Don't accept the bread crumbs

Dear Friends,

A few thoughts about the recent freezing decrees we, residents of Judea and Samaria have received. I must say, there is great potential to turn the curse into a blessing if we act correctly.

Let me first say kol hakavod to those mayors who organized and participated in the protest in Efrat against the freezing decrees. Efrat mayor Oded Revivi and other mayors poured cement and started the foundations of a synagogue. An important message was passed on to all: We, the mayors, declare we proudly and publicly defy the anti-Jewish building freeze decrees.

Now, in order for this not to be a one-time statement, this must continue. And we must be careful not to fall in the trap they are planning.

Let me explain:

The healthy reaction by almost all communities seems to have scared of Netanyahu a bit. What bothers the authorities the most is the unity in our camp. Moderates and less moderates, all united, came out strongly against the decrees.

In dovish and secular communities like in the Jordan valley or bet Arieh, the mayors physically blocked the entrance to the Civil Administration informers. Some were even arrested. More moderate communities, such as Efrat and Gush Etzion, were as strong in their terminology as more hawkish Yitzhar and Har Bracha. Dovish Ariel mayor compared the decrees to the "saison".

When there is unity and determination in our camp around the issue of Erets Israel, the government cannot implement their decrees. So what do the authorities do? They implement the policy of "divide and conquer" which helps them neutralize some leaders and keep them quiet.

For instance, in the past they said that unlike Yitzhar and Kiryat Arba, the communities of Gush Etzion and Ariel are "in the consensus". As long as some leaders actually believed this sad joke, they wouldn't come out to fight for other areas because 'we are in the consensus" so we shouldn't rock the boat", "we should be well-behaved".

Netanyahu and Barak managed to burst the bubble of the "you are in the consensus" joke. The decrees made it clear. Alon Shvut, Ariel, Maaleh Adumim and Neve Daniel are exactly like Yitzhar, Bet El and Har Bracha.
All are part of the freeze, meaning all are meant to later be expelled (G-d forbid).

So how is Netanyahu going try and fix this? News reports say that he will allow mere 84 projects to be built, anyway, around Yesha. How smart! Shimon Peres, the general of 'divide and conquer" policies must have advised him.

If our mayors in Judea and Samaria will fall into that trap, they each will now bicker who will get some bread crumbs from these 84 permits and mayors who will receive these permits will then immediately be good boys again. A mayor who will receive, for instance, 12 permits will not struggle anymore for the larger cause and for other places to be allowed to build. He will keep his head low just to be able to build these 12 "divide-and conquer" bread crumbs. That is how, G-d forbid, they will manage to end the amazing uprising we have seen in the last few days.

So we hope and pray that the mayors will not fall for this. That they will stay united and declare: Don't try to buy us with 84 bread crumbs. We are not fools. Unless you completely thaw the freeze everywhere, in Gush Etzion and in the Shomron and e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e, we will continue to defy your decrees. We will turn a blind eye to all our residents who hopefully continue to build. We will build, build, build, anyway.

Let's see what happens in the next few days. Let's remember that the authorities managed to destroy Gush Katif because they had managed to neutralize and convince some Yesha leaders and Rabbis to collaborate with them (probably by promising them all kinds of "divide and conquer" bread crumb promises) and thus making sure there would not be a real struggle in our camp but rather only symbolic demonstrations.

Now is the time for the Yesha leaders to do a tikkun (correction) of the mistakes made in Gush Katif.
The last few days of uprising show we are on the right path. But now Netanyahu-Barak will try to break this healthy defiance with handing out candies and bread crumbs.

We, who still are traumatized by the betrayal of some Rabbis and Yesha leaders during the Gush Katif and Northern Shomron expulsion, will this time keep close watch of their moves. Let's pray our mayors and Rabbis do not fall in the trap Bibi and Barak are planning. Let's pray they can raise to the challenge.
If they do, and manage to stay loyal to the Land of Israel, we will thank Bibi for finally awakening the national camp and pushing it to finally struggle for the Land of Israel in an uncompromising way.

Shabbat shalom,

Nadia Matar


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