Only a Jewish National Homeland can Vanquish Terrorism

By Rabbi Yisrael Rosen Dean of the Zomet Institute

The week after I write this article is expected to be very stormy. That is not only the weather forecast as of now, it is mainly a forecast of the general mood in the country. The level of security and national controversy will come to a crest, and I hope and pray that He who Dwells on High will hear our prayers to decrease the levels of anger and wrath. Terrorism Equals Islam In the matter of security, we are facing an enemy of a type with which our ancestors were not familiar – terrorism. This is a murderous and satanic enemy who holds a sword dripping with blood, infused with cruel insanity, who is not backed by a specific country or an army that is ready for hand-to-hand combat. Semi-anonymous terrorism has become the ultimate enemy of the free world, the world of culture – and not only in the Western World. In the past we spoke about terror nations (such as that of Stalin and others), but today the concept of terrorism has changed and it now refers to gang-style murders and callous ideological violence, without specific national or governmental links. Here is a quote from "The Oracle," (The High Priest of all knowledge) - Wikipedia: "According to Prof. Ehud Sprinchak the definition of terrorism is 'performing harsh violence against non-combatant citizens as a symbolic act and as a means of giving a message of fear to the entire population.' Dr. Boaz Ganor adds, 'The objective of terrorism is to achieve political goals or to change overall policies.' Such actions do not target individuals but rather an entire population, such that a terrorist is usually not interested in the identities of his or her victims. Murder of a specific person, even if it is carried out by a terrorist organization, is considered political murder and not terrorism. This is true, for example, of the murders of Kennedy, Rabin, and others." I assume doctoral candidates all over the world are "making their living" from research on terrorism, and are avidly defining and redefining all the relevant terms. Meanwhile, "the sun rose, the system has bloomed, and the slaughterer continues to slaughter" [Chaim Nachman Bialick, "B'Ir Haharigah," on the subject of the pogroms of Kishinev, 1903). And this is true not only in Jerusalem, "Har Nof, the joy of the entire land" [Tehillim 48:3]. What is missing in all the learned definitions is a very simple sentence: "Any mention of terrorism is a reference to Islam!" Collateral Punishment During the last decade terrorism has taken on a monstrous character, seemingly without any conventional solution – when it was transformed into the suicidal act of a shahid who sanctifies death. No punishment has yet been invented in any earthly court that will serve as a suitable punishment for a suicidal person for his or her murders. The only possible deterrence is related to his surroundings, by making his close relatives pay for his deeds in a way that corresponds to his level of murder. Questioning of Islamic prospective suicides who were caught on the way to performing the deed has shown that only harsh treatment of their parents (and especially their mother) together with other family members – might perhaps be some sort of a deterrent for their actions. If it will not deter their actions, it can at least serve to create a warning. Family members who can expect to be punished might be induced to "spill the beans" before the terrorist can act. Our Minister of the Interior speaks – and more power to him for that – about revocation of the individual rights of those who support terrorism, such as social security benefits. I hope that we will pass emergency legislation that goes much further than this – expulsion, expropriation of property, and revocation of rights of parents of suicidal terrorists, and their wives and children, and perhaps the same for other close relatives in their extended family (the "chamulla"), unless they can prove that they did everything they could to stop the action and that they are strongly opposed to his or her actions. The crime would be defined as supporting or not preventing terrorism, related to what appears in the Torah: "And I will set my face against that man and h-i-s  f-a-m-i-l-y, and I will cut him off" [Vayikra 20:5]. Based on the words of the sage, Rashi writes,"What was the sin of the family? ... The answer is that they all cover for him... Should we say that the whole family can be punished by karet, being cut off? No, because it is written, 'I will cut him off.' He will be cut off but not the whole family, who will be punished with suffering." I am not naive. This emotional cry will be opposed by a strong legal wall that will cry out: "Collective punishment! Individual rights! Democracy above all else!" Well, this may be satisfactory when learned experts in academia have discussions of how to define terrorism, and there it may not do any harm. But when legal professionals get involved, we may well be in deep trouble! In the war between the religion of individual rights and the religion of the shahidim, the discouraging results are predictable... The Jewish State Law – A Ray of Hope And this is our opportunity to move on to another current topic – defining our country as the National Homeland of the Jews! The root of the dispute over the proposed new Jewish State Law revolves around the question whether democracy as defined by the Israeli Supreme Court is the ultimate value which will always prevail, or whether it can be superseded by values of nationality and Judaism. Since the details of one or more proposed laws are not yet available at the time that I am writing this article, and since the matter is fluid and depends on considerations related to the coalition, primaries, and elections – this is neither the right time nor place to discuss the matter in depth. However, there is one thing that I know. Only a law defining the Jewish State will give us the capability of fighting against suicidal Islamic terrorism. Only lowering democracy and legalism, the roots of the religion of individual rights, from their exalted positions can put us on track to eradicate terrorism. And at the same time, only a Jewish State Law will allow us to fight against the infiltration of Sudanese and prevent the courts from rejecting laws to put them in prison. Only a Jewish State Law will allow us to destroy homes of shahidim and not to destroy homes of Jews which were built on national land. There are other benefits of such a law, which the anti-Jewish leftists so violently oppose, no doubt for reasons that they know very well...