1. A SHAMEFUL CHAPTER

The Israeli government's decision to ratify Wye Plantation's shameful give­away of the Eretz Yisrael heartland for American guarantees (which are worth less than nothing) will go down in history as unique. The eight ministers who voted in favor of the betrayal of Eretz Yisrael will be noted in the dark pages of Jewish history among other tragic Jewish figures who weakened, sometimes destroying their own country and people. In addition, the Likud ministers will be remembered as having betrayed the trust of their voters.

Even more deplorable is the role played by the abstentionists, a whole five of them. They will be remembered as moral cowards. By their abstentions, they demonstrated how well they grasped the depth of the catastrophe latent in the planned retreats. Yet other considerations (first and foremost their own career calculations) gained the upper hand. It was their respective egos competing with the eternal ideals of the Jewish people and its homeland. Come election day, what will those who abstained say to their supporters? "Vote for me and I will abstain for you?"

All in all, the outcome of the government vote is astounding: the Land of Israel is to be forsaken not by a majority decision of the government ­­ but by a minority! For Netanyahu to continue with the withdrawal under such circumstances says something about our Prime Minister's character! Furthermore, only a government under pressure, only a shackled government ­­ acting under duress ­­ votes in such a manner.

2. AMERICA OFFERS 'GUARANTEES' TO ITS NEW BANANA REPUBLIC

There's no question that Israel has now been relegated to the status of an American banana republic controlled by Clinton, Albright, and Ross. From this day on, those who remain faithful to Eretz Yisrael will shout at Netanyahu (as they did in the times of the Rabin­Peres government): "You have no mandate!" Generations to come will recall that the government only mustered a minority vote to sanction the relinquishing of the Jewish heartland.

The provisos and conditions which the government attached to its withdrawal decision are essentially worthless. They will likely share the fate of former government decisions that disregarded at Wye Plantation. Take, for example, the former "unequivocal decision" by a solid government majority that there would be no further retreat without extradition. At Wye, Israel dropped this demand. Arafat did not even clearly agree to put the 30 murderers through one of his mock trials!

What Netanyahu brought back from Wye was an American guarantee that Arafat will fulfill his obligations. Even American guarantees, issued as part of the "Hevron Agreement", that it would not pressure Israel for a further withdrawal before Palestinian compliance proved meaningless. Even more ridiculous is the U.S. assurance that a gangster and accomplished liar like Arafat will carry out his obligations. The Israeli government insulted our intelligence with the pitiful declaration that non­prosecution of the thirty terrorist murderers by Arafat's so­called justice system constitutes the breach of an American guarantee. Big deal!

3. A FRIGHTENING HISTORICAL PARALLEL

History knows of other political "guarantees." Sixty years have passed since the tragic Munich Accord of 1938 in which the great powers of the day sold Czechoslovakia down the river, thus paving the way for World War II. The similarity in the technique of the two betrayals is remarkable: the four parties to Munich were Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Britain, and France. The Czechs' role was limited to forfeiting their land. In consideration for its retreat from the Sudetanland ­­ the Czech equivalent of Judea and Samaria ­­ the four parties gave Czechoslovakia guarantees regarding the "inviolability" of its new, indefensible borders. Just as Czechoslovakia could only be defended from the Sudetan mountain range, so Israel's coastal plain can only be defended through control of the Samarian mountain ridge. In Munich, artificial legs, in the form of guarantees, replaced Czechoslovakia's amputated limbs.

Alas, with us too, the real parties are Arafat and the U.S.. Arafat does not really deal with Israel. He deals with America, and this third party provides the guarantees. Less than half a year after the Munich guarantees were given, Hitler's troops marched into Prague. The American government's recent guarantees should be viewed in the same light. In the case of Arafat's Mein Kampf ­­ the PLO Charter, we were not even given guarantees. On the contrary, the Wye Plantation text is clear in denying us any formal, legally valid revocation of the charter. What we were promised, instead, is a circus featuring a "Clinton solo performance." Notwithstanding, the Israeli government has decided to insist on a formal revocation of the charter. Even so, when is this to happen? After we have surrendered an additional 7% of the territory: The government had decided that for further withdrawals to take place, the charter would first have to be revoked. Chief PLO negotiator Sa'eb Erekat responded by saying that there will no revocation. And yet, in spite of that, Israel is to give 7% of the territory. A fool's paradise.

4. SEARCH FOR A SHEPHERD

Likud and Labor are now both solidly in the Left. The only opposition remaining in Israel protested recently in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square. If not for the personal animosity between Barak and Netanyahu, Labor would have joined the government long ago. Peres, on the other hand, gets along very well both with Netanyahu and with Sharon. They consult Peres continuously. Like sheep, hundreds of thousands of Israelis, abandoned and deserted by their shepherds are now wandering aimlessly. Who is to be the new leader, the new shepherd? The leaders of the National Camp, both secular and religious, must organize very quickly. They must form a political block for the national elections which are not far away in order to give all those loyal to Zionist ideals a new political home.