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Terms of Peace
Summary ... Dwelling in the land of Israel is a mitzvah equal to all of the mitzvot in the Torah. One can consider it even greater than the rest of the mitzvot, because all of the mitzvot were meant to be carried out in the land of Israel.
Dwelling in the land of Israel is a Mitzvah equal to all of the Mitzvot in the Torah, as we learn from our sages, in Sifri,(Reei 80), learned from the verse "You shall inherit the land and dwell therein and you shall carefully keep all of the laws" (Bamidbar 11:31). One can consider it even greater than the rest of the Mitzvot, because all of the Mitzvot were meant to be carried out in the land of Israel.
When HaShem took us out of slavery in Egypt, He did so in order that we settle in our own land, separate from the nations and by doing so, to be a light unto them. If He had meant to free us from slavery only, He could have left us to dwell in the land of Goshen in Egypt, a beautiful land possessing wealth and natural resources. But He commanded us to return to the land He promised our Fathers, the land of Israel, to live separate and distinct from all other nations. Only through separation and isolation, uncorrupted by the ways of the nations, living according to the law given to us by HaShem, can we be a nation of Priests. And only then will we be a light unto the nations who will be able to look to us and follow in our ways.
The land of Israel is not only God's gift to the Jews, but living in the land is a great obligation. We are commanded to dwell on the land and not to give it over to any other nation. The RaMBaN wrote in the Book of Mitzvot, mitzvah number 4, "This is what our Sages call 'Melchimit Mitzvah' (a mandatory war). In the Talmud (Sotah 44) Rava said: 'Joshua's war of conquest was an obligatory duty according to all options.' One should not make the mistake of saying that this mitzvah only applies to the Seven Nations we were commanded to destroy…this is not so. We were commanded to destroy those nations when they fought against us, and had they wished to make peace we could have done so under specific conditions. Yet we cannot leave the land in their control or in the control of any other nations in any generation."
The Torah draws out the basic conditions by which we are permitted to make peace with the non-Jewish inhabitants of the land. They must accept our sovereignty and government of the land, obey the Seven Noachide Laws, pay tax, and serve the nation. If they are willing to pledge allegiance to the Jewish state and people, then the Torah gives us permission to grant them the status of ger toshav and they may dwell in the land as foreign residents. This is no different than laws of other sovereign countries who grant work privileges and immigration to foreigners according to their own laws, like the United States' green card and immigration laws.
Peace with neighboring nations is achieved through victory in war, in which the terms of that peace are dictated by the winning side. HaShem, through His great mercy, has given us an army, technology, and weapons that made it possible for us to win all of the wars that our enemies waged against us. It is only fear of our own greatness that holds us back from pinning down our enemy and dictating the terms of peace.
The land of Israel belongs to Jews. We have the power and ability to keep and protect it. We need not fear the pressure of the nations of the world who demand that we surrender what is rightfully ours. We must fear only HaShem and put our trust in His covenant with our Fathers. Our presence and sovereignty in the land is a sanctification of God's Name — Kiddush HaShem.
[ Published: February 3, 2005 ]
In Depth Analysis
Where is Palestine?
Where, exactly, might another Palestinian state arise? "Another," because Jordan, constituting two-thirds of Mandatory Palestine, with a "Palestinian" majority population, already is a de facto Palestinian state. And although several international documents clearly state the boundaries of Israel, Netanyahu seems more than happy to change them and give land to Israel's sworn enemies.
Israeli Attack on Iran Won't Follow the American Script
Since Israel's exact capabilities are known only to a handful of senior government officials, it's impossible to predict exactly what an Israeli strike against Iran would look like. But based on past experience, one can confidently predict that it won't resemble the US blueprint. Israel is quite capable of dealing with situations with its limited resources and without provoking massive retaliation.
Is the Peace Treaty Between Israel and Egypt Finished?
The deterioration in relations between Israel and Egypt should serve as a reminder to all that the new generation in the Arab world is not marching toward moderation, particularly when it comes to making peace with Israel or even recognizing its right to exist.
