Leave “International Law” to the Internationals. I’ll Take The Torah!

 מוצש״ק פר׳ בלק תשע״ד

For years I have seen excellent articles written about the Jewish claim to Israel, based on international laws, UN resolutions, declarations, conventions, and in depth analyses of all of the above.

The logic employed in such articles by academics such as Amb. John Bolton, Daniel Pipes, Eli Hertz, Paul Eidelberg, Eliyakim Haetzni, Guilio Meotti, J. P. Golbert, and many others, is impeccable,...irrefutable. Nuances of such international decrees and agreements have been picked through so thoroughly, it is amazing that everyone who follows this issue does not already have all of the relevant documents and commentary memorized.

Still others write articles with impassioned pleas to our "friends" in the international community, begging them to see that...

“If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" 

- William Shakespeare, The Merchant Of Venice, Act III, scene I

OK, so they leave out the revenge part. Don't want to add fuel to those nasty stereotypes of Israelis, do we? Too bad there isn't more truth to this last part than there actually is. If there were any truth to how "oppressive" and "violent" we might not actually be in the state of a continual political mess we have been in since at least the 1970s.

It is difficult for me to fathom just how there can still be a question as to the State of Israel's right to exist, not to mention, Israel's right to exist as a Jewish country, 66 years after its inception.

Why is it racist for Jews to have a country, one in which many more than just Jews reside, yet Saudi Arabia's ban on the entrance of Jews through its border falls by the waste side?

Sudanese refugees have flooded the streets of South Tel-Aviv and other areas of the country. Israel is not only called racist for suggesting that they remain here only temporarily, and that many of them will eventually be on their way. But, the brutalities of the Sudanese factions have been long since forgotten by the news media.

But, I will be called a racist for even reminding you of such a thing anyone could have, and should have, already read in the news. Video clips are a bound of the harassment incurred by South Tel Aviv residents, including sexual assault and theft, not to mention the assault on MK Elazar Stern during his tour of the area last year. Yet, I will be called a racist for suggesting that I have yet to hear anything even remotely close being incurred by the Sudanese at the hands of Israelis.

Even as the Israeli Government provides many of these refugees with food, shelter, and medical care, there always seems to be something "racist" which causes the severe loss of memory of any and all humanitarian interventions by the Israeli Government, both at home and abroad.

The answer as to why the above is the case is, of course, double standards, double standards which have been pointed out to the "international community" ad infinitum, by the above mentioned writers, as well as by many others.

Remember how some parents would use that old cliche "because I say so" in answer to frustrating questions from children? Such parents neither had the time, energy, nor inclination to answer properly/

Well, as inappropriate and unproductive such responses to children's reasonable questions can be, the only answer to how Jews have any claim whatsoever to the Land of Israel, all of the Land of Israel, is simply, "Because God says so."

That's right!

If we say that Jews have an historical claim to the Land of Israel, then anyone can come along and claim to be a Canaanite with the historical claims. Even Arab Terrorist Yassar Arafat ysh"w tried playing the "Jebusite Card," at one point. Worse yet, what is to stop another people from coming along and simply lying about their historical claims? There are still many in the "international community" who believe that there is an "ancient" city in Samaria called Nablus. Well, there is, but is was not founded by an ancient "Palestinian" people; it was originally, and still is, called Shchem (Gen. 12:1, 33:18). The only city I can think of founded by Arabs, and not Jews, Romans, Turks, or Canaanites, is Ramleh, just a hop skip and a jump from Ben-Gurion International Airport.

If we say, we conquered the Land, so it belongs to us, then who is to say that another nation, say an Arab nation, cannot simply come along and do and say the same thing?

Worse yet, if the current, or any future, Israeli government comes along and says that it has made a strategic decision to relinquish land? Please tell me that you believe that this scenario could happen. After all, it already has: Sinai, Yamit, Gaza/Gush Qatif and Northern Samaria, not to mention the transfers of authority within various other segments of Judea and Samaria. First it was only Gaza and Jericho. But, then came Hevron, then Ramallah, Shchem, and Jenin.

Likewise, if we say that Jews have a claim to the Land of Israel, based on what various international bodies and organizations have dictated, then what is to prevent these same bodies from changing their minds? Then we would be very much out of luck, wouldn't we? Is such a possibility all that unlikely? The more the Israeli government cheapens itself by acknowledging the legitimacy of such positions by attempting to defend against them, the more it loses this ongoing debate.

However, the Torah is immutable. It stands by itself, and forever. It is the only justification for our claim to the Land of Israel as our own. The Almighty promised the Land of Israel to us, commanded us to kick the current Canaanite residents out, and helped in the completion of this goal.

The borders of Eretz Yisra'el at the time of its conquest by Yehoshu'a Bin-Nun, only a portion of what was Divinely promised to Avraham Avinu for our future (Gen. 15:18-21).

We are a nation, distinct are separate from other nations. International organizations, councils, groups, and commissions maybe good for the International communities.

Whether Religious Zionist or Neturei Karta, Litvak, Hassid, North African, Persian, or Yemenite, we ALL agree that the Torah is our only justification for any claim on the Land of Israel as our Homeland.

The ONLY disagreements are the How, the When, and the By Whom.

These disagreements can be discussed and debated, and certainly should be. But, first we must stop playing the games of the "International Community," in which they make up the rules, and always seem to win,...except for when The Almighty has mercy on us, and bails us out of the trouble we get ourselves into.

We must apply the only rules to the game which have any legitimacy.

Leave "International Law" to the Internationals. I am a Jew, and living in the Jewish Homeland. I choose the Torah!