First they came to expel the Jews of Gush Katif and the Northern Shomron

Many years ago I spoke to a group of children in Manhattan Day School on or near Israel Independence Day.

One message I left them with (one that I try to give over whenever I talk about the importance of Israel and living in Israel) was that when I was a soldier in the Israeli army I knew that I was not just protecting the Jews living in the State of Israel,but I was a Jewish soldier protecting Jews worldwide. I felt this because the I knew that the existence and the strength of the State of Israel is world Jewry's best protection.

I firmly believe that the worldwide rise of anti-semitism today is directly linked to the submisive diplomatic stance and military doctrine (no military solution to situation - military to keep the terror on a low flame) that Israel has taken vis a vis our sworn enemies who continue to kill us.

The ultimate climax of this situation is that Israel has begun to train its own army on how to confront fellow Jews with the aim of expelling them from their homes. Regardless of whether you agree with Sharon's policy or not, it is a sad day that the protectors of world Jewry are being trained to turn against their fellow Jews. It is therefore no surprise to me that anti-semitism worldwide is on the rise - one is a direct link of the other.

Below I have adapted a famous poem from the days of WWII Europe (that I believe also applies to today) with a few minor changes. I believe it is a testament to the denial of Jews, in Israel and abroad, to the underlying process that is taking place in Israel today that is fundamentally aimed at Jewry (with Israel being Jewry's major symbol), just like the denial that was back then.

The poem is called "First they came for the Jews"

First they came to expel the Jews of Gush Katif and the Northern Shomron
And I did not speak out –
Because I did not live in Gush Katif or the Northern Shomron.
Then they came to expel the Jews of Yehuda and Shomron
And I did not speak out –
Because I was not a Jew of Yehudah or Shomron.
Then they came to expel the Jews of the Golan
And I did not speak out –
Because I was not a Jew of the Golan.
Then they came to expel the Jews of the Galil and the Negev
And I did not speak out –
Because I was not a Jew of the Galil and the Negev.
Then they came to expel the Jews of Yafo and Acco
And I did not speak out –
Because I was not a Jew of Yafo and Acco.
Then they came to expel all the other Jews who lived in Israel's auschwitz borders
And I did not speak out –
Because I was not a Jew of Israel's auschwitz borders.
Then they came for me –
And there was no-one left
To speak out for me.

With it all, I'm very optomistic that even Sharon's Gaza expulsion plan will not come to fruition and I firmly believe we will stop this process - I just wish more of my fellow brethren would wake up from their slumber of denial.

Shabbat Shalom,
Avi