Emet Blog
Benzion Netanyahu and the All Important UN Clause to Save the Jewish State
Benzion Netanyahu, (father of the current Israeli prime minister) who recently died in Jerusalem at the age of 102, along with Irgun activist Peter Bergson (nephew of Mandatory Palestine Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook), and liberal US Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, drafted an article for inclusion in the United Nations Charter that could yet save the Jewish state. Benzion helped to write the fundamental principle of Zionism — the right of Jewish settlement throughout the Land of Israel — into the United Nations Charter.
Bin Laden Lessons for Israel
The US assassinated bin Laden, tried to kill Hitler, and also hunted and eliminated Saddam Hussein, yet nobody said a word. For every targeted elimination carried out by Israel, it was hit with numerous condemnations and protests, yet the daily US surgical strikes in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, and Iraq are met with silence. Every time Israel unintentionally harm civilians, the world raises a hue and cry, yet if it happens in Libya, Iraq, Serbia, or Kosovo nobody protests.
Murder at Tomb Illustrates the Future of Jewish Holy Sites in a Palestinian State
On April 24, 2011 Jewish worshipers at Joseph's Tomb were attacked by members of the US-trained PA/PLO police. One person was murdered and several others wounded. Rather than keep the peace and root out the terrorists who are a threat to the safety of both Jews and Arabs, the PA/PLO police have yet again proven themselves to be a group that is willing to commit acts of terrorism themselves. And this is not the first time they have done this at Joseph's Tomb.
Views/Commentary
Those Contradictory Militants
The mainstream media, politicians, and others, prefer to use the term "militant" instead of "terrorist," especially in the case of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Doing so fulfills many different agendas, in addition to furthering the user's cause. Whatever the case may be, the usage generally distorts the story and causes confusion for the reader, which many times is its exact intention. As with much post-1970s journalism, the longer news media use such language, the less they sound like journalists and the more they are heard as political partisans.
Who Will Teach Tolerance to the Muslims?
There was a time when police officers told battered wives that they had to be more understanding of their husbands. Today they tell Americans to be more understanding of Muslims. They do work hard you know. And if they try to car bomb you sometimes, maybe it's because you don't please them anymore.
But There is a G‑d in Israel
The Jewish exiles shall be ingathered only through faith. If they have it, if they truly believe in the existence of the Creator and Guider of history, the G‑d of Israel, they can bring the final redemption today. Far from fearing what the Gentile will do if they do such a thing, let the Jew tremble as he considers the anger of the Almighty if he does not.
Selected Reading
Reconciliation (Unity) Agreement Between Fatah and Hamas
Under the auspices of Egypt, delegations from the Fatah and Hamas terrorist groups met in Cairo on April 27, 2011 to discuss the issues concerning ending the political division and the achievement of national unity. Both political parties mutually agreed that the basis of understanding made during the meeting are committing to both parties in the implementation of the Palestinian National Reconciliation Agreement. This is the basis of understanding agreed upon by Fatah and Hamas.
The Arab Pulse: What Policymakers Can Learn From "Palestinian" Social Media 
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has released the first-ever study mining the Arabic-language "Palestinian" social media environment to determine Arab public sentiment and its potential impact on US foreign policy. At FDD's direction, the Washington, D.C.-based Web analysis company Constrat viewed approximately 10,000 Arab social media entries between May 3 and August 3, 2010, of which it analyzed approximately 20 percent for relevancy. In the end, the company analyzed 1,788 statements contained within 1,114 unique posts across 996 threads written by 699 authors.
Why Is Israel's Presence in the Territories Still Called "Occupation"?
When an armed force holds territory beyond its own national borders, the term "occupation" is usually used to describe its holding on the land. However, not all the factual situations that we commonly think of as "occupation" fall within the limited scope of the term "occupation" as defined in international law.
Commentaries, Documents, Booklets, and Miscellaneous Materials Relating to the Gaza Strip
These commentaries, documentation, and booklets provide much otherwise unknown information regarding the truth ("emet") about what is really happening in the Arab-occupied/Hamas-controlled Gaza area. Included are weekly and monthly summaries of humanitarian assistance, as well as the infamous Goldstone Report, Israel-related United Nations Resolutions, and miscellaneous materials providing information and analysis of the situation in Gaza.
The History and Meaning of "Palestine" and "Palestinians"
Palestine has never existed . . . as an autonomous entity. There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs. PDF Format