There is never a dull moment in the Sovereignty Movement. After receiving the Moskowitz Prize, preparations are underway for the Youth Conference that will be held next Thursday. The voice of the Land of Israel will be sounded in Bar-Ilan as a counterpoint to the “Deal of the Century.”

Attached photos of last year’s conference (by David Weill)

As they declared on stage upon receiving the Moskowitz Prize, the heads of the Sovereignty Movement, Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar, are earmarking the prize money for the benefit of the second Sovereignty Youth Conference that will take place next Thursday June 13th in the Wohl Auditorium of Bar Ilan University with the participation of members of Knesset, public figures, and especially youth from throughout the country.

As the event approaches, Katsover and Matar discuss the significance of the event: “The youth, the future of the Zionist vision, have mobilized for the modern equivalent of drying the swamps. If in the past, Zionist action consisted of another dunam and another goat, today the mission consists of more and more activities to inculcate the Sovereignty consciousness among the Israeli citizens and the Israeli leadership. The youth understands this very well and is mobilizing for the mission like only the youth knows how.”

Katsover and Matar cite the previous Youth Conference that was held approximately one year ago in Jerusalem and attracted more than 1200 youth from throughout the country. “The conference’s impact was enormous, both among the general public and among the representatives of the leadership, the members of Knesset who were in attendance. The Knesset members expressed their astonishment from the great energy exuded by the youth in their call for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. Undoubtedly, that call reverberated in Jerusalem and reached our legislature, and encouraged Knesset members and government ministers to support the vision and to commit to promoting it until its ultimate application. The publicity activity of the Sovereignty supporters in general and of the youth in particular is also responsible for leading Prime Minister Netanyahu to view the Sovereignty vision as an expression of the will of the people. That is the reason that he decided to turn the commitment to Sovereignty into a campaign promise.”

The two believe that the upcoming conference must and will bolster the call for Sovereignty specifically at a juncture when Israel is preparing for the unveiling of the ‘Deal of the Century.’ “The ‘Deal of the Century’ is , according to rumors, expected to include relinquishing more than ninety per cent of Judea and Samaria into the hands of an Arab political entity. Even if, at this point, it is not characterized as a state, it is clear that it is a significant step toward a state of that kind, heaven forbid. Within that entity, there will be Jewish communities subject to the whims of that Arab entity like balloons on a string, a situation that would place them in mortal danger. This plan is also liable to constitute a significant constraint on the progress of the redemption of the Jewish people in its homeland. Under no circumstances will we accept this program.

We must, at this moment, sound the cry of the Land of Israel with even greater vigor. Sometimes, it is more difficult for the Israeli leadership to stand up to a supportive American government than it is to stand up to a hostile one. The Prime Minister, his ministers, and the members of his coalition need the voice of the people in order to stand firm and resolute in their position that considers Judea and Samaria the cradle of the Jewish people and an inseparable part of the State of Israel. It is precisely for that reason that we, together with the youth, will bolster the Israeli leadership in the upcoming conference. Our voice will be heard in the Oval Office in the White House. It will be clear to the American president that this plan will not stand. One does not make deals regarding the Land of Israel.”  

The statements of Katsover and Matar are supported by some of the central activists of the Sovereignty Youth movement, who issue a call to register for the conference already today. Noa (17) from Jerusalem adds: “Thousands of youths participated in the demonstrations against the evacuation of Amona, Netiv HaAvot, and the nine houses in Ofra. I also participated in them in order to show that the Land of Israel is important to me and to express vigorous opposition to the destruction of settlements in the Land of Israel. These demonstrations are important and necessary, but we must understand that the destruction of settlements is part of a much wider and more comprehensive problem. It is the reality that Israeli jurisdiction does not completely apply in Judea and Samaria that leads to all those acts of destruction and displacement. The only solution is application of sovereignty.”

