But, what will the Goyim say?

Every morning, before leaving for work, I take a look out one of the windows in my apartment to see what the weather in Jerusalem is looking like, as the weather in Ma'aleh Adumim and Jerusalem is often very different, even though they are geographically so very close.

Each morning, when I raise my eyes towards Jerusalem, I can't help but notice one large hill in particular, that stands between my home in Ma'aleh Adumim and Jerusalem, known in Israel and throughout the world as E1, that lies barren.

The idea behind E1 is for Israel to link Ma'aleh Adumim - one of the fastest growing cities in Israel, where currently nearly 25,000 Jews live - to the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, thus strengthening Israel's hold on eastern Jerusalem, on the Jewish city Ma'aleh Adumim, and helping to ensure Jewish / Israeli territorial contiguity from Jerusalem in the center of the country eastward towards the Jordan River.

All 3 of these points are viewed as consensus within Jewish / Israeli society (meaning, well short of what my beliefs on the matter are):

* A United Jerusalem under Israeli / Jewish sovereignty

* Strengthening Israel's hold on Ma'aleh Adumim and the surrounding area

* A territorially contiguous State of Israel with "Defensible Borders".

As such, it should come as no surprise to learn that the Government of Israel has decided to freeze any and all construction at E1.

Why, you ask?

Two words:

International.

Opposition.

This was summed up best by Jerusalem's Mayor, Uri Lupolianski:

"Whether or not I support it is not the point," the mayor said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. "Pragmatism says that today, given Israel's relations with the international community - with the Americans and the Europeans - there's no chance."

He added that he certainly believed, nonetheless, that Ma'aleh Adumim should be connected to Jerusalem and knew of tentative plans for non-residential construction.

Lupolianski also asserted pragmatic concerns to dismiss the notion of adjusting some of Jerusalem's borders, excluding certain Arab neighborhoods, to offset demographic trends that see a rising proportion of Arab residents in the city.

So, there you have it. You can say goodbye to Jerusalem and the Jewish State in the name of pragmatism.

Keep in mind that there are only two countries that have officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish State, made evident their embassies being located within Jerusalem: Costa Rica and El Salvador.

* If it were up to the international community today, there would be no Jewish State, but a bi-national state of its citizens where Jews would be a minority.

* If it were up to the international community today, Israel would not be allowed to build a single house anywhere over the Green Line (including the settlement blocs).

* If it were up to the international community today, Israel will be expected to sit by silently as the Jewish majority disappears in Jerusalem and in Israel on the whole.

* If it were up to the international community today, Israel would not be allowed to take any measures to ensure the security of its citizens that might inconvenience the "Palestinians".

Pragmatism is nice and good, but at the end of the day, I would rather be a little less pragmatic but maintain Israel as a Jewish State, than continue to be pragmatic and watch the Jewish State of Israel slowly slip away from us. I have no doubt that should that day come, the world will laud us for having been pragmatic but will not shed a single tear over the fate of the now homeless Jews.

Are we prepared to say goodbye to Jerusalem in the name of pragmatism?

Are we prepared to say goodbye to the Jewish State in the name of pragmatism?

Are we prepared to say goodbye to our Homeland in the name of pragmatism?

Israel
Zionism
Judaism