By HERB KEINON, JPOST.COM STAFF
Bayit Yehudi leader says Jews would be killed in Palestinian state, Israel must preserve sovereignty.
Naftali Bennet speaking at INSS conference January 28 2014
Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett addressed a security conference in Tel Aviv hosted by the Institute for Nation Security Studies (INSS) on Tuesday.
“People said that giving back land would bring security, but in the year 2000, terrorism was rampant in the streets of Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem,” he said.
Jews cannot live under Palestinian sovereignty for the simple reason that if they do they will be killed, he said.
Not only did Bennett not back down from criticisms he sounded Monday against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that the settlements may remain under Palestinian sovereignty in a future agreement, but he ratcheted up his criticism.
“It will not happen, and cannot happen,” Bennett said of the idea. “You know why Jews can’t live under Palestinian sovereignty? Why? Because they will kill them. How do I know, because it happened.”
Bennett said it happened in 1929 in Hebron, when the ancient Jewish community there was butchered by their Arab neighbors, and it happened again in 2000 when two reservists made a wrong turn and were lynched after being taken to the Palestinian Authority police station in Ramallah.
Everyone knows, he said, that if an Arab wanders into to Herzliya he will leave safely, but that if a Jew gets lost and ends up in Jenin he will be killed.
“We all came here to the land of Israel in the name of Zionism,” he declared. “The essence of Zionism is sovereignty. If there is no sovereignty there is no Zionism.”
He said that placing Jews under foreign rule would be a Zionistic U-turn.
“We tried it in Europe, and it did not really work,” he said, just an hour after getting back from what he said was his first trip to Poland and Auschwitz as part of a Knesset delegation.
“We were always proud that only a Jewish army will defend the Jews. What has happen too us. What is the significance of even raising this idea. What does it say about us.”
Bennett said that from security and practical reasons, and first and foremost because of values of Zionism, “I suggest and demand that this idea be removed from the agenda.”
Bennett called on the international community not to use Israel as an experimental lab. “People live here with dreams, families, and very difficult experience. What is the price we pay when you play with our fate. The Israeli public won’t let that happen any more.”
Regarding his alternative, Bennett suggested his pre-election plan to restrict the points of friction and declare Israeli sovereignty over the “Israeli parts of Judea and Samaria, where 400,000 Israelis, and only 70,000 Palestinians live.” He said those Palestinians will be offered full Israeli citizenship.
In the rest of the territory he said the Palestinians would enjoy full autonomy, hold their own elections, pay and collect their own taxes, build for themselves, and create transportation continuity so there will be free movement in Judea and Samaria.
“Is this perfect? He asked. “No it is not perfect, But is it much better than the fantasy of putting in the heart of our land an enemy state? Yes.” He called on everyone to “grow up” and discard the illusion that every problem has a perfect solution.
The war against the Jews goes unabated. The main enemies are in the EU and the US (closet antisemites are all over). American Jews are blind to the truth or deliberately ignore the facts.
@ Laura:
Dear Laura,
My sentiments too. BUT, I would love to believe that he did not get to where he is by being stupid.
His speech was a breath of fresh air of TRUTH (for a change)
As posted in the past by shmuel halevi, ANYBODY from a line to a bus would be better than this traitor, masquerading with a crayon…
I like what he says except the part of offering “palestinians” full Israeli citizenship.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Dear shmuel,
I hope and pray that you are right.
I listened to the speech. He called a spade a spade!!!
Granted, I would love to see Greater Israel to be Arab free, and those few that might live there to KNOW THEIR PLACE!!!
Obviously, this was not in Bennett’s speech… 😉 But as he said, let’s not chase after ‘perfect solutions’
However, I share your belief (if nothing else, than just from a structural point of view….) that this building is pretty much condemned and must be torn down and rebuilt on a complete new foundation and new materials.
Finally a plan we can likely live with. Its understandable now why Netanyahu, cumpa Peres and Yechimovich are off color and screeching about abandoning the Jewish people in Eretz Israel.
While I am here. I just read that its majesty the Israeli Poll says that a Netanyahu Sharonazo is viable giving him a larger MK count than what he would get if he gets to be again the likud whatever. Personally, I believe that intelligent voters being polled now would promote such a move by Netanyahu and that at real voting time the voters will dump him hard. Bennett delivered a huge hit on him after Ya’alon landed two resounding smacks as well. Knowing the Israeli political swamp as I do from within, I sense that his holding government days may be short.
@ Bill Narvey:
Bill kindly read the plan Bennett has. It is basically annex Area C. Area A is self governed by the Palestinians with Israeli security.
He calls in English ” The Israeli Stability Initiative”
Most practical of the plans going with least risk. Not perfect as he says but the least risk.
@ Bill Narvey:
Bill kindly read the plan Bennett has. It is basically annex Area C. Area A is self governed by the Palestinians with Israeli security.
He calls it in English ” The Israeli Stability Initiative”
Most practical of the plans going with least risk. Not perfect as he says but the least risk.
Bill Narvey Said:
I don’t think so. You must listen to his speech when a video in English becomes available. He is only willing to give the Palestinians the same autonomy as they have now. As Haetzni has pointed out, Israel would claim sovereignty over all the land but give the Palestinians autonomy over part of it.
Precisely at this time Netanyahu is demanding an apology from Minister Bennett or that he resign. I am amazed at the gall, insolence of that traitor.
He released hundreds of Islamic murderers just in time to coincide with his declaring intent to abandon to them 600000 Jews. This is no mere coincidence, it was planned.
Just as he allowed Iran to reach completion of their nuclear plans. Also just about now.
Bennett is still on board with a 2 state solution, albeit a smaller Palestinian state than what Netanyahu is toying with wherein only major settlement blocks will be kept along with East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley. He mentions nothing of land swaps, so presumably that is not on the table.
Since Palestinians will not accept Netanyahu’s musings on the territory to comprise a new Palestinian state, Bennett, while probably expressing an honest view, still is possibly doing this for political gain at Netanyahu’s expense.
Well spoken!! Right on the mark!!
Well stated!!