Media Releases – February 1997
February 1997
February 3, 1997 Netanyahu’s “Pragmatism”
February 4, 1997 “He Who Is Merciful To The Cruel,
Will In The End Be Cruel To The Merciful!”
February 12, 1997 Murderesses Freed, Even Without Reciprocity
February 16, 1997 Apology and Correction
February 23, 1997 Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop
February 24, 1997 Ruth Matar Speaking Tour Schedule
February 28, 1997 Sisters In Strength and Spirit
February 28, 1997 Shame On You, Netanyahu!
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Jerusalem, February 3, 1997
Netanyahu’s “Pragmatism”
It has become commonplace among our leaders to
rationalize their weakness, and lack of faith in their
decision-making process. The basis for their decisions
is always given as either for “the sake of peace and
security,” “pikuach nefesh” (saving a life), or that
one must be realistic,” to wit: “pragmatic.” It is the
ideal way to escape responsibility for small-minded,
myopic decisions, that adversely affect the national
hopes, expectations, and aspirations of the Jewish
People. So acted the heads of ten of the twelve
tribes in reporting back to Moses after they were sent
to scout out the Land of Israel. They, in effect,
cogently argued then that it just was not “realistic”
to carry out the Lord’s commandment of settling the
Land of Israel. They persuasively described the enemy
as too mighty and powerful, and themselves as “mere
grasshoppers.”
And so it has been through the ages. Those
of little faith have always been prominent in warning
our People of the “risks,” the “dangers,” and the
“outright “recklessness” of acting on the basis of faith.
Each generation has the same recurring need to decide
whether they really believe, or whether they are to be
“realistic,” and therefore compelled to act contrary
to the beliefs which they pronounce orally in their
prayers. It is as if we are being perpetually tested
in each generation. Only two out of the twelve scouts,
Caleb and Joshua, had that faith way back then, and
unfortunately, so it appears, that proportion of the
faithful does not increase in subsequent generations of
our People. The faithful, the Prophets, and the true
believers, were always in the minority. The “realists,”
and the “pragmatists” abound.
In our generation, those who tore their
garments in “kriah” last week as a sign of mourning at
the Cave of their forefathers in Hebron, with regard to
the Agreement which the Netanyahu Government had
finalized with Arafat, constituted a minority in their
strong reaction to the abandonment of this portion of
the Holy Land to foreigners. Ironically, it was the
portion of land in Hebron which originally was given to
Caleb for his show of faithfulness, which was now being
ceded to the Arabs by Netanyahu. And sure enough,
paraded out were those “practical” reasons of being
compelled to follow the “Agreement” with Arafat,
heretofore entered into by the prior Government
concerning Hebron, and other parts of the Holy Land.
What could we do? We do not want to rule over the great
number of Arabs that are living in the area, and impose
our will over them. Be realistic! Be practical! Be
pragmatic! If you want peace in our time, there is no
other choice!
Even the otherwise incisive columnist
Charles Krauthammer, in a recent article, defends
Netanyahu’s salvaging what he could from a bad
inheritance from Labor with regard to the Hebron
“problem,” and in effect praises Netanyahu’s
“pragmatic” handling of this impossible situation.
Krauthammer, himself a believing Jew, does not
squarely face up to the contradiction to the Jew’s
raison d’etre, nor of a Jewish Prime Minister giving
away portions of his nation’s inheritance to an Arab
entity headed by Arafat, who daily declares his
dedication to the destruction of the Jewish State of
Israel.
The true pragmatist might well argue that any
accommodation with such an unreliable partner and
outright enemy, is the height of folly. Pragmatism
and realism require, after all, to recognize and to face
up to the actual situation and not to a make-believe one.
Arafat is what he is, and will never change. That is an
undeniable correct evaluation. He cannot be trusted,
nor relied upon in any form or fashion. He has not
honored one single agreement he has entered into in the
past with anyone. From a “pragmatic” point of view, he
is the last person in the world with whom to enter into
any Agreement whatsoever. Moreover, the concentration
of Hamas-oriented Arabs in the area, and a track record
of past pogram behavior of Hebron Arabs, makes the
“Hebron Agreement” if anything, quite unrealistic,
Krauthammer’s evaluation of Netanyahu’s decision-making
prowess, notwithstanding.
The Hebron Agreement is therefore not justifiable
pragmatically. Nor is it justifiable for Netanyahu to have
abandoned the faith of our forefathers in this Promised Land.
