I remember as if only today the surrealistic feeling when as a very young girl during the 1967 Six Day War, and after seeing the preparations for the worst outcome of this battle for our survival, we witnessed the liberation of the most vital areas of our Nation; Jerusalem, Hevron, Shechem, Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley and Gaza.
Yes, liberation not occupation or conquest – because this Land belongs to the Jewish people now and forever. This is not about politics or power, this is about the roots, heart and history of our Nation and our Nation alone.
I remember the first time following the War when we went up to Jerusalem. There is no possible way to describe the feelings that we had- and to be honest still have when I go up to Jerusalem, and Hevron and have the zchut- privilege to live in the Heartland of Israel- Yesha.
The thousands of Jews who were with us as we tried to get close to the Western Wall – the Kotel were not a problem. The pain in our hearts was the filth, the garbage, the waste thrown next to the Kotel, the destruction of the graves in the Mt. of Olives, the horrifiic destruction of our synagogues in the Old City of Jerusalem.
I recall standing not too far from the Kotel amongst my fellow Jews – yes- weeping- not ashamed to weep for the heroism of our soldiers, for the miracle of our return home and for the endless years of exile from the Heartland of our Nation.
Since then we are constantly continuing the struggle for liberating our Land and protecting not only the lives of our people, but the eternal right to pray in these areas.
How ironic and painful that while the Arabs turn their backs to the Temple Mt. to pray, we the Jews are not allowed to pray on the most Holy and important places of our heritage.
All this while being attacked constantly – no not only physically but verbally being accused of causing the terror attacks against us. Even those who are sitting in our country and have the civil rights to be free in a democracy attack us for wishing to live freely as Jews in our Land and protecting our heritage.
I come from a long line of Jewish settlers who believe, fight and are unafraid of protecting our Torah, our Land and our people, and have the privilege of living and working with the same kinds of people, We will never give up on our eternal right to go up to Jerusalem, Hevron and all of the Heartland of Israel, to pray, to work, to live and we shall never fear because we not only are doing this for ourselves here in our Land, but for all of the Jewish people and indeed for all of the world to be a “LIght amongst the Nations.”
Am Yisrael Chai