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Courage, Faith and Self-SacrificeRosh Hodesh Iyar 5759 April 16, 1999It was just after Pesach, 20 years ago. Two women, both instrumental in the return to Hebron eleven years earlier, now living in Kiryat Arba, sat down to talk. They pondered how to return to the city of Hebron itself.By 1979 Kiryat Arba was an established community of thousands. Apartments, schools, […]

Different Kinds of HeroesMarch 19, 1999Seven years ago, if I remember correctly it was January first, a young man with three children and a pregnant wife, Shella, was murdered near his Kfar Darome home in Gush Katif, Gazza. I remember Doron Shorshan from many years ago when he began studying at Machon Meir in Jerusalem – a yeshiva for “chozrim […]

Surrender to Terror March 9, 1999 A few months ago, after years of waiting, and following the brutal stabbing murder of 63 year old Rabbi Shlomo Ra’anan, Hebron’s Jewish Community received building permits allowing construction of a new apartment building – Beit Ha Shisha. This building is named after six men: Hanan Krauthammer, Gershon Klein, Ya’akov Zimmerman, Zvi Glatt, Shmuel […]

Measures of StrengthFebruary 5, 1999Two subjects have become major topics of the current elections Tel Rumeida and Bibi’s new campaign slogan.Tel Rumeida? Yes! Labor candidate Ehud Barak has turned Tel Rumeida into a campaign issue. In what way? For example, a few days ago on Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, as quoted in Ha’Artetz newspaper “We have clear red lines. Yitzhar and […]

A Grain of Sand January 18, 1999 It was exactly 730 days ago, two years ago, when the State of Israel willinglyand intentionally abandoned 80% of Hebron to Arafat and the terrorists. It wassuch a terrible Friday morning when the military commander of the HebronBrigade, Lt. Colonel Gadi, walked out of the Israeli military compound on ahill overlooking much of the […]

Clucking AwayJanuary 8, 1999This morning, on my way into a Kiryat Arba supermarket, I was greeted in a most unusual manner. Two men, speaking outside, saw me and started yelling at me: “You really f….. this one up good, didn’t you Wilder!? Now, instead of Netanyahu, we are going to get Ehud Barak and Yossi Beilin.”I looked at them, somewhat […]

Rotten FishOctober 25, 1998“If Jews do not have a right to live in Hebron and Beit El, they have no right to live in Haifa or Yaffo, as claimed by the PLO… Relinquishment in Judea and Samaria will only strengthen the Arab claims to the Galil, Negev, and other land in the State of Israel.”“In addition, it is not difficult to anticipate that the palestinian organizations, after […]

DominosOctober 22, 1998 As of this writing, the negotiations at Wye are continuing, more or less as expected. This is a classic example of ‘give and take.’Israel is giving and Arafat is taking. Netanyahu’s capitulation is difficult to fathom. Ariel Sharon’s acquiescence is almost beyond belief. With all of the question marks about Sharon, no one expected him to collapse, together with […]

Why Wye – Summit or Abyss October 13, 1998 Yesterday afternoon two Jerusalem Braslaver Hassidim were immersing in a stream not far from Hadassah Hospital on the outskirts of Jerusalem. While bathing the two men were shot at by Arab terrorists. Twenty four year old Itamar Doron was killed. His companion, Ilan Mazon was very critically injured, having been hit in the chest and stomach. Netanyahu’s reaction: […]

Heads or TailsOctober 2, 1998 Yesterday evening four members of Hebron’s leadership met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for an hour at his office inJerusalem. Early in the morning several Hebron leaders met with Central Command General Moshe (Bugi) Ya’alon. Ya’alon, an intelligent man, a former commander of forces in Judea and Samaria, was honest. The meeting with him can be summarized in a […]