|
 In
the 1996 Elections, Meimad neither joined
nor endorsed any party's list for the
Knesset. However, we supported Mr. Peres for
Prime Minister because of our long-standing
support of the Oslo Accords and the peace
process, as well as evidence of our view
that commitment to Torah does not imply
support for one particular political stance.
The monolithic support of the religious
parties for Binyamin Netanyahu, and the
nature of the campaign material that implied
it was a religious imperative for every
observant Jew to vote for the right wing,
made Meimad's position all the more
important as a message to religious
Zionists.
BASIC POSITION: THE PEACE PROCESS
Meimad, fully aware of the risks
involved, and in spite of the painfully high
price to pay, supports and continues to
support the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process. We support the peace process
because we feel that in the long run there
is no other way to avoid war and bloodshed,
and no better way to assure the viability of
the State of Israel as a Jewish state. At
the same time, Meimad is equally aware of
the character of Israel's partner in the
peace process, and we insist that the
Government be uncompromising in demanding
full and absolute Palestinian adherence to
every detail of the agreement, for nothing
less will assure its successful
implementation. In this vein, Meimad
applauds and supports Prime Minister
Netanyahu's recent decision to sign the
Hebron agreement and thus to continue the
Oslo process.
Three Fundamental Principles
Meimad views with utmost importance the
formation of principles regarding the
permanent accord which shall ensure the
security of Israel, enable the Jewish people
to realize the majority of its aspirations
and national rights, bring an end to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and ensure
co-existence and a lasting peace. Meimad's
basic principles regarding the peace process
are:
- Eretz Israel is the land promised to
the Jewish People by God. The absolute
right of the Jewish People to the entire
Land is beyond question. The
consciousness and recognition of the
affinity between the people and its
homeland is a cornerstone of the Torah,
of the Zionist movement, and the
development of the State.
- Peace is one of the fundamental
values of Torah. The aspiration for
peace and the prevention of war and
bloodshed, both in the short and long
range, must guide the policy of every
government in Israel.
- Our political and moral position is
determined by the conviction that the
good of the people of Israel and of the
State of Israel takes precedence over
our control over the entire area of the
land of Israel.
The Permanent Accord
The following principles form the basis
for Meimad's positions on a permanent accord
for Judea, Samaria, and Gaza: Greater
Jerusalem shall remain united, under Israeli
sovereignty, as the capital of the State of
Israel. Large blocs of Jewish settlement in
Judea, Samaria, and Gaza shall remain under
Israeli sovereignty, with a continuous
territorial link to the State of Israel.
Recognition shall be given to a
demilitarized Palestinian entity in part of
Judea, Samaria, and Gaza which shall govern
the vast majority of the Arab population
there, subject to permanent and concrete
security arrangements, together with
substantial changes to the pre-1967 borders.
In addition to the above-mentioned blocs of
settlements, the permanent borders of the
State of Israel shall include areas close to
the green line essential to the security and
of the State. In the area between the Jordan
River and the Mediterranean Sea, there shall
be no military presence other than the
I.D.F. In order to guarantee Israel's
security, the I.D.F. shall be deployed along
the length of the Jordan River in a
continuous territorial link from the
Northern border to the Dead Sea. The
international borders with Jordan and Egypt
shall remain the responsibility of the State
of Israel, and the Israeli Air Force shall
be responsible for the entire air space of
western Eretz Israel.
THE JEWISH
CHARACTER OF ISRAEL
Meimad
- POB 8067 Jerusalem 91080 Tel:+972 2 612240
Fax:+972 2 612340
© Copyright -
Rav Yehuda Amital - Rabbi Michael Melchior |
