Last week, on Wednesday morning, my wife and I were on our way to the community of Eli to participate in the festivities of the bris of my great-grandson, Amishav, who was granted to us by the grace of Hashem. On the way from Kiryat Arba to Eli we’d already heard on the radio the unbelievable report of Jewish police clubbing Jewish youngsters, boys and girls, on their heads and all parts of their bodies, shedding their blood at the Jewish community of Amona.
I immediately phoned my son David, who was there. He told me that the youths sitting in the homes that were to be destroyed were clubbed one by one on their heads indiscriminately and without exception. Unlike the evacuation of Katif, where the people were removed from their homes with compassion, in the case of Amona the youngsters were not permitted to leave the homes without each one receiving a brutal blow from police batons.
This time the police had orders to punish the demonstrators by smashing their heads, which they did with a vengeance. Even people standing outside the homes were chased by police on horseback and clubbed while trying to escape. Member of Knesset Effi Etam was seriously injured by a police baton and required hospitalization.
You can understand how distraught I was as the joy of my simcha was tainted by the agony of needless Jewish bloodshed. I was invited to recite the traditional blessings and naming of the baby. As I recited the words of the prophet Ezekiel – “And I passed by you and saw you weltering in your own blood and I said unto thee In your blood live, and I said unto thee In your blood live” – I realized that they were now describing the terrible events taking place just ten minutes away from the ceremony. I prayed that Hashem would give us the strength to maintain the flow of life despite the pains brought upon us by fellow Jews. “In your blood live.”
Called upon to deliver a Torah message as we partook of the seudat mitzvah, I expressed my feelings to our family and friends. There is a need to explain the double expression “In your blood livein your blood live.” I always understood it to refer to Jewish blood shed by enemies bent on the destruction of our people. Now I was ashamed at the feeling that the power of Jewish life must overcome this self-imposed tragedy. I felt a need to point out the ones responsible for this crime.
On Tuesday night a group of our people had met with Prime Minister Olmert and presented him with an offer that the settlers would dismantle the nine houses by themselves within a short period of time, thus avoiding a dangerous and unwanted confrontation while at the same time fulfilling he order of the Supreme Court. Mr. Olmert chose not to accept the offer and thereby paved the way to this bloody confrontation. Another effort to implement the offer was made by an appeal to the Supreme Court, which issued a restraining order until a decision would be reached on Wednesday morning.
Unfortunately, a decision rejecting the appeal was handed down by two Supreme Court judges, Ayelet Procaccia and Edna Arbel. A minority opinion put forth by a third judge, Elyakim Rubenstein, was overruled by the majority. With deep sorrow and a strong sense of responsibility I accuse Mr. Olmert and Judges Procaccia and Arbel of giving official sanction to a confrontation which could only lead to Jewish bloodshed. Any court that does not weigh the probable outcome of its decisions and shows no sensitivity for the welfare and well-being of its citizens cannot be considered a court of justice.