By his Hebron decision he rips away from the Jewish People a
central doctrine in their Torah, their belief in the
holiness of this Land, and attempts to override the
prohibition in that Torah of any Jewish leader transferring
to a foreigner any portion of this Promised Land. Netanyahu
had neither the right nor the authority to do such a thing.
He certainly was not given this mandate by the Jewish People
in the last election, and cannot usurp this right merely
because he is the present Prime Minister of Israel. But
Netanyahu pragmatically has done more than enter into
an Agreement with Arafat about giving up large portions
of Hebron. He has thereby torn away the basis for
maintaining an irresolute claim to all of Jerusalem.
The Prophets of Israel never adopted this
pragmatist’s view with regard to Israel’s future. They
were first and foremost believers in the Lord’s Promise
to the Jewish People, and all their actions were based
on their complete faith in such a Promise being
fulfilled, and the implications and consequences of
that Promise. Netanyahu’s action of abandonment of
major portions of historical Hebron to Arab rule is a
cop-out of faith, and still another stark example of
his lack of back bone when subject to pressures from
within and without. His action is in the tradition of
the elders of the ten tribes who reported back to
Moses, after scouting out the Land they were destined
to inherit. It cannot succeed, because it is directly
opposed to the clear dictates of what the Lord wishes
to have done in this Land. Perhaps a Jewish Prime
Minister ought to spend some time reading the Book of
Books before he attempts to lead the Jewish People
through the present Middle East desert.
Passover is approaching, Mr. Netanyahu!
What will you tell your own children at the Passover
Seder, and the children of all the People of Israel,
who will be listening for a historic message from you?
That message should be consistent with the hopes and
dreams of our People from the time they came out of
slavery in Egypt, until the present day. Our
forefather Joseph insisted that his bones be brought up
from Egypt and he was buried in what is today a Jewish
holy site in Shchem. Our mother Rachel was buried in
Bethlehem, when she died there during the birth of her
son Benjamin. Our father Jacob also required that he
be brought back from Egypt after he died to be buried
in his homeland as well, alongside his ancestors. Do
you, Prime Minister Netanyahu, not possess the same
deep faith about this Land as did your forefathers? If
you did, you could not have agreed to relinquish a
major part of Hebron to the Arabs; that Biblical City,
the ancient Capital of Israel and of King David, is a
vital segment of the spiritual heart of the holy land
of your ancestors and their descendants.
Which shall it be Mr. Netanyahu, a true
pragmatism which combines the faith of our forefathers,
and the promise of the Lord? Or, in contradistinction,
a pragmatism which is based on the reliance on America’s
vague promises, and avoidance of the displeasure of
President Clinton, the major nations of Europe, and the
likes of Peres, Beilin and their cohorts?
Ruth Matar
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Jerusalem, February 4, 1997
Dear Women In Green subscribers,
Due to the terrible tragedy which befell the Jewish people last
Tuesday night in which 73 of our finest young men were killed,
the following demonstration was postponed. May God comfort their
families as He comforts all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
“He Who Is Merciful To The Cruel,
Will In The End Be Cruel To The Merciful!”
Back in the days of King Saul, he was told by
the Prophet Samuel that he should not be merciful
to murderers. He was not strong enough to carry
out in deed the actual wisdom of this advice, because
of the pressures that he faced at the time. As a result
the Prophet predicted that he would lose his
kingship. Rashi, a famous commentator of the Jewish
experience, quoting from the wisdom of our sages,
warned that what we learned from our history and
experience is that if you are merciful to murderers,
you will wind up being murderous to the merciful.
The Netanyahu regime seems not to have learned
anything from Jewish history, nor are they about to
listen to the wisdom of their sages. Claiming
pressures from within and without, and in order to
achieve a non-existent state of peace with the murderer
Arafat, they have agreed to further appease; as part of
the horrendous “Hebron Agreement,” Netanyahu has agreed
to release murderers of Jews, as a gesture of good
will. These pardons of murderers, will not help to achieve
peace. It will, however, go a long way in undermining the
very foundations of Jewish morality and ethics, which we
have heretofore given to the world at large.
That is why Women In Green are protesting
against this foolish and inane “mercy to murderers of Jews.”
We are addressing ourselves to the Justice Minister of
this Government, as symbolic of the one who is responsible
to maintain the standards that a Jewish State must uphold.
