The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies

 BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,215, November 28, 2023

“We cannot always prevent the murder of workers in an orchard or sleeping families, but we can set a high price for our blood. A price too high for the Arab settlement, the Arab army and the Arab government to pay. … [Retaliation operations] are not for vengeance. It is an act of punishment and warning, that if that state does not control its population and does not prevent them attacking us – the Israeli forces will cause havoc in its land.“

IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan,

Lecture to IDF officers: “Retaliation Operations as a Means of Ensuring Peace”, July 1955

(Published in IDF monthly journal Skira Hodsheet, August 1955).

Israel Always Fights For Survival

The concept of war between nations is usually for land, control of a population, to acquire production assets or resources.

You might think one of these reasons drives Israel to war, but you would be wrong. Dead wrong.

We fight ONLY to survive.

Our forefather Abram (his name had not yet been changed by God) went to war with four Kings of cities north of Canaan after they took Lot—Abraham's nephew—as a spoil of war in their altercation with five Kings of cities around the Dead Sea who had rebelled and left the hegemony. They took Lot, and Abraham went to Damascus, defeated the four Kings, and brought all the booty back to the five Kings. He accepted no part of the booty for himself. He only waged war to bring Lot back home. Genesis: 14

God visited with our forefather Abraham (after He had changed his name) as he sat in his tents on the plain of Mamre. He told Abram that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed because their sin had become grave. Genesis: 18. Abraham debates with God regarding the level of righteousness required to save the city of Sodom. Together, God and Abraham settled on 10 righteous men to be the city's salvation. This was a war of words in the form of a debate entered into with God in order to save lives. There were not enough righteous men to save the city.

Abraham and Sarah left Mamre and journeyed to the land to the south and settled between Kadesh and Shur, and he sojourned in Gerar. Genesis: 20. Abimelech, King of Gerar, found Sarah to be comely and desired her to become part of his household. Abraham had stated she was his sister. When Abimelech's people had all their openings closed so they could not give birth or even excrete bodily refuse, God told Abimelech this had happened because Sarah had been taken from her husband. God said that when Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham the openings of the bodies of the people of Abimelech would be restored to proper functioning when Abraham prayed for them all. Abimelech spoke with Abraham and blamed Abraham for this "injustice" done to the people of Gerar. Abraham explained that he saw no fear of God in this place, so he feared that Abimelech might have killed Abraham to take Sarah. By saying she was his sister, his life was not endangered. Moreover, since Sarah was the daughter of Haran (the deceased brother of Abraham), the status of father for Sarah became the realm of the father of Haran—Terah—also the father of Abraham. In this sense Sarah could be said to be his sister, so he did not lie nor represent falsely. His statement did mislead Abimelech, who now understood and showered Abraham with money and gifts. He was not an evil man, however, and offered that Abraham and Sarah could choose to live among his people (Philistines) in peace. He may have hoped to create some form of commerce with such a man as Abraham. In this case, the possible threat to the life of Abraham caused the use of one of the tools of war—misdirection. At the end of the story, a treaty of sorts has been reached when Abraham prays for the relief of the people of Abimelech.

Sarah died in Kiryath-Arba, which is Hebron in the land of Canaan. Genesis: 23. Abraham requested to buy a plot to bury his beloved Sarah. The children of Heth told Abraham that they would provide any place he chose because they saw that he was a Prince of God in their midst. Abraham argued (almost like a propaganda war in the presence of an audience) with the children of Heth to allow him (Abraham) to buy the Cave of Machpela in the field of Ephron the Hittite. Ephron offered to give it to Abraham, but Abraham declined. He understood that this cave was for the burial of Ephron's family. It would be a great loss to Ephron who was offering it in the presence of the children of Heth so they would see his "gift" as making him an exceptional man. Abraham understood this and offered to purchase the entire field (including the cave) from Ephron. Ephron asked Abraham what would 400 silver shekels mean between them. This allowed it to look like he would give the field to Abraham—yet he had named the price at 400 silver shekels. Abraham understood the "saving of face" undertaken by Ephron and also the sale price. Since the silver shekel was worth 2500 times as much as the everyday shekel, Abraham paid 1,000,000 shekel for the field with the cave. In the presence of the children of Heth Abraham bought this field and cave in Machpeleh facing Mamre in Hebron. Abraham buried Sarah in the cave he bought for a great price from Ephron the Hittite. The cave is still in Hebron to this day. It is the burial place of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs. It is in the hands of the Palestinian Authority and is not available to us. So who is occupying whose purchased property?

