in the Likud and National Union parties, and about rights for all citizens.

What is buried between the lines of this pure, Jerusalem Post, right of center, anti-Torah report, is the pronouncement of support to the "moderate settlers" (of Ofra, Alon Sh'vut, and Elqana, etc.) , who know how great this new law would be for them, to be like, and to be treated like all other Israeli citizens.

Those settlers who hold to a higher authority had better tow the line, or lekh l'Azazel (go to hell).

The desire of any "settlers" to be the same as every other Israeli else is only a reflection of the Israeli Government's desire for Israel to be the same as every other country.

The article then brings in a few words from National Union Secretary Uri Bank (one of the few Israeli politcos to whom I still actually give the benefit of the doubt).

The bill regarding applying Israeli law to West Bank settlements is ... to guarantee its residents full rights under the law.

Assuming that Uri Bank, and others, really believe this, let me them, and you, what this really all about.

Allowing the settlers to believe in the illusion that they are "like everyone else," is just another part of the Eruv Rav-controlled government's on-going plan to indoctrinate all citizens into secular, Israeli society, and stamp out the Torah (and Israel's borders) once and for all.

Let's stop trying to be the same as everyone else. "Everyone else" believes in a unified, robotic, obedient, secular Israeli flock of sheep to be controlled.

Let's start trying to be a light unto our own people, by getting our priorities straight, setting a proper, Torah example, and being concerned about HaQadosh Barukh Hu (The Holy One, Blessed Be He) thinks, and not what our mamlakhti and secular neighbors think.

It does not look like we will have to worry about this bill anymore for now. Prime Minister Netanyahu has declared his lack of support for it. Say what you will about Netanyahu (I say plenty!). Unlike a lot of these so-called Religious/Torah-observant settlers, he is at least being consistent.