1.
While terrorist operatives in Gaza are being encircled along the yellow line, which may very well become a permanent border for many years to come, with the Philadelphi Route in our hands indefinitely and the Rafah crossing under our permanent security control, our attention must also turn to Israel's mountain ridge. To Samaria and Judea, the inheritance of our forefathers, and to the Palestinian Authority, which continues to fund the murderers of Jews and spread vicious anti-Israel propaganda in international forums.
We thought that October 7 had put an end to the idea of a Palestinian state. After all, Gaza was a de facto state. History has shown that every territory from which Israel withdrew became a terrorist hotbed, dedicated to Israel's destruction and the murder of Jews. Hamas' charter states this explicitly, and the Palestinian Authority encourages it in practice. After October 7, support for an independent state on the mountain ridge, within spitting distance of Israel's major population centers and its international airport, is a call for collective suicide. Despite the widespread devastation in Gaza, we have not heard any genuine condemnation or serious soul-searching among the leadership of the Arabs of Samaria or Judea, and certainly not in Gaza. For them, the destruction and ruin were worth it for that one infamous day when they managed to humiliate, rape, and butcher Jews.
2.
But the Jewish people are optimistic, to the point of naivety, to the point of recklessness. As that cursed day recedes in the rearview mirror, the words "Palestinian state" are heard once more. Some even went so far as to declare "it's good for Israel." At this stage, the call remains among the vocal fringes, amplified by the irresponsible echo chamber of parts of the media. In the upcoming elections, we will likely hear less about this "solution," as certain parties attempt to camouflage their agenda. However, immediately afterward, we will be back to talking about the "two-state solution", as the proverb says, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." It is unbelievable how flawed the judgment of these Israelis is, when they are asked to reevaluate their old ideology.
3.
Samaria and Judea, and ancient Jerusalem, are the historical memory that sustained us as a people in exile, and ultimately brought us home to Zion. This is the land of the Bible, the fulfillment of the visions of the prophets of Israel. Our attitude toward these regions reflects our attitude toward what they represent—namely, the religious and spiritual components of our national identity.
There is a reason the word "messianic" is hurled as a slur. It is not the vision of messianic peace, "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore," as Isaiah prophesied in the 8th century BCE in Jerusalem. Rather, it's a label meant to dismiss and disqualify historical, ethical, and faith-based considerations in Israeli policy, reducing us to the narrow calculations of a crumpled present.
4.
David Ben-Gurion, in his decision to declare the establishment of the State of Israel despite knowing the severe security, social, and diplomatic consequences, held in contempt those who scorned messianic vision. What founded the State of Israel, he wrote, was "the messianic vision of redemption held in the hearts of the Jewish people through all generations."
He added: "The rebirth of Israel has proven that the messianic vision of redemption was not a delusion." In 1951, he stated: "We are living in the days of the Messiah… We have been freed from the yoke of foreign kingdoms… The Messiah himself has not yet come, for the ingathering of the exiles is not yet complete. But the messianic days have arrived, and with them, the birth pangs of redemption."
Even then, voices were heard calling for an end to messianic thinking, especially among the intellectual elite, and Ben-Gurion replied: "Let them not teach us that the messianic age has passed, for if it has passed, we will have no existence."
5.
And it's not only a matter of historical and cultural truth, but also of security truth: Without our pioneers on the mountain ridge, October 7 would have struck towns along the Green Line as well.
A reminder: Ramallah sits at an elevation of 900 meters (2,950 feet) above sea level, while Gaza lies nearly at sea level. What we suffered from Gaza would pale in comparison to what could come from the mountains, while we crowd into the lowlands and the coastal plain.
Let this be written for future generations: Remember, and do not forget.
