But There Is a G-d in Israel

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bthat can only be done free of others, separate, different, apart. bThat is why the unique Jewish nation, chosen for holiness and a bunique destiny, was given a land for itself: so that it might create ba unique, holy society that would be a light unto the nations who bwould see its example and model.

bSuch a state is reserved to the nation to which it was given bfor its particular goal and destiny. It was taken from nations— bthe Canaanites—in order that the Jew fulfill his obligatory desti- bny.

bThe L-rd, Creator and Proprietor of the world—all the blands are his. He took that which was His from the Canaanites band gave it to His Chosen People Israel. “And He gave them the blands of the nations and they inherited the lands of the people, bso that they would observe His statutes and guard His blaws . . . ” (Psalms 105:44-45). The right of the Jewish people to bthe land is not based on human favors or historical residence. It bis a title granted by the Builder and Owner. Clearly, it was not btaken from one set of nations in order that others share it with bthe Jews. The land was given to serve the Jewish people so that bthey have a distinct, separate place in which to fulfill their ob- bligation. There can be no others who freely live there, let alone bshare sovereignty and ownership. To allow such a thing is to binvite both military attack and spiritual assimilation, and thus bto destroy and put an end to that unique Torah society for which bthe Land of Israel was given to the Jews.

bThis is so for all non-Jews. Any grant to them of citizenship bthat implies ownership and a right to shape the destiny and bcharacter of the state destroys the uniqueness and entire pur- bpose of giving the land to Israel. It invites spiritual assimilation band eventually demands for political autonomy.

bHow much more so for the non-Jewish residents of the land bwho lived there before the L-rd gave it to the Jews. Those resi- bdents refuse to recognize such a fact. They believe the land to be btheirs and will dream of the day when they will regain it. To ballow them to remain as proprietors, or even freely living with brestrictions, is to ensure not only the general spiritual assimila- btion that is threatened by any large number of non-Jews, but balso the threat of revanchist political and military attack.

bSo basic and important is this concept that as the Jews pre- bpared to cross the Jordan into the Land of Israel, as the waters b