I suppose we should fight to regain possession of our property rightly purchased in Hebron from the current occupiers. Maybe we can simply negotiate for its return to the proper owners.

Isaac was the son of Abraham. He was the husband of Rebecca (Rivka). Isaac was the son who was bound by Abraham and placed upon the altar of Moriah as an offering to God by the command of God. Isaac wasn't sacrificed but he was offered as a perfect sacrifice, and so he was intimately connected to the land God decreed to be the home of the descendants of Abraham. When there was a famine in the land, Isaac thought to go to Egypt like his father before him. God told him not to go to Egypt. If Isaac went to the land God showed him then Isaac and his descendants would inherit all these lands that were promised to Abraham's descendants. Isaac went to settle in Gerar. The men of Gerar asked after Rebecca and Isaac (like his father before him) said the woman was his sister because he feared they would kill him on account of Rebecca. Abimelech (King of Gerar) witnessed Isaac & Rebecca in the garden and knew they were husband & wife. He sent them away from Gerar and told all his people to leave them alone. They settled in the plain of Gerar and in the first year increased their wealth 100 times. Isaac opened again the wells his father had dug and the Philistines had filled over. Abimelech came to Isaac and told him to leave because he (Isaac) had become more rich and powerful than the people of the land. He was a threat to their peace. Isaac went to another area, and dug a well, it was not contested by the Philistines, so Isaac called the well Rehovot because they did not argue about it. He then went to Beer-Sheva, dug a well, and Abimelech came with Phicol (his general) to make a treaty (a pact) with Isaac. Since the Philistines had "done no harm" to Isaac, they wanted him to swear to do no harm to them. They made a treaty (which means without a treaty there would be a war) and Isaac named the place Beer-Sheba.

So if somebody comes to you with a General and tells you to make a treaty with them, wouldn't you think you may have been on the brink of a war?

In time, Isaac became old. He wanted to give his son Esau the blessing he could offer as the blessing of success and authority over the family and before God. Esau had already sold his "birthright" double-portion of inheritance to Jacob years before for a bowl of soup when he returned from a hunt hungry and tired. Now he also lost the blessing. He hated Jacob and decided he would kill Jacob after the time of mourning for the death of his father Isaac was finished. Genesis: 27.

Rebecca heard this and went to Isaac to say to him that she could not bear to have Jacob marry from the daughters of Canaan. She wanted him to marry a daughter of Laban her brother in Paddan-Aram. Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and sent him to the home of Laban the Aramean. Esau learned from this that the daughters of the Canaanites were undesirable, so he married Mahalath, a daughter of Ishmael, son of Abraham.

In this case, the war between the brothers Esau and Jacob was postponed for many years. Jacob preserved his life by leaving.

Genesis: 28.10-32.3. Jacob makes it to Haran, and asks after Laban son of Nahor. He meets Rachel daughter of Laban at the community well and is taken by her beauty. He asks Laban for Rachel to become his wife, and Laban says he should work for 7 years for Rachel, though Jacob can marry her now. Jacob is tricked, as Laban instead marries Leah to Jacob, and at the end of the 7 years worked for Leah, Jacob is allowed to marry Rachel and work another 7 years. He works 6 more years for an inheritance of the flock. His wage is changed by Laban many times. Much in the experience of Jacob with Laban proves Laban to be a trickster, narcicist, and thief. Jacob, his two wives and two concubines leave without informing Laban. He learns about the departure 3 days later. He comes with fighters to take back everything because he believes it is all his by right. He is ready to fight. He is angry.

