For decades, we’ve repeatedly heard the claim that it’s not the right time to promote sovereignty. On the other hand, it has become evident that waiting for precisely the most opportune moment never yields any tangible results on the ground.
There will always be reasons and excuses to postpone this step, although history has proven that despite the “poor timing” of applying sovereignty over the Golan Heights and Jerusalem, determined Israeli leadership knew how to take critical steps essential for Israel’s future.
This was accomplished by leaders (from the Likud and Labor, from the right and left) guided by unwavering ideological conviction, firmly convinced of the justice of the Jewish people’s cause, and willing to act despite international pressure and threats from both adversaries and allies worldwide.
This is the kind of pioneering, ethical leadership that is needed today to promote sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. Moreover, the current timing may be the most opportune in decades.
The concept of sovereignty as a practical political goal is now much more widely accepted in Israel than at any time in the past. The vast majority of Israelis have become completely disillusioned with dreams of coexistence and peace after the ruthless determination of its adversaries to annihilate Israel through various brutal and monstrous means became so painfully evident on Oct. 7.
The people of Israel understand today, unlike at any other time in the past, just how dangerous the idea of a Palestinian state is to Israel’s physical survival and are increasingly open to considering the idea of sovereignty and the ways to implement it.
Experts in the Middle East, including those not necessarily aligned with the right, believe that the most vulnerable issue for Israel’s enemy is that of land. Consequently, it is imperative to use land to respond to the enemy’s brutal acts of aggression.
The Arab enemy is indifferent to the loss of life, civilian or otherwise, and is unfazed by international pressure, interpreting it as a sign of divine mission. However, the loss of territory it misguidedly believes belongs to it will undoubtedly cause considerable distress.
That is why the application of sovereignty, on the ground and through legislation, is not only historically just and the fulfillment of a vision, but also the most effective response to terrorism. This fact underscores the simple logic that in the wake of Oct. 7 and the cruel attack on Israel’s sovereignty—in our communities, IDF bases, and vast areas of the Land of Israel in the north and the south—we must respond decisively and emphatically by asserting Israel’s sovereignty over the Land of Israel.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s announcement this week of his intention to promote through legislation, and not only on the ground, the application of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria comes at precisely the right time. This declaration embodies the self-evident historical justice of the return of the people of Israel to its land and constitutes the realization of the Zionist dream of sovereignty over the Land of Israel.
It is also the most appropriate response to the murderous intentions of Sinwar and his savage cohorts, who have never hidden their desire to destroy Israel by any means.
Out of concern for the people and Land of Israel, and based on a deeply rooted historical perspective, we the citizens of Israel must support and empower our leaders who promote the vision of sovereignty wherever we can.
Most importantly, we must unite our voices and urge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as one who is profoundly committed to safeguarding the survival and future of the State of Israel, to promote the vision of sovereignty both in legislation and on the ground. This momentous historic achievement will be forever enshrined in the annals of our nation as his legacy.
