[This article was written by the author in 2006 and perhaps is more relevant now than in the past)
I have had the dubious opportunity of meeting with many varied representatives of foreign countries during the last thirty or so years, since I have served as one of the spokespeople of the Settlement Movement, and of Israel in general.
There have been many occasions when I was doubtful if I should actually meet with people who are, for the most part, locked into their own agenda and ignorant of the history of my people and land. “Why knock my head against the wall?” I wonder each time. And then, feeling that since we Jews have little or no platform to air our case, I usually give in and meet with these “all-knowing, superior-feeling, human-rights people.”
Last week, against my better judgment, I again agreed not only to meet with three such people, but I agreed to take them around in Hevron and Samaria.
During the trip that was coordinated by Gro Wenske – perhaps one of the truest and most loyal friends of the Jewish people and Israel – I took the time and care to present our guests with the history of the areas wherein we traveled, giving both Biblical and modern history.
In Hevron, we met with my friend and our spokesman for Hevron, David Wilder, who took the time and effort to meet us and take us through the museum in Beit Hadassah, which today serves as the memorial museum for the Jewish community in Hevron destroyed by the pogroms carried out by the Muslims in 1929.
The three young people on the tour, two men and a woman, are here from Norway and live amongst the Muslims in Bethlehem, Hevron and the Old City of Jerusalem. They belong to a so-called international human rights organization. This was basically the first opportunity they had to be exposed to “our side” of the situation.
I understand the well-meaning people who travel thousands of miles in order to try and alleviate some of the suffering of other people living in very difficult circumstances. I understand the frustration felt by these “naive” foreigners when shown how the Muslim Arabs are living in the areas under the Palestinian Authority (i.e., Hamas).
I do not understand at all how they accept the fact that terrorist organizations like the Fatah and Hamas use civilians as human shields and specifically hide themselves, their terror cells and weaponry in these civilian populations. I do not accept the accusation that we Israelis, we Jews, are culpable for the terrorism. I do not accept the blame for the suffering of the Muslims who are used as pawns by those who, instead of protecting their rights and trying to achieve peaceful coexistence, have been intentionally preventing the situation from improving, and educating towards continuous violence against the Jews and their state.
I was appalled to hear one of these visitors ask me if I did not think that it was a lot of nerve that the Bible, Israel and the United States opposed the world on the issue of Jerusalem and other “conquered” lands. This, from one who maintains that he is a member of the clergy.
Touring around, and recounting our personal and national experiences of loss, and showing the grim proof of the terror attacks directed against us, meant nothing to these human rights activists. They continued to see and hear only what they are programmed to see and hear. They continue to view the barricades, roadblocks, barbed wire and enormous fences put up by Israel – in a useless, failing attempt to prevent the loss of precious innocent lives – as something that the Jews want. They construe it as Israel putting all of these measures in place in order to make the lives of the Muslims miserable and difficult.