We must not continue the failed policies of the un-Jewish
Peres-Beilin regime.
On Wednesday, February 5, 1997, at 10:15
A.M. in front of the home of Tsachi HaNegbi, our
Justice Minister, on HaSnunit Street, in M’vesseret
Tzion, we will carry the message that being merciful to
murderers is foolhardy, and deadly, and will come back
to haunt us all. It is a costly folly, that must be
condemned. This is definitely NOT the Jewish
Leadership for which the majority of us voted!
Ruth and Nadia Matar
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Jerusalem, February 12, 1997
Murderesses Freed, Even Without Reciprocity
In September 1995 (as reported in the
Jerusalem Post) Bibi Netanyahu observed that the
release of killers could not be justified. “Murderers
need to be punished, and potential murderers need to
be deterred.” A little more than a year later, his
Government has agreed with Arafat in the so-called
“Hebron Agreement” to release further Arab prisoners,
this time murderers of Jews, and without reciprocity
to boot. It was a bald act of appeasement that was
indistinguishable from those practiced formerly by
Peres and Beilin, when they were running the show.
If it is possible, let us leave aside for a
moment the question of basic morality, and the
violations of international law relating to Israel
releasing unrepentant murderers. Nor do we have to
elaborate on the lack of good sense and judgment in
exposing the Israel community to the dangers of
releasing such unrepentant murderers to be once again
in our midst. This turnabout by Netanyahu, is
indefensible, especially without reciprocity.
Indeed, Women In Green protested in front of
the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on Tuesday
for the above reasons against the release of these
Arab murderers. Israel still has the potential of
making an important contribution to the rest of the
world by providing an example of the high moral,
ethical and humanitarian standards of the Jewish
People. Certainly it can not be a good moral example
for anyone when it frees unrepentant murderers who
virtually are not being punished for their major crimes.
We previously postponed the demonstration
planned last week, because of the national tragedy
which occurred when helicopters crashed in the north,
resulting in the death of many of our valiant soldiers.
Now in their blessed memory we must uphold the moral
convictions by which we have lived throughout the centuries,
and act in accordance with the precious value the Jews have
always placed on human life.
On Friday February 7, 1997 O.C. Central
Command Major General Uzi Dayan signed a pardon
for two Arab Terrorist murderesses. One of them
murdered Ofrah resident Tsvi Klein six years ago; the
other, a resident of Brazil, took part in the
kidnapping and murder of the soldier David Manos over
ten years ago. An appeal from General Dayan’s pardon
of these murderesses was taken to the Supreme Court
by the organization of Victims of Arab Terror. The
Petitioners there argued that the proposed release was
not based on the individual merits of each of the
prisoners, but was rather a general amnesty, beclouded
with political “deals.” As such only the Knesset can
authorize such an amnesty by legislation, which it has
not done. Moreover, the Petitioners further stressed
that to release these murderesses just because they are
women and not men is discriminatory. Moreover they
argued there was no moral basis to grant these pardons
as both cases were of cold blooded premeditation to
commit murder of Jews.
The Supreme Court predictably decided to
dodge the question raised by claiming that the issues
were political in nature, and therefore beyond the
Court’s power to intervene. For this highest Court of
a Jewish State to gloss over a clear violation of
basic Jewish morality on the issue presented to them,
constitutes a blight on its stature.
More than 20 other Arab women prisoners
were also to be released at the same time, all of this
constituted still another gesture of good will on the
part of the Jews, coming as the release does with the
ending of the Arab Holiday of Ramadan. To soften the
blow that he was in fact merely completing the Peres-
Arafat “deal” with regard to Arab prisoners,
Netanyahu announced to his cabinet that the “option”
of pardoning Jewish prisoners imprisoned for killing
Arabs will be considered “soon.” His Attorney General
Tzachi HaNegbi rushed to assure the Arabs and their
leftist sympathizers that he personally was opposed to
releasing Jewish murderers of Arabs. To HaNegbi’s
credit he announced for the record that he also
opposed releasing three other Arab women convicted of
murder or attempted murder of Jews. Of course, such a
posture on his part, as far as releasing Arab
murderers of Jews, would not change anything.
Netanyahu could always sign in his place and stead,
and from all indications is presently prepared to do
so.
