Just In Time For Parshas Chayei Sarah

I found this via Arlene Kushner, who writes

Could it be that our people are now -- in the face of horrendous risks -- beginning to wake up to the fact of Jewish rights?

From Arutz Sheva:

As Jews worldwide prepare to read aloud in synagogues, this coming Sabbath, the Biblical account of Patriarch Abraham's purchase of land in Hevron, 54 MKs sign a petition in favor of Jews' right of purchase there.

The petition was written as a result of the case currently before the Supreme Court, in which the right of Jews to purchase land in Hevron has come under question. The ultra-left Peace Now organization demands that a family be evicted from its home in Jewish-owned land that, under Jordanian rule, became an Arab market. Peace Now also demands that a room added on to a Jewish house in the same area be razed.

The petition begins with a mention of this coming Sabbath's Torah reading:
"This coming Sabbath, we will read in the synagogues the portion known as Chaye Sarah, where we read the story of our father Abraham's purchase of the Machpelah Cave for its 'full price.' This was the first Hebrew land purchase in the Land of Israel, and it led the way for generations to come. Even then, our forefather Abraham knew, as did other nations of the world, to value of 'the right to purchase,' and certainly would not discredit it.

"As of now, the undersigned, Members of Knesset from various parties, call on the government of Israel to honor the 'right of purchase' of Jews in the City of the Patriarchs, and to allow Jewish settlement in those homes and lands which were purchased for their 'full price,' including:

** houses and lands purchased by Jews over the generations which were stolen as a result of the 1929 massacre [in which 67 Jews were slaughtered in their homes and synagogues by their Arab neighbors], and

** buildings purchased recently for their 'full price,' for example, Beit HaShalom [Peace House] between Hevron and Kiryat Arba."

The article points out that Jews have been living in Hebron continuously since 1540--and goes through the history of the Jewish community there. This is not stopping Peace Now from insisting on evictions. The government may want to do the right thing, but it is not going to be easy.

Read the whole thing.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Hebron.