2. Throughout The Generations
True, "because of our sins we were exiled from our Land," and foreigners came to dwell here without our consent and against our will. But we never surrendered our claim to the Land. We have no right to do so, we had no desire to do so, and the Land will always remain ours. This was our belief throughout the generations, and we never ceased anticipating and dreaming of returning to our homeland of Eretz (The Land of) Yisrael. How much more so now, at the height of the process of our national return to the Land, is it unthinkable that our historic desire to come home would decrease. On the contrary, now that our dreams are coming true before our very eyes, and we are experiencing a resurrection of the "dry bones;" now that G-d is leading us in the awesome miracle of our national revival and our redemption from the exile, and as He leads us "upright to our Land" [from the Grace After Meals] - certainly our confidence that G-d will speedily complete all of our national aspirations has intensified.

3. No Nation Concedes Its Homeland
Therefore, we insist that Hevron, City of the Patriarchs, remain in our hands, not only for reasons of national and personal safety, but because Hevron - just as the rest of the Land - is, very simply, ours. If this sounds too simplistic or unacceptable, then we must repeat it again and again until the whole world realizes that we are determined to stick to our positions. All of the plans concerning our relations with the neighboring nations in the region must be adapted to conform with this basic position. For we have returned to our Land, and no nation ever concedes its homeland, especially not the People of Israel, who received this Land from the G-d of Israel, Creator of heaven and earth.

4. Retaining Our Position Of Strength
Let not our enemies threaten us with terror and war, for we will not budge from these simple truths. In fact, the threats merely strengthen our resolve. For it is preferable for us to fight terror and war now, from a position of strength, than to do so after we have already given over more areas of Eretz Yisrael, thus weakening us and strengthening our enemies.

5. Arab Hostilities
Their behavior during the recent weeks proves that they do not seek peace. Any time that we do not agree to give in to their demands, they will again resort to terror and violence. If it doesn't happen now, it will happen during the talks over Jerusalem, and over their demand for a State, with all that that implies - an army, open borders, etc.

6. Our Right And Obligation
Therefore, as their threats will not move us, we must stand on our rights - which are also our obligations: to guard carefully and lovingly every divot of earth of our homeland, and certainly of Hevron, the City of our Forefathers, which with the help of G-d will be rebuilt, with a large Jewish community, speedily in our times.

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Rabbi Melamed is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Arutz-7, and Rosh Yeshiva (Dean) of the Bet-El Yeshiva Center.
Arutz-7 Educational Radio is a project of Bet-El Yeshiva Center Institutions.