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Peace Process

Promise keepers against 'Palestine'

Rabbis seek religious parties pledge to never join land-surrendering gov't


By Stan Goodenough
March 07, 2006

A number of Israeli rabbis want the country?s religious parties to commit themselves to not joining any future government that agrees to surrendering parts of the Land of Israel.

Unsurprisingly, those behind the initiative are religious Jews who believe that the territory promised forever to their nation is not an Israeli government?s to give away. Among them are Rabbi David Druckman of Kiryat Motzkin and an organization called Pikuach Nefesh [Saving Lives].

They have drafted a letter and sent it to the heads of the Jewish Front, the National Union-National Religious Party (NRP-NU), the Shas Party and the United Torah Judaism Party.

According to Israel National News the letter reads:

?We the undersigned declare that we will not join ? under any circumstances, nor for any material or spiritual promises ? a government whose guidelines include partial or full agreement to the Road Map or to any other plan that includes giving away Jewish communities or any territory of the Land of Israel to foreigners, or to autonomy for Arabs in the Land of Israel ? and all this even in exchange for peace agreements.?

INN reports that so far only the relatively extremist Jewish Front has signed the letter.

Pre-election polls meanwhile project that between them the religious parties will win a total of 23 seats on March 28.

Some believe that making an unequivocal pledge to resist all efforts to wrest any land away from the Jews will see many more voters choose for these parties. Such a commitment may also strengthen the Likud to stand strong against a Palestinian state.

The drafters of the pledge letter have reportedly also issued a call to the Israeli electorate not to vote for any party that will not guarantee a stand against dividing the land.

Tragically, many religious politicians have shown in the past that they are willing to compromise on the question of their people?s sole, divinely-bestowed rights to the Land of Israel.

These leaders have been willing to sell their birthright for the sake of extra budget allocations for their education institutions, and for invitations to join a ruling coalition.

Like politicians everywhere, few elected Israelis have shown a willingness to stick to their declared positions and convictions if doing so costs them their seats in the Knesset.

For its part, the NRP-NU is keeping its options open. Last month it signed a merger agreement whereby a panel including rabbis will discuss and decide on how the party will respond if invited to join a coalition.

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