Rabbi Wolpo Indicted for Inciting Soldiers Testifies in his own Defense

d Original Article

(Jewish Press) By JNi.Media 

23 Elul 5777 – September 14, 2017

Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, who has been indicted for inciting soldiers to disobey orders to evacuate settlements in the Land of Israel, on Wednesday testified at a Jerusalem Magistrate's Court hearing about his uncompromising stand against the evacuation of settlements in the Land of Israel, Chabad Info reported.

Rabbi Wolpo's on-again / off-again trial has been reluctantly going on for more than three years. The prosecution is expected to ask for one year's imprisonment should he be convicted. 

Rabbi Wolpo, as is known, was active in the protest movement of 2005 that fought Israel's retreat from Gaza, called historically: "disengagement". Following that historic campaign, Rav Wolpo made many other programs, a website www.sos-israel.com and the famous Gush Katif Museum in Jerusalem to memorialize the great tragedy of Israel's retreat from Gaza. 

Rabbi Wolpo, who is Lubavitch, also organized an annual rabbinical conference entitled: "We shall never forget and we shall never forgive."

After the Second Lebanon War of 2006, which ended in failure with Israel retreating leaving over 20,000 missiles in its enemies hands, Rabbi Wolpo organized another publicity campaign with the theme of: "We Told You So." But so did many others, leaving people wondering: "Who's next?" on the governments current witch hunt.

The "We Told You So" program distributed over a million brochures, and featured a campaign poster promising that those responsible for Israel's failures during the war would be "punished from heaven." It was no great secret that Israel withdrew from the war early ending hopes that Israel would once and for all complete its war on terror. But alas, this was not to be. In fact many accused the government of intentionally subverting the war effort and in fact putting Israel in even greater danger than before. 

Rabbi Wolpo was buy one of many voices raised in protest.

In January 2006 Rabbi Wolpo's organization SOS-Israel sent former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert a letter warning that everyone who was involved in Gush Katif had unhappy things happen to them. The Prime Minister had a historic choice in front of him- To make Israel great or to give land and join those who had been involved with Gush Katif and had suffered from odd things happening from Above. If the PM chose to give away even a "tiny parcel" of the Land of Israel, then undoubtedly he too would most probably suffer a similar fate.

The letter noted that the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson had warned (in the time of Prime Minister Shamir) that he would personally fight with all his powers against any Prime Minister who gave up Israeli territory or back pedaled over settlements.

Rabbi Wolpo told the press that former Primer Minister Mr. Ariel Sharon had brought about a "new holocaust" by making the Gaza expulsions, and that he had "collaborated with the Nazis of today."

Rabbi Wolpo, who is a rav, ruled a Jewish law ruling: "That assisting in the evacuation of the Gaza settlement was as bad as violating the Jewish Sabbath". He called for Mr. Olmert to be "brought to trial and punished." (for treason)

As it happened through no fault of Rabbi Wolpo's, both Prime Ministers ended up suffering unhappy fates. Mr. Sharon, once hailed a national hero, suffered a suspicious stroke. He remained in a vegetative state for a number of years before his unfortunate death. Mr. Olmert also fell victim to his own government, ending his tenure by being ignomiously jailed over accusations of criminal charges of corruption.

While it was obvious that Rabbi Wolpo had nothing to do with either Prime Ministers exit from office, however Israel's courts are fickle in how they define criminal activity, accusing Israel's Robin-Hood Rabbi of "intent" to subvert (perhaps national security?). While the charges aren't clear, for Israel's courts invent laws as the need suits them- What is clear is that the Rabbis statements of doom for whomever dares harm Israeli's or their security do worry people.

Rabbi Wolpo told the court that the destruction of settlements and the expulsion of Jews from their communities in Judea and Samaria as well as from the Gaza Strip have been blatantly illegal. He explained that the purpose of the large conferences he organized, as well as his support for families whose soldier sons refused to expel Jews and carried signs against evictions, were intended to stimulate public opinion. A very democratic activity in any other country. Not in Israel where such activity is labeled: "Anti-Democratic" at best and "dangerous to national security" at worst.

Rabbi Wolpo explained in his testimony before the court that according to Jewish law the evacuation of settlements in the Land of Israel is a worse sin than eating pork on Yom Kippur, for the eating of pork simply endangers that one person, while giving land, opens the interior of the country to a dangerous enemy. It endangers millions of Jews.

The context of Rabbi Wolpo's speech for which he is on trial, as befits third world "people's democracies" rather than actual democracies, was Ariel Sharon's government's "inciting tens of thousands of soldiers who swore at the Kotel to defend the state, the people of Israel and the Land of Israel." 

Rabbi Wolpo explained that not only did the government force Jewish soldiers to go against this oath,  (which is a national crime) but that "the [Sharon] government had deliberately brainwashed the soldiers to uproot from their hearts and minds their connection to the people of Israel and the Land of Israel." 

This was no mild accusation. In fact Israel's Association of Psychologists expelled the army psychologists who made for the IDF a manual of psychological warfare, which was used to psychologically induce (a form of brainwashing) soldiers into believing that removing Jews from the land is a democratic duty. It also instructed soldiers how to proceed against Israeli's being removed in a way that would instill fear and confusion. This method, commonly used by one nation against another, is illegal in most countries when used against one's own population.

"The [Sharon] government made them criminals against their own consciences. They made them cooperate with the enemy," he said, suggesting "This is an offense punishable by death according to state law. In those days we tried to carry out actions that would shock public opinion." (since the matter is life and death according to Jewish law)

Rabbi Wolpo, who the Lubavitcher Rebbe appointed "Emissary to the Land of Israel as advocate for Shlaimus HaAretz" (Advocating for Israel to keep its borders). Rabbi Wolpo, whose own family members were victims of Arab terrorism, told the court that they should be judging those who caused the Gaza Strip expulsions! Those "who destroyed many families, took their livelihood, destroyed their homes and destroyed their family life."

Israeli's are also busy battling other aspects of the Supreme Court of Israel, namely those recent rulings allowing African refugees who have caused unprecedented levels of criminal activity in Tel Aviv to stay. This in particular enraged all parts of Israeli society which is not happy that Israel's generosity in helping the refugees is being abused and that this abuse against Jews is being supported by an increasingly unpopular Israeli supreme court. As such, seen in this light, Rabbi Wolpo's trial is simply more of the same cold uncaring attitude towards securing Israeli's safety. Israelis wonder if this is an ingrained philosophy that is being made into law? Or simply a passing fad. It is hoped that the latter is the case, and that good sense will once again prevail.