We Were The Romans
It is the afternoon of 7 Tammuz, Aug 1 in Jerusalem and I am on my way to Gan Aztmut (Independence Park). It's a beautiful sunny day, about 86 degrees and the park is filling up rapidly. The reason? It is the one year anniversary of the "Churban" -- the destruction of Gush Katif, when 9000+ Jews were expelled from their beautiful communities by a morally bankrupt government that defied the edicts of its own ruling party. That's right, this time one year ago, we were the Romans.

Deja-Vu All Over Again
The park is stacked with exhibits, paintings, essays, display boards, books, t-shirts with the Orange Youth well-represented. Following the speeches, music, etc. we begin the march to the old city and finally the Kotel where thousands upon thousands join in an incredible Tehillim service led by HaRav Shapira, HaRav Eliyahu, HaRav Amar, et al featuring the blowing of the Shofar and trumpets followed by a moving mincha/maariv prayer service and then the dedication of a new Torah Scroll. People are screaming "Shema Yisrael" and "Yehay Shemay Rabba" at the top of their lungs (me included). It is eerily reminiscent of the services last year to prevent the expulsion from taking place. What was it someone once said, "Deja-vu all over again"? Yet, it is a joy to see people singing dancing waving orange flags, blue/white flags with orange strips attached, clapping and making such a Kiddush HaShem. And yet...something is wrong, something is off, as there is a definite disconnect in the air. Start with a noticeable lack of certain Kotel regulars joining in this service. There were those conspicuous by their absence. Even together, we are still apart.

 

Did We Need This Kiddush Hashem?
There are questions that haunt me on my walk out of the old city. Was this Kiddush HaShem necessary? Could all this have been prevented? Could we have stopped the evil decree from taking place one year ago? Did we fail to do our Hishtadlut? The answers are, No, Yes, Yes, and Yes. And despite the fact that I am a spoiled, decadent American, I was fairly active and vocal in opposing the Hitnakut so I count myself in the failure to prevent it. And as this is happening during the nine days, let me apologize in advance for any feelings that I may hurt, but these questions need to be answered to prepare, G-d forbid, for the next folly in Yehuda and the Shomron.

It was clear from the outset that there only four ways this decree was going to be prevented. The first way was to make sure that there were enough bodies in Gush Katif to make sure the army's job would be nearly impossible. Despite promises from certain politicians to bring "one million people" to Gush Katif, it never came close to that. The second was to have the religious leadership united in instructing soldiers to refuse to do this. While some (notably HaRav Shapira) were courageous in their calls to refuse orders, others were not. The third was to let the soldiers know that they would not be met with hugs and kisses at the gates, a lesson that was learned later at Ammona, and that will hopefully be imprinted for later, if necessary. The failure of these first three was an indictment of a lack of leadership at many levels from the religious, from the government, and down to the Gush Katif level itself. There was betrayal, most notably by the politicos and the duplicitous Yesha Council.

 

The Path Deliberately Not Seen
The fourth way was the simplest, the easiest to do, and would have made the first three unnecessary and in all probability would have kept Gush Katif intact and prevented (at least in the short term), the current Hizbullah war. Yet, people refused to see it or even acknowledge its existence. The problem was that it was so counter-intuitive, so repugnant to so many that it could not be discussed rationally with the people who needed to do it. And that plan was to get as many people as possible who opposed the Hitnakut (say half of those who showed up today and last year) to join the Likud!!!

Saying What Needs to Be Said
I make no excuses about the fact that I am a vocal, ardent supporter of Manhigut Yehudit. There are more reasons than I could possibly list here. Let’s just mention the fact that Feiglin lived in a solidarity tent for a month at Shirat HaYam, was pulled out by the Yassamnik goon squad, and somehow must have just missed seeing the tents of Moetzet Yesha and Chavrei Knesset members. But just think if some 100,000+ religious, right-leaning people joined the Likud with the intent of supporting Manhigut. Just think of spending 60 shekels to squeeze the corrupt, empty suits out of the party and getting real faith-based leadership that wants to lead ALL the people, dati, chiloni, etc. Just think of supporting an entity that actually has a real plan for leading the ENTIRE country not just a constituency that looks and talks like them. So why didn't it happen? Perhaps the religious right needs to be more selective which issues to ask the religious leadership. After all, one doesn't ask the Rav which garage to take the car for a check-up. Perhaps political issues are not their province either? Let's face facts, there was a reason the Sanhedrin was not privy to political/war issues and had them left to the King, the Nasi and G-d (via the Urim V'Tumim).

 

Self-Inflicted Wounds
It is clear that we as a people do things the hard way. Like the Arabs, we miss many opportunities for constructive change. We allowed the settlement enterprise to be hi-jacked by the religious right and learned the lessons of chiloni/dati co-existence of Karnei Shomron and Maalei Adumin way too late. It is clear that if there had been a significant chiloni presence in Gush Katif, it would have made Sharon's plan much more difficult. But as these were just dati "mitnachalim" and were already regarded by many as sub-human, the job was made much easier. Again, all symptoms of failed leadership/planning/vision.

 

Wither the Orange Youth?
I look at them in their orange T-shirts, ribbons and kipot. I see the future leadership of the country and as much as it thrills me, I know it terrifies those who are now in power. Their energy, commitment, and idealism is almost unlimited in its potential but since last year, it has been random, aimless, and dissipated. This is not by accident but by design of those who hold the reigns of power. It is not being harnessed as it should. We need them. We need them focused. We need them to sound the clarion for faith-based leadership. They need to blow the Shofrot and the trumpets. They need to show that this rally was not just a memorial ala 9/11 in the USA, and a Tefilah extraordinaire, but a real springboard to action, a real beginning of our Hishtadlut. As this Tisha B'Av and the Yomim Noraim approach, I pray that the religious are woken up by their beautiful Orange Youth to do their Cheshbon Nefesh, to realize the need and the only source for effective faith-based leadership that reaches across the aisle to theirs and our chiloni brothers and sisters. It starts with them and must end with all of us. The country (and the world) waits.