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Thank you MATTOTARIM@eretz.org for sending this out. Please write a letter of protest.
18 year old Tsvia from Elon Moreh has been in an Israeli prison for more than 2 1/2 months. Her story: 2 IDF reps, one Arab and one Jewish, escorted 3 Arab men into her hometown, Elon Moreh, to harvest olives. 3 girls, among them Tsvia, were shocked and angered at this disregard of Elon Moreh's safety: only 3% of Judea and Samaria is reserved for Jewish towns (although fully 15% of the total Judea/Samaria population is Jewish). So, why allow the Arab men to harvest olives right in the middle of the Jewish town, instead of finding them a land alternative outside of the slivers of land allocated to Yesha's Jews. This was not a racist concern but a safety concern -- in view of the fact that a recent Pew Research poll found fully 70% of Palestinians supportive of homicide bombings against Jews.
Tsvia had no-one to turn to, since the authorities (via the 2 local IDF reps) were themselve plainly siding with the 3 Arab men. She pushed and pulled at the 3 Arab men in a vain effort to get them to leave Elon Moreh. She was charged with trespassing (how does this make sense if the indictment does not even claim that the land the 3 men were given access to, is actually theirs?), with "assaulting" (pulling and pushing) the 3 men, with "frightening and insulting" the men, and -- with saying she would throw stones at them. In contrast, just this week, the Shomron Regional Council chairman Gershon Mesika told Army Radio that dozens of stoning incidents per day have been occurring lately, in which Palestinian men and boys throw rocks and cement blocks at Jewish drivers and their families. These potentially fatal attacks have NOT resulted in arrests of the Palestinian Arab perpetrators nor does the State provide an IDF escort to the Jewish drivers – as opposed to the 2 IDF reps assigned to escort the 3 Arab men.
Write to the following email addresses to make the following 3 points (exactly as written here or -- BETTER! - in your own words):
Dear Sirs, I would appreciate your prompt response to the following:
(a) It is absurd for someone to be in jail for minor offenses: When does the State plan to free Tsvia, the 18 year old girl from Elon Moreh?
(b) It is hard for us to detect criminal intent in Tsvia's actions: It is indeed dangerous for the State of Israel to insist that Arabs can penetrate Jewish communities, so as to harvest olives right there, since the Palestinian Arab affinity for suicide bombings has been determined to be as high as 70% of the general Palestinian population. For the small number of Palestinians who are truly able to prove they own property inside otherwise Jewish communities, offer similar property elsewhere.
(c) Equality before the law: One Jewish girl talks about throwing rocks and is jailed for 2.5 months (so far). Dozens of Arab men throw rocks (not just threaten to throw -- actually throw) daily, not one of whom is ever arrested. This is not equality.
Write to the following senior Israeli officials and embassies (do not worry if a few of the addresses don't work): sar@justice.gov.il,sar@mops.gov.il,sar@moit.gov.il, sar@moc.gov.il, pm_heb@pmo.gov.il,rani@mops.gov.il, yhadar@mops.gov.il, shukil@justice.gov.il, menim@justice.gov.il,livnat@justice.gov.il, shain@justice.gov.il,inbalr@justice.gov.il,yehoshuas@justice.gov.il,tovas@justice.gov.il,rachelschieber@justice.gov.il,moshes@justice.gov.il,women@pmo.gov.il,
meitan@knesset.gov.il,oschneller@knesset.gov.il, rabbis@rabbinate.gov.il,rabbia@rabbinate.gov.il, bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il, yor@knesset.gov.il,
roi.lahmanovitz@moital.gov.il, zelkin@knesset.gov.il, mgafni@KNESSET.GOV.IL, nzeev@knesset.gov.il, ithakl@knesset.gov.il,drotem@knesset.gov.il,zorlev@knesset.gov.il, nachum@nachumsegal.com, Emb-sec3@israelemb.org,ashariv@newyork.mfa.gov.il,info@philadelphia.mfa.gov.il,atlanta@israel.org,contactus@chicago.mfa.gov.il,
consular.dep@houston.mfa.gov.il,info@miami.mfa.gov.il
Field trip to Har Eival 21 February, from Shavei Shomron. Helkat Sadeh Field School at Elon Moreh, 052-8119875 02-9973106
Private Car Convey to Sderot, Friday morning, 22 February from TA, Haifa, Jerusalem, Modiin, Raanana, Rishon Lezion and Yad Mordechai. Do all your shopping in Sderot. Call 0526493828 0508670982 0545664981 0544905357 0528967117
Call or email the Public Affairs Dept. of Agudath Yisroel of America and other rabbinical leaders (contact information below) and r e s p e c t f u l l y ask them to speak out!
