Patrick Henry and the Land of Israel

No shockers here. The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana has called on the United Nations to unilaterally declare Palestine a state without waiting for an agreement between the Israelis and "Palestinians".

Of course we don't expect much from the European Union or the United Nations for that matter - but just to reiterate the ridiculousness of the situation. Israel has attempted again and again to make peace. Negotiations with people who have no interest in making peace.

While making these attempts at peace - Israel has weakened herself. No other country in the world would be surrounded by countries that don't recognize her existence and have called for her destruction and continue to weaken herself militarily in the hopes that something will change. To those who say that some of those surrounding countries do have peace treaties with Israel - I ask if those treaties will hold when the dictators of those countries are overthrown or if the balance of power moves away from the Jewish state. Who will guarantee Israel's safety? The United Nations?

Jews are a hopeful people. Each and every peace treaty points to that hope of peace for the future.

It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth and listen to the song of that siren... Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?
... I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past.
.... What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not... deceive ourselves any longer... we have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated... Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult... In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer room for hope....
It is in vain to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry Peace! Peace! but there is no peace.

Patrick Henry spoke these words over 200 years ago, but could have easily spoken them today. The lessons of history must not be ignored or relegated to books.

Jews have lived by The Book for 4000 years and have a long history of success and failure. It is when we study our history and find our strength in G-d that we succeed and when we don't... we fail. There are many Jewish leaders to learn our lessons from, but that isn't enough for some - we may also take our lessons from those non-Jewish leaders as well. Thank you Patrick Henry.