Jacob assuaged Laban's bruised ego and shows how Laban has cheated him in every way. Laban realizes that God is guiding Jacob, and decides to make a pact with Jacob. Basically, if Jacob does evil to Laban, Laban will come for Jacob. This is a threat of destruction if you don't treat me well. The threat could go both ways, but Jacob had no intention to harm Laban unless he was attacked by Laban, so the treaty holds even though there is continual bad blood. War averted. Life preserved.

These are just too many words. I am going to revert to simple listing.

When Jacob reaches home, Esau comes to meet him with an army. He intends war.

When Jacob's daughter Dina is raped by Shechem, Simon & Levi (her brothers) circumcise all the males in the City Shechem and then kill them all why they are recuperating. Shechem—the son of the King of Shechem the city—had waged war on their family by destroying their sister's life, so they made war upon the males of the city in retaliation. Jacob is angered by their actions. There are other ways to make things right without resorting to war.

When Pharoah realizes the Isarelites are supposed to raise up a redeemer, he orders all the male babies to be drowned in the Nile river. This is an act of war—genocide. The midwives refuse to follow the command of the Pharoah—an act of rebellion. War against authority. War to save life.

Moses finds an Egyptian beating an Israelite. He kills the Egyptian – possibly to "save the life" of the Israelite. The text is not clear on this. Moses may not have been thinking clearly. He then escaped Egypt to save his own life, only to return 40 years later to save the lives of the Jewish people.

The Israelites are nearly assimilated into Egyptian culture, so God sends Moses to tell Pharoah to let the Israelites leave, but Pharoah refuses. God then wages war on the gods of Egypt in an amazing series of miraculous series of plagues, finalized by the killing of all the first-born of the land of Egypt. Certainly an act of war. The Israelites leave Egypt. The war of God saved their lives.

As the Israelites are leaving Egypt, the Egyptians follow with chariots to kill them or take them back to Egypt. God intervenes at the Sea of Reeds (or the Red Sea) and provides passage through the water for the Israelites, yet closes the waters over the chariots of the Egyptians, killing them. God makes war on the Egyptians to save the lives of the Israelites.

While the Israelites are moving through the Sinai desert, the Amalekites are attacking the stragglers, the weak, and the infirm. This is an act of war to take life. Later the Israelites will war with Amalek to save their lives. They take no "booty".

When the Story of Esther is read (each year at Purim) the Jewish people wage war against the followers of Haman the Aggagite (Agag was the king of the Amalekites) when given permission to kill those who are intending to kill them. They receive permission from King Ahashverosh to war with Haman and his followers because the original decree of the King to kill the Jews could not be undone. Therefore The King gave the Jews permission to fight back or even fight first. War to save life.

We have fought the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Selucids, the Greeks, The Romans, almost every country in Europe, The Holy Roman Empire, the Ottomans, the Russians, the Germans, the Iraqis, the Syrians, the Lebanese, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Al Quaeda, Hamas, Arafat, the Palestinian Authority, Iran, and the opinions of the majority of the world. We have never taken anything from any of you.

The ONLY land we have ever called home is the land between the River and the Sea. It is the land God gave us. Though we were sent away by the Romans and dispersed throughout the continents, we have always known Judea, Samaria, the land of the Philistines (Gaza Strip), and the Golan Heights are the majority of our ancient homeland. It is now occupied by others who have lived here for many years. We do not wish to force them to leave. They are welcome to stay and prosper with us. Alongside us.

We just want to live—in our ancient homeland—in peace. We are an ancient people. The last of the ancient peoples. We have learned to live in the modern world. We will continue to do so. Do not make us need to make war to preserve our lives. We will not go quietly into the dark of history.

All who are willing to live by the laws of the land of Israel may do so. Those who cannot will be prosecuted. There will be peace eventually. Let us make it happen sooner rather than later. Let us live in peace together.

October 7, 2023 – A Day That We Will Not Forget – War Is Declared

We seem to have forgotten Amalek.