In the face of such hocus-pocus, Women
In Green cannot remain silent. It is too critical a
time in our history. We are virtually fighting for the
survival of our reborn Jewish State, as well as the
fulfillment of our Jewish destiny. We accordingly
decided to demonstrate against the Government’s “deal”
with Arafat in releasing all such Arab murderesses
whose hands were covered by the blood of the Jews whom
they killed or attempted to kill.
Incredulously, by these releases of
murderers, the Nuremberg laws seemingly are
no longer applicable in the State of Israel. General
Dayan, Netanyahu, and President Weizman are being
short-sighted in thinking that by releasing murderers
they would be appeasing the Arabs, and thus be acting
to promote the “peace process.” Whatever the
pressures, they should not have caved in on a crucial
moral concept, murder must be punished, and by not
punishing that crime adequately, Israeli society is
opening up a a Pandora’s box of problems, which make
a mockery of law and order.
Future generations demand of us that we
resist these series of what are thought to be minor
capitulation’s to the enemy, which have proven to only
encourage the practice of receiving “bakshish” without
giving anything in return. Pardon us while we scoff
at any expectation of peace resulting from Netanyahu’s
latest “gestures.” Arafat just ignores Netanyahu’s
repeated pleas for reciprocity. Everyone agrees that
Arafat is bent on destroying the Jewish State in
stages, yet Netanyahu continues to arm him, warmly
shakes his hand, and continues to meet with him for the
apparent purpose of Israel hearing and being exposed
to guilt trips for failing to comply with his one-
sided demands. In addition to Arafat we are
surrounded by powerful, numerous and well armed and
equipped foes who share the same common objective with
Arafat, the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel.
We cannot afford to ignore these salient facts. Yet
we seem to be doing just that. We continue to release
most of the Arab prisoners Arafat demands from us,
even murderers. And we do not face up to the ugly
ramifications of such immoral decisions.
What then must be done. Well for
starters, we must finally put some teeth
and meaning into the concept of “Reciprocity”.
Netanyahu must cease using that word as a gimmick to
assuage his followers. He fools no one. To have acted
on the release of prisoners without demanding prior
thereto compliance by Arafat of outstanding violations
of Oslo on the part of the PLO, is unpardonable. But
this above all. We dare not put in jeopardy by this
continued showing of timidity, weakness, and weariness,
the right of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
to live in safety, and security in the Promised Land
of their forefathers.
Ruth Matar
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Jerusalem, February 16, 1997
Apology and Correction
In a recent article discussing Women In
Green’s opposition to the release of Arab murderesses,
we inadvertently credited Victims of Arab Terror, and
not Lt Col. (Res) Meir Indor’s Terror Victim’s
Association for the Petition to the Supreme Court
vigorously opposing the release of Arab Murderesses
with Jewish blood on their hands.
One of our Women In Green, Debbie Niskin,
who presently resides in Florida pointed out our
mistake, and we hasten to correct it and apologize
profusely to Meir Indor. We have always been and
still are a great admirer of Meir, and consider him a
friend, and it was an inadvertent slip to have
credited a similar sounding organization for the
heroic effort Meir and his organization personally
made to stop this insane course of action of freeing
Arab murderers of our children. Meir Indor is a
shining example of selfless devotion to his People,
and we apologize profusely for our error in not
correctly naming the organization of Meir Indor to
wit: Terror Victim’s Association (TVA). TVA should be
warmly supported by everyone financially and proper
appreciation be given to Meir for the wonderful
efforts they are performing daily.
Ruth and Nadia Matar
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Jerusalem, February 23, 1997
Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop
Recent reports that Arafat will be
declaring the establishment of a Palestinian State
immediately after the third redeployment of the IDF
scheduled for the summer of 1998, have the force of logic
behind them; they accurately reflect Arafat’s intentions.
It should be recalled that he previously told
Johannesburg Moslems that he will abandon the Oslo
Agreements whenever he no longer benefits from them. His
role model, Mohammed, he said, was a good example for
him. He breached a pact with, and slaughtered the very
Jews with whom he had entered into a peace Agreement. It
is obvious, except to those who refuse to take Arafat
seriously, (and there were those who did not take Hitler
seriously at the outset,) that the only restraints he has
are temporary, in order to achieve tactical advantages.