* From Odelia Jacobs, E"Y activist: "I just finished speaking with Rav Kook, Chief Rabbi of Rechovot. Rav Kook told me that he met personally with Rav Elyashiv, Rav Shteinman and ... Rav Perlow and they all urged us to do our hishtadlus in tefila and actions on behalf of Eretz Yisrael. They mentioned that these are dangerous times, worse then pre-Holocaust!"
What has already been done: A crucial statement on behalf of Jerusalem in the Agudah convention in November: http://theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/12165/contact: "NOW, THEREFORE, the delegates to the 85th national convention of Agudath Israel of America hereby resolve that Agudath Israel of America, under the direction of its rabbinic leadership, should communicate to appropriate government officials the organization's strong belief that, for the reasons set forth above, Israel should not relinquish parts of Jerusalem to Palestinian sovereignty, and the American government should not pressure the Israeli government into doing so."
What still needs to be done: R e s p e c t f u l l y ask major rabbis to please end the Silence regarding Judea and Samaria and the establishment of a Terror State Chas Vechalilah right next-door to Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and Ben-Gurion airport.
Example letter (even better – write your own):
BH
Dear Distinguished Rabbonim,
Please consult urgently with Rav Steinman Shlita and Rav Eliyashi Shlita and other prominent Rabbanim and other Jewish leaders and organizations as to whether to publicly support Israel retaining Yehuda and the Shomron in addition to all of Jerusalem because;
(a) These are all integral parts of Eretz HaKodesh as explained in the very first Rashi in the Chumash and not "occupied" lands as our enemies contend
(b) Parshas Masei inter alia says that it is G-d Himself who delineates the Holy Land's boundaries which include Yehuda and the Shomron
(c) Abandoning Yehuda and Shomron, G-d forbid, would put the Jews in the remaining Israel in a real and present existential danger on a much larger scale than the Jews today in Sderot, Ashkelon, etc. who are faced with daily rocket attacks.
(d) This is not a "political" or "Zionist" matter. It is a matter of Israel's survival and, perhaps in turn, the survival of the Jewish people.
(e) What is at stake goes to the essence of retaining our connection as Am Hashem to Eretz Hakodesh, a holiness we witness and experience every day and even more so now during this Shmitta year.
Through your efforts now, Jewish lives and deaths being literally at stake, may Hashem bless your efforts with success to reverse the evil decree "in those days at this time" and to restore to the Jews in Israel and everywhere "Orah VeSimcha VeSasson Vicar".
BeChavod Rav, (YOUR NAME)
The relevant rabbis to contact r e s p e c t f u l l y in this connection are:
* Rabbi Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Rabbi Avi Shafran, and Rabbi Gertzulin - Public Affairs Department, Agudath Yisroel 212-797-9000
* Rabbi Pesach Lerner at The Young Israel 212-929-1525
* Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb of the OU 212-563-4000
* Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Chabad Headquarters 718 774.4000 / fax 718 774.2718
By email: plerner@youngisrael.org, dzwiebel@agudathisrael.org, shafran@agudathisrael.org, execthw@ou.org, hq@lubavitch.com
Please cc or bcc all correspondence to faigerayzel@aol.com
Shavei Shomon Field School Weekend: 11 - 12 April. 400 NIS/person (kids 180 NIS till age 15, 250 NIS over age 15. Call 9935133-02
