The Government Press Office was kind enough to send me a notice from the Municipality of Ariel:
Some 600 American Christian Zionists, led by well-known Evangelical leader, Pastor John Hagee, will arrive in Israel this week to express their support for Israel on the Jewish Homeland’s 60th year of Independence. One of the highlights of their visit will take place on Thursday evening, April 3rd in Ariel…
Pastor John Hagee, who established Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, is considered the leading Evangelist in the U.S.A today…
Since anyone visiting this fair blog knows my view of Hagee, I won’t repeat that. But it’s worth pointing out to the flack who produced this note that “evangelist” (a preacher or missionary) doesn’t mean the same thing as Evangelical (the type of Protestantism that stresses Bible study and adult acceptance of Jesus). Furthermore, crowning Hagee as the leading Evangelical is awfully unfair to Evangelicals.
And furthermore, and moreover, and pay attention here, Rev. Hagee: Ariel is not in Israel. It is in the West Bank. According to Israeli law, it is in territory that Israel holds under military occupation. Supporting Ariel means supporting the growth of a settlement that Israel will almost certainly have to evacuate in any final-status agreement – except that Rev. Hagee’s purpose is to help prevent such an agreement. Which is not a great way to support the State of Israel.
Ariel, like Hevron, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and many other towns are in Eretz Israel. Mail is delivered addressed to
“Ariel, Israel”.
No one in the world recognizes the “pre-1967 green line” as a political boundary, except for the Israeli Left. It is no more than an cease-fire line. UN Security Council Resolutions call for an Israel withdrawal “from territories occuped in the Six-Day War”, not “THE territories”, thus showing they do not recognize it as a political border. No major country ever put their embassies in WEST Jerusalem, thus not recognizing the Green Line as a border. The Palestinians do not recognize the Green Line as a border because they insist on the “right of return” to within the Green Line, thus not recognizing Israeli sovereignity even within that line, since they do not recognize Israel’s right to decide who has the right to live within it.. The US and others recognize the right of the Palestinians to demand the “right of return” and that it is subject to negotiation, thus agreeing that Israel is not really sovereign within those lines.
The only lines that have any possible legal validity are the 1947 UN Partition lines, but then that makes Jerusalem, Ramla, Lod, Ashdod, Ashqelon, the Jerusalem Corridor and many other places “occupied territories” also, since they were captured in the 1948 War of Independence, yet you claim they ARE in Israel. Totally arbitrary. Jewish claims to Eretz Israel are historic and religious. An arbitrary cease-fire line takes away no legitimacy whatsoever from Jews living within their historic homeland that happens to be outside that line.
It is these historic and religious ties that were recognized by the League of Nations which gave Jews the right to live not only in Judea/Samaria/Gaza BUT ALSO IN TRANSJORDAN. The “Peace Treaty” with Jordan has (temporarily) suspended those Jewish rights there, but no such agreement has ever been signed with the Palestinians (Oslo makes no mentions of the settlements in Judea/Samaria), nor will any such agreement be signed in the future.
Shorter Y. Ben-David:
It’s in Israel when that’s convenient, it’s not in Israel when that’s convenient.
How confusing when we all know that Israel is Palestine, Palestine is Israel, and it’s all occupied by residents who call it home. Sounds like a problem when we insist that what is isn’t, and what isn’t ought to be.
Sorry wrong! The green line establishes areas under dispute in the nation of Israel not Palestine unless you are a Muslim or a UN buff. The Arabs will not agree to a two party state because they do not want Israel to exist. Do your homework and you will find Ariel is ancient Samaria not an Arab redefined West Bank. Jews live on approximately 10% of land mass and managing to keep Holy Land where all nations are free to worship. Ever tried to go to a Muslim controlled nation and worship freely. Ariel is a city my friend and capital of Ancient Samaria. Arabs called it Mountain of Death because it was so rugged they could not develop it. Jews from all nations are making it a city if cultural and educational emphasis. You are blurring the issue because a few evangelicals care for Israel and Biblical Heritage more than UN political spin and Arab correctness. Remember what the PLO and Arab world and many western nations want is not Israel to give land over they want Israel to cease to exist as well as a lot of western free societies. Recheck you info on the green zone and you will find Israel has as much right to green zone as PLO. Have you actually travelled there and saw for yourself before writing this article?
boy the arguments with this let me say this israel is jewish 100% and jerusalem is the capitol of israel the whole country of israel this country doesnt belong to palestinians or arabs for one thing, king david sat in the royal home and ruled over the city in his time. palestinians just want the land and take it from jews is illegal they need to know the scriptures declared that all of israel is jewish they know better. i am gonna say this now its time to close the chapter and allow the jews to have thier land as far as i know now the jews are regathering in israel as the prophecy has been unfolding and palestinians are getting more and more vicious to attack them is just plain dumb. they just dont care and they go blow themself up over land and stuff i think OH BROTHER!!! they do that well u.s. has no right to control israel either. they cannot tell israel what they can or cannot do.god gave the land to the jews the arabs who are palestinians are just trying to lie to people about things and people should know this.the UN is worse they want to be the boss against israel well i am not gonna stand for it. i support israel and i intend to continue it, and will always love love israel