by Anna Slotzkin, among the founders of the Uri Tzafon (Awaken, O North!) movement, translated by Hillel Fendel.
Israel's political and military establishments seem to have a frighteningly
short memory. In fact, we are witness to a dangerous governmental attempt to
revive the same old murderous "conception" that brought upon us
terrible calamities in the not-so-distant past.
The latest plan for our northern border currently on the table,
known by the laundered term "pilot plan" (as if it was not meant to
be permanent), proposes the same old recipe that has been tried, with tragic
results, in the past: The IDF is to withdraw from the areas it captured in
southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Army will take its place there, and the
Americans will "supervise" from afar, giving all of us a dangerously
misleading sense of security.
In practice, hiding behind the word "pilot" is a very
bitter reality: a bona-fide retreat of Israeli forces and an abandonment of
strategic pieces of land that the best of our sons, brave IDF warriors,
captured with their blood and heroism over the course of almost three years. (Nearly
160 Israelis have been murdered by Hizbullah during this period, including
about 40 in 2026.) Two large areas of land have already been turned over to the
Lebanese, who this week proposed that two more territories be included in this
"pilot." This, despite the fact that the Lebanese Army has never
displayed any ability – nor even willingness! – to effectively clash with the
Hizbullah terrorists controlling their country.
Those who try to pass off the Lebanese Army as a
"solution" are simply throwing sand into Israeli eyes, and
particularly of those of who live in the north. The reality on the ground is
becoming more and more obvious, and that is that the Lebanese military is not
simply ignoring Hizbullah activity, but is actually actively cooperating with
it. Its army is not a sovereign, independent force that can enforce law and
order, but rather one that lives and breathes the terrorist organization with
which it works hand in hand.
The Lebanese Army refrains from any and all clashes with Hizbullah.
Instead, it grants them an umbrella of protection and enable them to remain the
true bosses in southern Lebanon. To expect that such an organization will
suddenly become a defender of Israel's Galilee is somewhere between stupidity
and a downright security disaster.
We've already gone through this before. We saw what the UN
peacekeeping force UNIFIL was worth after UN Resolution 1701 was adopted in 2006.
The resolution stipulated the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, and
the establishment of a buffer zone manned only by the Lebanese military (which
cooperated with Hizbullah) and UNIFIL (which became live shields for Hizbullah
terrorists). We must not allow our control in southern Lebanon, achieved
with blood and tears, to be replaced by another "been there, done
that" experiment on the backs of the tens of thousands of Israel who have
been displaced from their homes for over a year.
The Uri Tzafon movement seeks to say as clearly as possible
that which many are afraid to say aloud: True security for the Galilee and all
of Israel will come not from the Lebanese Army, collaborating with Hizbullah,
and certainly not from UNIFIL disguised as peacekeepers. It will come only from
settlement.
All of Zionist history teaches us this one simple lesson: Where
the Jewish plow passes, there's a border and there's security. Withdrawals and
understandings will not bring peace. The only solution that is real, ethical,
and safe is one that involves complete military control of the areas previously
occupied by terrorists – and then wide-ranging Jewish settlement there; yes,
there in southern Lebanon. Only land that is settled by Jews can be a true
living and breathing security zone, guaranteeing that no other threat will ever
arise against the residents of northern Israel.
In fact, steps are being taken in this direction. Families in
northern Israel have been crossing the border once in a while, seeking to set
some facts, if not on the ground yet, then in our consciousness. Yes, our
forces broke through the old border-fence and replaced it with a wall, but in
truth, there is no need for either: The best will be that instead of terrorists
crossing over into Israel while we tremble passively by, it should be us
pioneer settlers who should be crossing northwards, to conquer the inheritance
of our forefathers.
These pioneering families are calling upon our government to Wake
Up! Instead of investing millions in the construction of walls and fences and
new conceptions that simply harm our security and create false illusions of
safety and protection and cooperation with the Lebanese Army, let us settle
north of the border and grant genuine security to our State.
The time has come to internalize that only settlement in southern Lebanon will bring true security!