Arafat’s deviousness is typical Mid-east Arab
fare, and Westerners who are used to a different code of
behavior, are generally incapable of reading him
correctly. For example, it is quite clear that Arafat,
despite his outright denials, works closely with Hamas to
achieve their common ultimate aim, to wit: the
destruction of Israel. They secretly play the good cop-
bad cop game to perfection. The temporary cessation of
suicide bombings, and other major acts of violence
against Jews in recent months is indicative of the fact
that Arafat could have controlled terror all along, had
he felt this would benefit his objectives. Now that he
has gotten large areas under his jurisdiction ceded by
the Peres-Rabin Government, and large parts of Hebron
from Netanyahu, he is about ready to “permit” Hamas and
other “terrorist” groups to resume their activities,
which of course he will then claim he has no possibility
to control. Not just yet, but the day is not far off,
particularly in Jerusalem.
“Just a little more patience” you can hear
Arafat whispering to his conspirators, Hamas, the PLO,
the PLFP, Egypt and Syria. Even Jordan which eventually
has much to fear from Arafat, and the PLO, is presently
part of this conspiracy as well; as in the past, it has
neither the courage or conviction to act independently,
even if it wanted to, which it doesn’t. The Arafat
“plan” calls for the Jews to first be pressured and
persuaded to cede further sections of Judea and Samaria
to Arafat and the PLO by “redeploying the IDF.” After
the three scheduled redeployments take place over the
next 18 months, assisted by American pressure, Arafat’s
restraints will suddenly be lifted. Jewish blood will
once again flow freely, as it now does in the north.
There, the Syrian initiated, sanctioned and controlled
Hizbullah is used as its tool to obtain capitulation from
Israel concerning the Golan. It is not at all accurate,
as the Americans claim, that Iran is the bogey man. The
rest of the world, and its media are not taken in by this
Syrian ploy, but act as if they are, for their own
reasons.
Of course there have been some necessary
aberrations to the Arafat policy of restraint up to now,
but these had their own force and logic, and considering
his overall strategy, were not aberrations at all. Take
for instance, the reopening of the Hasmonean tunnel with
a new exit to accommodate visitors in Jerusalem. There,
the false claim of Arafat was that the foundations of the
Al-Aksa Mosque located several hundred meters away on the
Temple Mount were being jeopardized thereby. By this
grotesque lie, Arafat easily worked up the Arabs and the
world Media, who did not bother to check the facts. As a
result the PA police opened fire with the guns given to
them by the Peres Government, killing many Israeli
soldiers. As quickly as Arafat called them to action, he
slowly “persuaded” them to restore order, but the lesson
Arafat conveyed was learned well by America and Europe:
if relative quiet and stability in the area is desired,
it is wholly dependent on Arafat’s goals being realized,
including those concerning Jerusalem.
Accordingly, when the issue of Hebron was
next “on the table” America and Europe applied the screws
on the new Government of Netanyahu to be “flexible”
which in fact meant that Netanyahu was, at whatever the
costs to Israel, to continue with the “Oslo peace
process.” They had been instrumental in bringing about,
and fostering stability in the area through Oslo, even
awarding ludicrous Nobel peace prizes to a fictitious
peace process. America and Europe were not actually that
interested in seeing to it that education and media
processes in the Arafat world be made to comply with the
outward appearances of the spirit and intent of Oslo. The
fact that Arafat was totally ignoring those essential
ingredients of education and a media that was sympathetic
to the peace process, was virtually ignored by them. The
plaintive voice of Israel with regard to this vital
point, fell on deaf ears, not only Arafat’s, but
America’s and Europe’s as well. They have taken no
concrete action in making their large financial
assistance to Arafat dependent on his taking concrete
measures both in Arab education and the Arab Media to
promote the desired goals of Oslo: peace between Arabs
and Jews.
So Netanyahu, as a “good boy,” complied. The
Hebron Agreement was consummated. The Jews abandoned
great segments of their ancestral homeland in Hebron to
Arafat. The Arabs, as usual, gave up nothing. Arafat,
speaking in Bethlehem on October 21, 1996 still talked
about the blood struggle with the Jews, “occupiers” of
Palestine. Jerusalem, according to him, was being
“occupied” by foreigners, to wit the Jews, but that
situation would soon be changed by Jihad, and sacrifices
in Arab blood. Yet America and Europe, notwithstanding
such belligerent threats, talk about Israel’s need to
make further withdrawals in its own historical and
Biblical homeland, to be turned over to Arafat if peace
with him is to be achieved, in our time. Shades of
Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler!
