War Musings #75: The War is The Result of Dangerously Incorrect Israeli Policies Since Our 1967 Victory

The Land is all ours in terms of History and 1967 Victory, but successive governments have failed to declare Israeli Sovereignty which has caused our enemies to get stronger and more confident. That's why we are forced to fight successive wars for our very survival.

The Land is all ours in terms of History and 1967 Victory...

Europe's and many other countries' policy as reported here, EU moving toward implementing sanctions on Israeli West Bank settlements, ambassador confirms, is the price of Israel's waffling on our rights to all the Land, Judea, Samaria, Jordan Valley and Sinai which were liberated 59 years ago this week in the Six Days 1967 War. If the government of the time had proudly and confidently declared full Israeli Sovereignty ריבונות over every inch/centimeter of it, the world would have understood it and accepted it. But The State of Israel responded with shocked embarrassment and even "disgust." With few exceptions, making a better straighter road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and expanding the Jerusalem borders to include the Old City, Mount Scopus and Neve Yaakov, which had a lot of Jewish owned land, nothing else was made officially Israel.

Farms, agricultural communities mostly for export were begun in the Golan, Jordan Valley and northern Sinai, but Israel didn't declare sovereignty there. Our misguided successive governments just kept offering to return the land in exchange for peace. Menachem Begin foolishly followed Labor policy and gave away the Sinai, Israel's perfect buffer zone, to Egypt. Arik Sharon and his followers used that precedent to justify his Disengagement, destruction of Gush Katif. And all it did was to increase the attacks on Israel. Yes, that was after no more Israelis were in Gaza. Their hatred and aggression, as you must know, only got worse after Israel's withdrawal, because they saw Israel's weakness and lack of self loyalty.

I was 18 on the outbreak of the Six Days War, and I remember how awed the world was at our miraculous victory. It was squandered by successive Israeli governments. When will we ever learn....?

Touring Beit El, Kfar Ivri, and More

Last week I joined a group of women from various parts of the country under the leadership of my neighbor Rachel Sela for an amazing tour.

There were only three stops/locations, and each was special representing our undeniable connection to the Land of Israel and Bible.

First we went to nearby Beit El, where they have a visitors center dedicated to the story of Jacob's Ladder. But for us the significance of Beit El concerned the split of the Davidic Dynasty, long after our Forefather Jacob slept and dreamt in Beit El.

Next stop was the real Givat Shaul, Hill of Saul, where archeologists have found remains of palaces from Biblical times. But this structure has nothing to do with the bible at all, though it was meant to be a palace. In the mid-1960s Jordan's King Hussein wanted a summer palace in  eastern Jerusalem, which he illegally occupied at the time. We were there on a very hot day, but the winds blowing through the incomplete shell were strong.

The Hashemites are long gone, and Jerusalem has grown tremendously under Israeli sovereignty.

Afterwards we visited Beit Hashivah, which although is in an Arab neighborhood and part of Jerusalem, the land is really owned by Jews. Prior to Israeli Independence there had been a Jewish farming village there, Kfar Ivri, near the present neighborhood of Neve Yaakov, which also has a history of being a Jewish farming village. 

We met some of the Jewish residents, new and old who told us the story and how they are trying to revitalize this Jewish neighborhood. A number of young families now live in the building, and there's a yeshiva where men learn during the day.

Over fifty years ago, my husband and I spent a few Shabbatot there as guests of one of the original families, so it was very moving for me to finally return.

The oldest and most veteran of the Jewish residents is the well-known Ezra Yachin, pictured on the left. In his youth is fought in the pre-state underground Lechi, aka Stern Gang. He has written many books about his experiences and related topics. His memoir, Elnakam is published in both English and Hebrew.

Ezra still travels around the country talking to young and old about his life and Israel's history.

We ended our tour with dinner on the roof of Beit Hashivah. It was truly a wonderful day.

A Visit to the Pisgat Zeev Mall

Cross-posted on me-ander

Pisgat Zeev is a Jerusalem neighborhood, a very big one, especially if you take into account that it's connected to Neve Yaakov.  Those two neighborhoods combined are larger and more populous than many Israeli cities.  Nothing can rile a resident of Neve Yaakov or Pisgat Zeev more than someone visiting saying:

"Now I'm going to Jerusalem."

"Mah pitome?!  What's all this?!  You're in Jerusalem!  This is Jerusalem!"

Yes, it is.  Residents vote in Jerusalem Elections, and there's even a local political party with a representative in the City Council.  The mess you can see in the street is from the the construction of the Jerusalem Light-rail.  It will whisk residents and those from the Shomron, like myself, to downtown Jerusalem by avoiding the sedentary traffic of cars, buses and trucks.  (At least that's the plan.)

As you can see in the picture, there's a lovely modern mall in Pisgat Zeev in addition to lots of small neighborhood shopping areas.  In addition, there's a very good Matnas Community Center with a wide variety of activities, including the Neve Yaakov Pool, which I try to get to weekly.

The mall has the same variety of chain stores and restaurants you'll find all over Israel.  A couple of weeks ago, I met Voices Editor and good friend, Sharon Katz, for lunch and a tour of the neighborhood.  Sharon's from Efrat, and even though she had passed Pisgat Zeev many times she wasn't really familiar with it.

We had salads in Cafe` Cafe`, as you can see.  They were delicious!  All of the Israeli restaurants and coffee shops seem to be competing for creative salad ideas, which is great for those of us who love vegetables cooked and raw.

The Pisgat Zeev mall is a real meeting place for Israelis of different backgrounds and cultures.  It's no secret that many Arabs from northern and eastern Jerusalem also shop and work there.

For me and my Shiloh neighbors, there's really no need to travel to the much larger and more distant Malcha Mall, because, whether by car or public transportation, it takes barely half the time to get to Pisgat Zeev.  Many of my neighbors also work in Pisgat Zeev and Neve Yaakov in all sorts of jobs. 


I must admit that I don't really know all of the Jerusalem neighborhoods.  For me, Gilo is as foreign a place, if not moreso, than Pisgat Zeev-Neve Yaakov is for many.  Yes, Jerusalem is a big city.