Aliyah will bring Peace and Redemption
Gary Cooperberg
June 3, 2002
The rebirth of the Jewish State in the Land of Israel was a phenomenon which affected all of Mankind. It was the stuff fairy tales are made of and most people looked at it as such. But, clearly, it was far more than that. While, even from the outset, many people poetically compared the reality in Israel with fulfillment of Biblical prophesy, to most it was just a nice fantasy, not likely to endure for long.
Fifty-four years later the only logical explanation for the continued existence of a country which is overwhelmingly surrounded by enemies who still seek its destruction, is a Biblical one. In spite of leadership which fails to accept the Biblical reality of the Jewish State by trying to placate her enemies by trying to negotiate Jewish ideology, this country continues to grow and thrive, when logically it should have perished.
Why are we afraid to even examine the facts? If we would just objectively look at what has happened and is happening here we cannot help but discover that we are, indeed, an instrument of G-d, created to serve a Holy purpose. Denying our destiny will not change it. All we will accomplish by such folly is to bring needless tragedy along with the destined Redemption.
One recent example of the results of the futility of our efforts to please the nations was the decision not to bomb Jenin before sending in ground troops. This decision, which cost us heavily in Jewish lives, was made out of fear that the nations would condemn us and accuse us of massacring innocent Arabs. The result of our efforts to spare civilian lives at the cost of our own was that we were still accused of perpetuating a massacre. We were condemned by foreign nations any way. But, what is worse, we sacrificed our young men for nothing! Had we fought like any normal proud army we certainly would not have gotten worse condemnations, but at least we could have avoided needless Jewish casualties.
This is symbolic of the tragic way in which we conduct all of our military and foreign policies. Rather than make decisions based upon self-respect, Jewish pride and self interest, we grovel before the nations in a futile effort to get them to have pity upon us. All we achieve is their contempt. Any nation which is prepared to sacrifice its ideology invites its own self-destruction. In the case of the Jewish State, since we can never be destroyed, we bring needless tragedy and suffering upon ourselves by denying our destiny.
What could be more futile than to imagine that Israel can live in peace with the PLO if only its leadership would be changed? Aside from the reality that the PLO only exists for the purpose of destroying the Jewish State, the Jewish People have no right to grant any foreign entity sovereignty over Jewish soil. Peace can never result from Jews violating Jewish principles. The PLO is also an instrument of G-d. It is our punishment for failing to live up to our obligations as Jews. Nothing can be more obvious if we would but listen to what they say.
The PLO leadership are murderers and liars. The so-called "Palestinians" have no history or legitimacy as a distinct people. Arafat himself is an Egyptian. This entire scenario is a punishment which we have earned by failing to behave with Jewish pride and self-respect. The PLO propaganda machine has been working overtime and achieving amazing success. They have gotten the world, and most Israelis, to accept the concept of a manufactured people as legitimate. They have convinced most people, even here in Israel, that they have some kind of right to at least parts of our homeland. They have created a well accepted axiom that Jews who live in the Biblical and historical lands of Judea and Samaria are "illegal occupiers" of Arab land.
And they have convinced world opinion that the only obstacle to true and lasting peace is Israel's "occupation" of those parts of her homeland redeemed in a war of self defense in 1967. Of course they fail to explain why we did not enjoy blissful peace prior to 1967 when all of those lands were in Arab hands.
The Arab propaganda experts tell us that their people would prefer to fight to the last man woman and child rather than give up on their birthright. They tell us that all of Israel is historical "Palestine" and they will not agree to give up on one inch of their holy Islamic land. They tell us that they were here long before the Jews came.
Of course all of the above are lies. But listen to the lies. Their lies are our truths! If we would say these very same things they would not be lies! They have pride and self respect based upon nothing but the hatred of the Jewish people. We have not only history, but the Commandments of the Living G-d of Creation, which demand that we stand up and fight against all odds to defend our ideology. To do less is to deny our destiny, and our G-d, which will invite imminent and needless tragedy and suffering.
The process of Biblical Redemption is already unfolding. It is a process which affects all of Mankind. The Jewish People are central to this process. Our function is to sanctify the Name of G-d before the nations of the world. This will only be accomplished when the nations observe the Jewish people returning home to her ancient homeland, re-establishing Jewish sovereignty there and returning to observance of G-d's Law. Many Jews living in the Exile refuse to come home because they have found a pleasant life outside of Israel and are afraid to leave that easy life in exchange for the dangers and difficulties of living in Israel. Some will say that Israel has not yet achieved the status of true redemption since the Messiah has not yet come and the government does not rule according to Jewish Law. While this is true, it does not negate the eternal commandment to go up and settle the Land, even without Jewish sovereignty.
Indeed, it will take the powerful leadership of the Messiah to transform the Jewish State into the vessel of holiness it was always meant to be. But it will take acts of courage, self-sacrifice and genuine faith to bring the Messiah. All of the above can be accomplished in a very simple manner. If Jews who live in a luxurious Exile would pick up and come home, simply because this is G-d's Will, all the rest would follow. If we choose to remain in Exile and ignore our obligation, the redemption will come in spite of us, but accompanied by needless suffering. Let us heed the warning of the prophet:
"And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the nations, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when it was said of them, These are the people of the L-rd, and are gone forth out of his land. But I will have pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the L-rd G-d; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the nations whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned by remaining in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the L-rd, saith the L-rd G-d, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and bring you into your own land." Ezekiel XXXVI vs 20-24
If G-d tells us that He will sanctify His Holy Name by taking us out of the countries of our Exile, and complains to us that He is not doing it for us, then it is clearly no reward. But if we can learn from these words that G-d can be sanctified through us, merely by our returning home to Israel, then we still have an option to deliberately sanctify His Holy Name by coming home on our own, especially when it appears dangerous and foolhardy to do so. This is an opportunity given to every Jew. Yet this opportunity will not be there forever. The day is rapidly approaching when it will be taken from us and G-d Himself will bring us home in harshness and anger. It is within our hands to decide how, not if, we will come home.
In Psalm 126 which we recite before grace after meals every Shabbat and holiday, it says, ..."az yomru vagoyim higdil haShem laasot im eleh, Higdil haShem laasot imanu hayinu smechim. . ." — "Then will the nations say, 'G-d has done great things for them" (then we will say) "G-d has done great things for us" and we will rejoice'".
The words of this psalm are coming to pass today. The phenomenon of so-called "Christian Zionism" sees an ever growing number of Gentiles recognizing the rebirth of the Jewish State as fulfillment of Biblical prophesy. Not only do they recognize Israel and the homecoming of the Jewish People as a Biblical phenomenon, but they feel the need to openly declare it as such and even support it financially and by coming to visit the Jewish State. It is time then for us to fulfill the second part of the psalm and take heed to this recognition by recognizing it ourselves! Indeed, G-d is doing great things for us and we should rejoice and "come home with joy, bearing our sheaves."
The message of Psalm 126 is the inspiration for Project Shofar which employs the spontaneous desire of those Gentiles who seek to support the Biblical Process of Zionist Redemption. I have been going out to speak to such people and to raise money from them for the purpose of calling out to Jewish Exiles to come home to Israel. Now, more than ever before, there is an urgent need to sound the alarm while there is still time to come home with our heads held high and sanctify the Name of our G-d. From the Holy City of Hebron, of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Caleb and King David, I am prepared to travel the world to deliver this message.
Have Shofar, will travel.
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