America and Europe have learned nothing
in this respect from history. But what is sad, and
fatal, is that the Jews whose very survival in their
ancestral homeland is at stake, and who have the recent
experience of the indifference of the world to the
Holocaust, seem to not have learned from that recent
bitter tragedy. They are going along with the pressures
to make concessions to a known murderer of innocent men,
women and children of their people, who has not in any
instance shown a true desire to make peace between Arabs
and Jews by any concrete action on his part. It is one
thing for America and Europe to act in what they believe
to be their own national and people’s interest. It is
sheer madness and stupidity for the Jewish People to just
helplessly watch their present leadership which lacks our
People’s inextricable traditional Zionist commitment,
orientation and conviction, make a shambles of our own
historical stake in this Land. The bottom line is that
Netanyahu is strengthening an avowed enemy whose offer of
a ” Palestinian peace” is tantamount to the Jews being
cast into the proverbial sea by the Arabs.
What will it take for the Jews to awaken to
the dangers of Arafat? Can they escape from the doom he,
and other like-minded Arabs are planning for them? Can
they not see that he intends to use the threat of force,
and force itself, when it suits his devious strategy, no
matter what he committed himself to in writing? Can they
not see that he seeks to take Jerusalem away from them,
with the assistance of a world who is anxious to use him
for their own nefarious purposes of wresting Jerusalem
from the control of the Jews? Is it wise to continue to
pretend that there is a chance for peace with the killer
and Jew-hating Arafat, who has learned his hatred of the
Jews well from his close relative, a good friend of
Hitler, the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem? The Peres-
Beilin choice of resurrecting the monster Arafat as a
peace partner was a disaster. Israel can no longer
afford to dodge coming to grips with reality; and that
realty is: it is impossible for Israel to make a
meaningful peace with the unrepentant murderer Arafat, or
anyone who thinks and acts like him.
Ruth Matar
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Jerusalem, February 24, 1997
Ruth Matar
Leader of Israel’s Famous Grass-Roots Movement
Women In Green
Is On A Speaking Tour In America From February 25 – March 19
Women In Green members, known for the rakish
green hats they wear at their imaginative demonstrations, belong
to Chapters throughout Israel, the U.S. and Canada. They are
united by a common bond: Love, Devotion and Concern for
the Land and People of Israel.
Ruth’s schedule is presented below. If you miss her at
one location, try to hear her at another. You won’t be sorry!
________________________________
On February 25 @ 8P.M. she will be at the Tornto Zionist Center
788 Marlee Ave, Toronto, Canada
Contact: Anne Walker 416 781 3571
On February 26 @ 8 P.M. Ohab Tzedek Synagogue
118 95th Street, Manhattan, N.Y.,
Contact: Rochelle Rubin Tel: 718 467 4541
On February 27 @ 8 P.M. Young Israel of Kew Garden Hills
150-05 70th Avenue, Queens (Flushing) New
York
Contact either Rabbi Schonfeld
718 261 9723 or
Rabbi Lerner 516 829 9723
On March 1 @ 8 P.M. Jewish Educational Center
370 Elmora Ave, Elizabeth, New Jersey
Contact: Helen Storch 908 527 9560
On March 2 @ 10 A.M. Ashar
20 Highview Road, Monsey, New York
Contact Elaine Silverberg 914 624 4601
On March 3 @ 8 P.M. Parlor meeting in West Orange, New Jersey
Tel: 201 736 2374
On March 4, @ 8 P.M. Congregation B’nai Yehurun
641 W. Engelwood Ave, Teaneck, New Jersey
Contact: Nancy Bleiberg Tel 201 836 0626
or Zahava Englard Tel: 201 692 3655
or Rebecca Schub Tel: 201 569 5359
On March 5,@ 6:30 P.M. (Buffet supper) Kingsway Jewish Center
7:30 Ruth Matar
2902 Kings Highway, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Contact: Lillian Chavkin 718 258 2953
On March 9 @ 8 P.M. Parlor Meetiing in Silver Springs, Maryland
Contact: Tel 301 434 1588
On March 11 @ 8 P.M. Parlor Meeting in Detroit, Michigan
Tel: 810 737 2733
On March 12 @ 7:30 P.M. RZC
3740 W. Dempster St., Skokie, IL
Contact: Ira Kahn Tel: 847 673 4911
On March 13, @ 7:30 P.M. Jewish Community Center
Wilmington, Deleware
Contact: Irving Morris, Esq. Tel 302 426 0400
On March 15@ 8:30 P.M. Shaaray Tfilah Synagogue
N. Miami Beach
Contact: Bunny Horowitz Tel: 305 858 0477
On March 16 @ 8 P.M. Synagogue in N. Miami
Contact: Bunny Horowitz Tel 305 858 0477
For more information or to schedule a talk call or fax:
Ed Banyai President American Friends of
Women For Israel’s Tomorrow (Women In Green)
Tel: 757 857 4708 Fax 757 857 6463
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Jerusalem, February 28, 1997
The following article by URI DAN & DENNIS EISENBERG
appeared on the Editorial Page of the Jerusalem Post on
Thursday February 27, 1997, as their regular Thursday article
which they write for that newspaper.