Noa addresses both the youth that attended the previous conference and the youth that did not. “Our call for Sovereignty is not mere lip service; it has a receptive audience. There are already more than fifty government ministers and Knesset members who support Sovereignty and are committed to it. The Prime Minister, too, has declared, as you remember, that he intends to apply sovereignty. We have the ability to continue the process at full strength. All of us must attend the upcoming conference next Thursday. I call upon all the youth who love the Land of Israel to come and prove that we care about the Land of Israel and that we do not intend to be a silent, indifferent majority. It is important that we take action on behalf of the Land of Israel.”

Coral Daisy Dean (16) from Tel Mond, one of the activists in Sovereignty youth, explains the importance of youth activity in the Sovereignty Movement: “I want to have influence. I want to stop postponing to the next generation political problems that are just going to get worse. I want to help our state, which is struggling with its consciousness of independence. I want to be involved in Zionism and above all, I want to promote the course of redemption.”

“Our movement did not form so we would have something to do in our free time. It formed because there is a real need in the state of Israel for the concept of Sovereignty. After many years when the attitude was  that only withdrawals and the establishment of an Arab state will lead to a resolution of the Israeli-Arab conflict, a Sovereignty Movement has been formed that is succeeding in changing the public perception and leading to a different solution that does not include concessions and withdrawals. Sovereignty will bolster security and lead to calm under the sovereign rule of the Jewish people over its land.”

“As a result of the previous conference, Sovereignty became the hot political topic. We must ensure that the subject remains current, so that at any moment, our representatives in the Knesset will be able to implement it in practice. In order to facilitate that, we are calling upon you, youths who attended the previous conference, who care about the state and the land, who care about the next generation and do not want to pass old problems to it, who want peace and security, to attend our conference in order to increase and continue public pressure on our leaders to take action to realize the vision. Come and have influence on the future.”

Ruth Messinger (16) from Mevo Horon, one of the leaders of activities in the Sovereignty Youth Movement, notes that although there are several other areas where it is possible to take a deep breath and take a break from the flow of activity and events, regarding Sovereignty “we do not have that luxury.” We are in a race to take advantage of the political and diplomatic window of opportunity that has opened for us for a brief, indeterminate time. This is similar to the brief window of opportunity that was opened for the establishment of the state, and similar to the window of opportunity for restoring Jerusalem to our control. That was how we arrived at the moment of “The Temple Mount is in our hands,” and that is how we will reach the moment of applying Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”

“The upcoming Youth Conference, like the previous conference, is proof of the ability of the youth to influence the decision makers. We will show the world, and especially ourselves, that the Land of Israel is important to us, and we will not relinquish it to strangers. We are the change that our state requires. We will prove it at the conference,” Messinger stated.

Asaf Jason (17), a leading activist in the Sovereignty Movement, a resident of Rosh Tzurim in Gush Etzion, said: “Adults like to say that the youth today never leave their screens,  that they do not deal with matters of significance. However, precisely one year ago, we proved the opposite in the most clear and unequivocal manner. Not only do we care, but we also have great power to influence and change. Suddenly, everyone is speaking about Sovereignty. It is not happening because of newspapers or news sites. It is completely thanks to us, the youth; thanks to 1200 youths who came from all over the country last year and thanks to the many who will come this year.”

“We are the future and we the power is in our hands. We must not listen to those who are seeking to discourage us and say that there is no chance for the vision to be realized. Seventy-five years ago, the youth fought in the underground militias. Today, the youth is battling on the social networks and at the information stands at the Central Bus Station. I want to be able to tell my grandchildren that I participated in revolutions for the sake of the future of my country and for the sake of the Land of Israel. Sovereignty is the opportunity for our generation to be part of the revolution of the next generation.”

This is the place to note that at the conference, among those scheduled to appear before the youth are the Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, chairman of the National Union Betzalel Smotrich, chairman of the Eretz Yisrael lobby in the Knesset, Yoav Kish, chairman of the Eretz Yisrael lobby, former Knesset member Orit Struk, human rights activist Bassam Eid, Knesset member Idit Silman. The entire event will begin with greetings from Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzfat and the rabbi of the Sovereignty Movement. A special panel on the topic of: “Methods of implementing the vision of Sovereignty and its significance” will be moderated by journalist Shimon Riklin.

To register for the conference: https://tickchak.co.il/5673