Migron: Another Gush Katif? Panel discussion held at South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

                                                                                                      With G-d’ Blessings B'H
 Saturday 16^th June 2012

At the South Caulfield Shule this Motzei Shabbat there was a gathering to hear a panel discussion and view video clips on the present disturbing situation at Migron. The evening was ably chaired by Rabbi Y Barber, Rabbi South Caulfield Hebrew Congregation and the panel included Yossi Aron, writer and Chazan at South Caulfield Shule

 Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen, Institute for Judaism and Civilization

 and Moshe Elkman, Convener of Friends of Migron International

and two short viewings on  the proposed destruction of
the Migron community of 300 Jewish souls, which is situated on a strategic hilltop in the
hills of Benyamin just fourteen kilometres north of Jerusalem.

Yossi Aron spoke emphatically and passionately about the tragedy of the situation at Migron. He has recently returned from Migron where he met with Aviela Deitch, spokesperson of the Migron community.

Yossi outlined some of the complexities of the legal issues surrounding land ownership in the area. He also referred to the role of anti settler activists who brought about a Supreme Court challenge regarding ownership of portion of the land upon which Migron stands. (Migron residents believe that without that activist intervention a compensation agreement could have prevented destruction of the settlement.) The court ruled against the settlers and rather than facilitating a compensation agreement called for evacuation by August 1. As a result of the Supreme Court ruling the government have had their hands tied. Fearful of international reaction including possible approaches to the Hague if there is an attempt to circumvent it, Netanyahu even forbade any of his Ministers to vote for legislation that might have legalised Migron (among other settlements). Accordingly, barring a miracle, our remaining role is to support the settlers during the trauma of their resettlement.”

Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen spoke from a legal and spiritual perspective on whose right it is to own the land and to utilise the land.

He explained the differences between G-d given or what in the secular tradition are called “natural laws” and laws created by governments Even secular law traditions acknowledge that “positive” or human laws can not contravene universal principles, which are ultimately Divine (“natural”) in origin, and for this reason Governments and individuals can be called to account for crimes against these laws. Under universal law, all land, is owned by G-d and therefore it is G-d’s to do with it as is
G-d’s will to do. This fact is recognised by a well known Muslim cleric Sheikh Professor Abdul Palazzi of Rome, who was educated in a Cairo theological school where many
contemporary Muslim Imams are trained. G-d, according to Jewish, Islamic and Christian tradition, gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people. Moreover, because it is a holy land, that is, a land in which alone the Jewish people can fulfil all the commandments of the Torah, it is inalienably Jewish; it is a Jewish land “in essence”. Under Torah law, all human beings who accept upon themselves the universal laws set out biblically for humanity, known as the Noahide laws, are entitled to live in the land with the highest level of welfare and wellbeing.

Finally Moshe Elkman read an emotional letter from Aviela Deitch, spokepserson for the Migron Community, where she thanked Melbournians for their support and urged them to support the petition campaign being run to "Save Migron" signed by over 4000 people to be presented 1st July to Mr Netanyahu...Elkman said that part of the Jewish ethic is that " a Jew should never give up!"

A video clip was shown of the terrible events of September 5 in 2011 when three
houses at Migron were evacuated and destroyed without any warning in the middle of the
night by a black clad, riot-shield bearing special squad of government troops. The residents of Migron are not terrorists, but loyal and law abiding citizens of the state of Israel. The government has made a terrible mistake here and one wonders how they will rectify it.

Can we as Jews find it in ourselves to put aside all differences and throw our weight behind Migron and other threatened communities and say, No, not this time? It did not work with Gush Katif in 2005 and it did not work with Yamit in 1982. We need to
establish ourselves as an enduring entity. Let us all stand our ground and say “No, Migron stays. Annex Judea and Samaria. A whole and healthy Israel is more beneficial to us as Jews and also the Arabs who live in Israel. Let G-d bless the government of
Israel with new insights and greater faith to do the right thing by
this community.