Sisters In Strength and Spirit
Back in October 1994, we hailed lifetime party
stalwart Drora Shenk as “a woman of valor,” whose value
was indeed “far above rubies.”
A founder of Kibbutz Merom Hagolan,
Shenk went on a hunger strike for 19 days to
protest the Labor government’s plan to return
the Golan to Syria. “Yitzhak Rabin lied when he
told me personally that he would never withdraw from
the Golan, an area rich in Jewish history,” Shenk told
us then. “He betrayed me long before we spoke
by agreeing with the Syrians that he would hand
them the entire area. He betrayed the rest of the
country too, despite his pre-election promises. He
lost touch with the driving force of Zionism that
created Israel.”
Shenk, who expressed herself with a
passionate intensity worthy of her biblical namesake,
the prophet Devorah, lost 8 kg. during her fast.
Today we focus on Shenk’s sister-in-
spirit, a woman who is no less courageous,
no less outspoken in behalf of her Zionist faith.
True, 31 year old Nadia Matar, who lives
in Efrat with her husband and four young children,
hasn’t lost eight kilos since becoming a leader of
Women In Green four years ago. She has, however,
been jailed eight times for demonstrating not only
against surrendering the Golan, but Judea and Samaria
as well.
Once she was beaten up by police and
flung into a cell overnight, together with
prostitutes and drug addicts, after being refused a
doctor to treat her two broken ribs.
Like Shenk, Matar went to war against the
prime minister she voted for.
Politically, the women are far apart. In
other ways, they share much. Both are raising young
families, yet have the pulsating motivation and energy
to go to the barricades to defend their Zionist
principles.
With an eerie exactitude, they use the
same words to assail national leaders they perceive as
having betrayed the trust invested in them. Both are
heroines in Israel.
A month ago, Matar led a protest by Women
In Green outside the home of Binyamin Netanyahu.
“You promised, We believed, You betrayed,” they accused him.
Comments Matar: “Netanyahu is weak,
incompetent, and a non-leader. He is surrounded by a small
clique of cronies and unable. or unwilling, to cooperate with
most of his other ministers.”
As a result of the premier’s abandonment
of nationalist ideology, Matar adds, other Likud
ministers like coalition chairman Michael Eitan and
Justice Minister Tzahi Hanegbi have also jettisoned
past convictions.
Her scorn is directed especially at
Hanegbi, who supported surrendering Hebron,
even though his mother lives in nearby Kiryat Arba.
Yasser Arafat now regards the entire area as his
fiefdom.
“What is astonishing,” Matar says, “is the
blindness of Rabin, Peres, and Netanyahu, while
being outmaneuvered by Arafat. Arafat has studied
Jewish history and apes the way the Israelites
conquered the country on their return from
Egypt, by first seizing Jericho.”
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THESE ARE WOMEN WHO BELIEVE THEY CAN SWAY PUBLIC
OPINION BY SHEER FORCE OF WILL – AND DARE ANYONE TO
STOP THEM
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Because of Jericho’s symbolism, Arafat
insisted on being handed the city on a plate, together
with Gaza, as a first part of the Oslo accords.
Hebron was his next target, as David was crowned king
there 3000 years ago. The PLO chief made a big deal
of taking over Bethlehem too, David’s birthplace.
“At this very moment the PLO chief is
organizing a ‘Next Year In Jerusalem’ festival to
coincide with Pessah. This is Arafat mocking the
Jews in the battle to control Jerusalem.”
In response to hundreds of appeals from
people “despairing at the way the politicians are
giving away the country,” Matar was scheduled to take
part in a meeting and demonstration in Jerusalem last night,
together with other organizations. They aim to fight the
division of Jerusalem and the surrender of more of
Judea and Samaria, as well as the Golan.