Amalek has not forgotten us.

According to The Bible—Amalek was the grandson of Esau. Esau and Jacob were brothers—sons of Isaac. Jacob became the inheritor of the Blessings of G-d that came to him through his grandfather Abraham and then through his father Isaac.

There is an entire story that details why Jacob received the blessings of both his G-d and the inheritance of his father Isaac. This seems to have been the divine plan even though Esau was the first-born technically. There is a story about the birth that describes why there is some discussion regarding the birth order of these twins. Suffice it to say that Esau was ANGRY that Jacob ended up with both these blessings. I can only imagine that his anger became the psychological “banner” for his family throughout ALL their generations.

Wikipedia on Amalek says:

“According to the Bible [Genesis 36:12], Amalek was the son of Eliphaz (himself the son of Esau [ancestor of the Edomites]) and Eliphaz's concubine Timna. Timna was a Horite and sister of Lotan.[4] Amalek is described as the "chief of Amalek" among the "chiefs of the sons of Esau",[5] from which it is surmised that he ruled a clan or territory named after him.

The Amalekites (/ˈæməlɛkaɪts/[6]) were considered to be Amalek's descendants through the genealogy of Esau.[7]”

History of the Jewish People has been replete with references to peoples who seemed to have a peculiar dispensation toward the destruction of the Jewish People. Groups identified with Amalek include the Romans, Nazis, Stalinists, ISIS, Palestinians and bellicose Iranian leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There is also a record in the Book of Esther of the Bible that Haman is a descendant of Amalek.

Again Wikipedia on Haman:

Haman (Hebrew: הָמָן Hāmān; also known as Haman the Agagite) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who according to the Hebrew Bible was an official in the court of the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, commonly identified as Xerxes I (died 465 BCE) but traditionally equated with Artaxerxes I or Artaxerxes II.[1] As his epithet Agagite indicates, Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites.

More metaphorically, to some Hasidic rabbis (particularly the Baal Shem Tov), Amalek represents atheism or the rejection of God.

The following bits and pieces are taken from the article: A Lesson From Timna the Concubine by Chana Weisberg;

“If you were to stare evil in the eye, what would you see? What would be its character traits?”

Amalek is “the archetypal enemy of the Jewish people. He is the father of the nation that first waged war against the Jewish people upon their miraculous emergence from their Egyptian bondage.”

“Traditionally, any mortal threat to the Jewish people is referred to as an Amalekite design.”

What are the origins of such a character?

In Genesis 36:12, we are introduced to Amalek's parents. "Timna was a concubine to Elifaz, son of Esau, and she bore Amalek to Elifaz." Some verses later, we are told more about Timna's background. "And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam and Lotan's sister was Timna."

We learn that Lotan, Timna's brother is an important person. "These are the chiefs who came of the Horites: the chief Lotan, the chief Shobal, the child Ziboen, etc." Therefore, Elifaz's concubine, Timna, was no common woman, but was the product of a royal family of the Horites.

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 99b) explains that Timna sought to convert to Judaism, but Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob refused to accept her. The Talmud concludes that Timna became a concubine to Elifaz instead, insisting, "It is better to be a maidservant to this nation than to be a princess in any other nation." Elifaz is of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau and being from the seed of Abraham and Sara was considered extremely prestigious. Timna perceived the great respect and honor given to the descedants of Abraham/Sarah and Isaac/Rebecca. She was willing to sacrifice her personal dignity in order to be attached to such a prominent and respected people—even if her connection would be a servile one.

Timna's actions seem so righteous, so altruistic and pure. Why then would she be mother to a child who represents the antithesis of goodness and who is the very paradigm of evil?

Avraham was the ultimate seeker of converts; in fact, that was his stated goal. If our patriarchs rejected Timna, they may have perceived that her motives were insincere. Timna was not searching for G-d, but rather for her personal aggrandizement. Had Timna truly wanted to join a nation serving G-d and following His ways, she would not have "settled" for joining the family of Esau, whose path was the antithesis of the Abrahamitic teachings. Timna desired, rather, to be part of a powerful but not necessarily G-dly or spiritual people.

