Quran Cited on Jewish Links to Land of Israel

A7 News
Hillel Fendel

Land of Israel activists sought to educate Arabs regarding the Quran's teachings on the bonds between the Land and Nation of Israel, and handed out flyers in Arabic with the relevant verses. The Jewish activists were responding to a recent leftist-anarchist provocation of spray-painted graffiti in the former IDF army camp base of Shdema, between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion. After it was learned of the intention to allow the Palestinian Authority to take over the area, even though it is totally inside Area C - under complete Israeli control, according to the Oslo Accords - Jewish activists have waged an active campaign to keep the area Jewish. Their weekly presence atop the hill in question has even come under IDF protection.

At the same time, however, Arabs have built a large complex on the lower part of the Shdema hill. Though it was carried out with the assistance of USAID funds, the construction is officially illegal - but the outstanding demolition orders issued by the Civil Administration have not been enforced.

Taking a break from painting over the wall-scrawls this past Friday, the activists went down the hill to the illegal Arab compound and distributed the flyers with the Quran verses. They also posted some of the flyers on the concrete barriers at the entrance to the road leading to Shdema. Last week, the activists spray-painted some of the illegal Arab structures nearby.

The verses were taken from Sura 5:20-21, Sura 7:136-137, and Sura 17:103-104. The first selection reads: “Recall that Moses said to his people, "O my people, remember G-d’s blessings upon you: He appointed prophets from among you, made you kings, and granted you what He never granted any other people. O my people, enter the holy land that G-d has decreed for you, and do not rebel…”The second selection: “We let the oppressed people inherit the land, east and west, and we blessed it. The blessed commands of your Lord were thus fulfilled for the Children of Israel, to reward them for their steadfastness, and we annihilated the works of Pharaoh and his people and everything they harvested.” The third selection: “And we said to the Children of Israel afterwards, "Go live into this land. When the final prophecy comes to pass, we will summon you all in one group." The distribution of the flyers followed the weekly Shdema lecture, which was given this time by Dr. Hagi Ben-Artzi on the meaning of Tu B’Shvat (Jewish Arbor Day) in Kabbalistic literature.



This coming Friday, January 29, the eve of Tu B’Shvat, a convoy will make its way held from the Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa to Shdema, culminating with traditional tree-plantings Shdema. Greetings will be offered by Rabbi Yaron Durani, rabbi of the eastern Gush Etzion community of Nokdim; MK Uri Uriel (National Union); Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council; and Herzl Yechekzel, chairman of the Har Homa neighborhood administration. Adam Tzahi will perform songs by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach