Redemption Now!
Gary Cooperberg
April 4, 2002
Passover is the time of Jewish redemption. The story of our redemption from Egypt as we recite in our Passover Hagaddah is central to Judaism. It is the basis for all of our holidays, including the Sabbath, and it is a central part of our daily prayers. The Passover experience is a constant reminder that G-d is the Creator of the Universe and that He has chosen His people, Israel as His tool to elevate all of Mankind to holiness.
Unfortunately it took a Passover massacre to move our prime minister and his cabinet to finally decide to strike back at our enemies and to declare the PLO as an enemy rather than a peace partner. It is no accident that the IDF has taken the process of our current redemption one step closer to fulfillment at this time of the year. It matters not what our leaders declare, nor what they seem to desire. The process of redemption cannot be turned backward.
There are too many of our leaders who talk about a war against terror. There is no war against terror. Terror is merely a tool, like a gun. Are we waging war against guns? Of course not. We are waging a war of conflicting ideologies. The Arabs think that Allah is all powerful and thus will give them the power to wipe Israel off the map. They are so convinced that they have sacrificed their women and children as human bombs in this war. The Jews don't think. They try to ignore their Divine role, and, in so doing, invite needless tragedy upon themselves. All we need in order to win this war is to believe in G-d and act like self-respecting Jews.
No matter what our prime minister may say, they fact that he has declared Arafat the enemy and is waging a war against the PLO may well be enough to begin a chain of events that will lead us to redemption. Historically the Jewish State has failed to take the initiative against her enemies. She has waited until our enemies forced us to defend ourselves. The current war is no different. We will win this war only because our enemies will force us to. It can only be one who lacks self respect and pride who can imagine that he can dictate to a people whom they can have as a leader. If we accept the nonsense that there is a "palestinian" people, then how dare we assume to tell them who their leader can or cannot be? Arafat is not the problem. Were he to disappear tomorrow we would still have the same problem. The problem is that nearly all of the Arabs feel that there should not be an Israel. They feel that we have stolen their land and that they have a holy obligation to take it away from us.
If Mr. Sharon continues on his path he will discover that it goes much farther than his declared goals. They are all PLO. He, and those who succeed him, will discover that either we win the war or we lose the war. There is no possibility of compromise. Only when this conclusion is reached will we see true victory and complete redemption with the mighty Hand of G-d. May it happen quickly.
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