“She was willing to temporarily sacrifice her personal status, but only for what she perceived as a greater, more fulfilling gratification. Her actions were not about G-d, but entirely about herself. Our perceptive patriarchs realized this and therefore rejected her from joining the nation of G-d.”

“In the era of Redemption, evil will be eradicated and all mankind will be perfected. Only one nation—Amalek—will not be a part of this vision. Their hand is on G-d's throne, G-d shall be at war with Amalek for all generations.

Amalek represents an attitude that is beyond repair because it is the opposite of G-dliness. It is entirely egocentric, even while dressed up as an act of devotion to G-d. These are the seeds that can grow into the most extreme acts of evil fathomable.” This happened on October 7, 2023 when Hamas insurgents swarmed into Israel on a mission of absolute destruction.

The greatest distortion of goodness is an act of malevolence adorned in the religious garb of purity. Selfishness acted out in the noble name of G-d.

Hamas is Amalek. The Jews may not remember Amalek, but Amalek has not forgotten the Jews.

In Parshat Vayishlach

Jacob returns to the Holy Land after a 20-year stay in Charan, and sends angel-emissaries to Esau in hope of a reconciliation, but his messengers report that his brother is on the warpath with 400 armed men. Jacob prepares for war, prays, and sends Esau a large gift (consisting of hundreds of heads of livestock) to appease him.

The Jews of Israel have been trying for decades to accommodate the desires of Amalek (who call themselves Palestinians, though there has NEVER BEEN A NATION OF PALESTINE). This will never prove acceptable to those who say they are Palestinian. This will also never be acceptable to the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. G-d has given this land to the Children of Israel (a name Jacob earned as he returned to the Holy Land before meeting with Esau). Three thousand years ago G-d told Abraham that his children would make their home in this land (Israel). The Children of Israel can not give this land away to anyoine for any reason. This Land of Israel belongs to G-d, and G-d has decreed that B’nei Israel will live in this Holy Land.

Only the Spirit of Amalek would have it otherwise. Do not be Amalek. Esau has been at war with “Israel” [Jacob] all the years of his life, and he passed the hatred on to all his succeeding generations. Do not be Amalek. Believe in G-d. Believe it is true when the Bible says G-d gave this Holy Land to the Children of Israel. Believe in G-d, and not in propaganda. Do not be Amalek.

Israel At War – What About The Hostages? [Part 01]

 There is too little information about the 240+ people kidnapped and taken to Gaza by Hamas.

In other circumstances, the Red Cross is allowed to see prisoners of war in order to assess their health and welfare. Maybe that isn't happening with these Israelis because they are not "prisoners of war".

So then—what are they? What is their Label? They are mothers & fathers, grandparents, children, workers, young people, and people from other countries who came for a concert party. They are people who run dairies. They are people who work farms. They are just people. Or, are they a bargaining chip?

If they are to be used for bargaining, then get to the bargaining table already. Let's get on with this process. If the taking of these people is not about bargaining, then what the heck is the purpose for taking them?

There must be a purpose. Isn't that logical?

Is any of this logical? Is the world poised for another World War? Does this take focus away from Russia, or China? Even if that were the case, why take hostages without making known why they were taken. Is it a secret? Will we ever know?

I really don't want to turn this post into a treatise on "kidnapping". However, there is a large set of categories that inform what these people who were taken mean to their captors, and therefore, why they were taken.

The encyclopedic explanation of the etymology of the word "kidnap" gave me some insight. A history and categorization of kidnapping indicates several forms of "taking another person" mostly without permission. Something called Tiger kidnapping describes taking someone to make someone else do something against their will or inclination. If our people were taken to make us do something we otherwise would not do, then what is that something they want us to do?

Does Hamas want us to retaliate against their violence so the entire world will come to the Middle East and all the rage of the radical Islamists will find their ultimate targets?

I really don't want them to be that smart.

Just release our people. Now!