Sara Netanyahu's "Natural Surroundings"

18 of the Fifth Month 5771

I was tipped off to this news item, and inspired to write a response to it by my friend "Aryeh from Beth Shemesh."

I have "color-coded" it for emphasis.

IsraelNN.com: Sarah Netanyahu Meets Philippine Girl

Wife of the Prime Minister, Sarah Netanyahu met Ofek, the 4-year-old Philippine girl set for deportation. “Detaching a child from their natural surroundings can be traumatic,” she said. Yesterday, Mrs Netanyahu appealed the Minister of Interior Affairs to have Ofek released from Ben Gurion airport.

No, Sara'leh. Israel is NOT the "natural surroundings" of a Philippine girl.

Israel is the "natural surroundings" of Jews.

In תש"ח/1948, with the help of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, we were able to re-established an official presence in our "natural surroundings."

Maybe I should back up at bit. Rewind...

Around 3,500 years ago, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, promised Avraham, Our Forefather, that Israel will be our "natural surroundings" for all times, and although we would be "detached" from them, the "detachment" and "trauma" would only be temporary. He reiterated the promise to his son Yitzhaq and then to Yitzhaq's son, Ya'aqov.

"Detachment" from our "natural surroundings," and subsequent "trauma"occurred two more times.

Fast forward...

In תשכ"ז/1967, we Jews living in our "natural surroundings" were attacked by Arabs who wanted to "detach" us from our "natural surroundings," and to take possession of our "natural surroundings" for themselves.

Again, with the help of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, we not only were able to defeat our enemies and to hold onto to our "natural surroundings," but we were also able to take back some of our additional "natural surroundings," including the City of Jerusalem (ie. our ancestral territories of Yehudah, Binyamin, and Efraim, as well as both halves of Menasheh).

In תשס"ה/2005, Jews who were living in Azza and the Northern Shomron (Samaria) up until six years ago, were living in their "natural surroundings," but were then "detached" from them.

Where were you to express your concern for Jews being "detached" from their "natural surroundings" then?

Incidentally, where were you to express your outrage at the horrendous and abusive treatment, not to mention "trauma," incurred by Jewish teens, held in prison without bail, due to their "crime" of civil disobedience?

In תשס"ו/2006, we were attacked, yet again by Arabs, from the north. Our brave soldiers pushed our enemies back, all the way up to the Litani River, not so coincidentally, the true northern border of our "natural surroundings." (ie. the northern halves of our ancestral territories of Asher and Naftali) Yet, our brave IDF were then "detached" from them. According to your logic, they must have been "traumatized." Surely, a Jew would feel more "trauma" by being "detached" from his "natural surroundings," than a four year old non-Jew being re-attached to her "natural surroundings," in the Philippines.

I have doubt that it will be emotionally difficult for her at first. But, I also have no doubt that she will live, and get through the experience.

Jews, currently living outside of Israel, are not living in their "natural surroundings." They are "detached" from them, and in my opinion, in denial over the "trauma"
they are experiencing, having not made aliyah (immigration to Israel).

When pressed, even the most anti-Zionist, religious Jew will acknowledge that Israel is much the "natural surroundings" of the Jewish People (...but only after the arrival of the Mashi'ah, of course).

On September 5, 2002/כ"ח אלול תשס"ב, you were quoted in the Hebrew news daily Yedioth Aharonoth, as saying...

"Why make any effort? Let's leave Israel, and the State will burn."

You did apologize for making this statement. And, I would like to assume that you are truly sorry and regretful for your comments of nine years ago. But after your most recent statement, it seems as though you are still confused over exactly whose "natural surroundings" Israel is.

The four year old Philippine girl's "natural surroundings" are in the Philippines.

Sara Netanyahu, where are your "natural surroundings?"