“We are going to start demonstrating seriously
again,” says Matar. The Women In Green are setting up
branches all over the country, as people tell us how
bitterly disillusioned they are with Netanyahu.”
A few weeks ago, Matar helped establish a
large chapter in Netanya. “We have more members now
than even at the height of our campaign against Rabin
and Peres,” she notes.
How does she react to people who tell her
that protesting is a waste of time?
“Judaism says nobody will guarantee that
what you undertake will succeed. But neither do you
have the right to sit back and do nothing,” says Matar.
“I really believe we can sway public opinion.
“The first time we demonstrated in Tel Aviv,
we were met by indifference. People even spat at us.
But after the terrorist bombings, particularly at Dizengoff
Center, we were as warmly greeted there, as we always
are in Jerusalem.
“Our sages teach that if a woman is being
raped, and is capable of screaming and does so with
all her might, her story will be believed. If she
remains passive and mute, they will always be suspicious
that she was at least partially an accomplice to the act.
“It isn’t always easy demonstrating, and
organizing almost full time,” Matar says.
“I could never do it without the total support of my
husband and the rest of my family.” The worst moments, she
says, are always at the beginning of every single demonstration.
“My parents say the first word I ever uttered
was ‘Israel’ – even before I said ‘Mommy,’ Matar recalls.
“Never in my worst nightmares as a young girl dreaming of
living here did I envisage demonstrating against a
government in Israel carrying out anti-Zionist policies.”
Now that Women In Green are about to take a
more vigorous stance against the present administration,
Matar fears that the police may resort to a policy of violence
again.
Does the possibility of being put in prison
again deter her?
“Friends and family say that they will look
after my children” says Matar. “This has always been
my major worry; now I feel free to continue the struggle
against Israel’s dismantling.”
She adds: “The physical blows all over my
body hurt, of course. Very much. But far, far worse, is
the pain of seeing a burly Jewish policeman feel it
necessary to lash out at me physically. Not just at me,
but at other women, many elderly.” Matar recalls
her mother-in-law Ruth being knocked senseless, and
dragged away by her feet.
She concludes: “I feel certain that in the
end, we will see justice done. The Jews have known
bad times in the past; this is such a period.”
“I know that if we keep faith with our
ideals and our religion, we will see better days.
It’s like the turning of a wheel.”
“We need to be strong. And that is what I
strive to be.”
(The writers are authors of “The Mossad:
Secrets of the Israel Secret Service,” and other books
on the Middle East.)
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Jerusalem, February 28, 1997
Shame On You, Netanyahu!
Miriam Levinger represents all that is
inspiring and wonderful in Jewish tradition.
A Jewess who is proud of her heritage, a pioneer
in the true sense of the word, a courageous
“Woman of Valor” whose qualities are aptly described
in our Book of Proverbs, which are wholly applicable
to this great woman. She was prosecuted and sentenced
to three months in prison during the Peres regime,
based on the testimony of police officers who have shown
in the past that they are willing to commit perjury to
validate their often inexcusable behavior towards the
Jews of Hebron.
At a time when this Government has
recently freed Arab women murderers from prison
with Jewish blood on their hands, they are permitting
the incarceration of the noble Miriam Levinger, the
wife of Rabbi Levinger, a true Jewish heroine.
What an ugly and intolerable situation! If Netanyahu
wants to continue to belittle his own name, his
continued indifference to the plight of Zionist
ideology, and Jewish self-respect will bring about
such a result. To further persecute Miriam
Levinger and her family and the Jews of Hebron,
by allowing the imprisonment of this selfless,
modest and dedicated Jewish heroine, will go down
in history as a further blight on the name of the
Netanyahu leadership. It will be still another
black mark of betrayal closely following the Peres’
approach of destroying the morale, dignity and unity
of the Jewish People.
Women In Green will join with others on
Sunday, March 2, 1997, Gilo-Hebron Road junction in
Jerusalem, at 11:30 A.M., to raise their voices in
vigorous protest over Netanyahu permitting this scandal
and debasement to occur. Our women from throughout the
Country will come to accompany Rabbinit Levinger to her
incarceration in the Neve Tirtza Prison in Ramle.
Shame on you Prime Minister Netanyahu for allowing
such a tragic event in Jewish history to occur!
Nadia Matar