Tuvia Tenenbom makes the case for sovereignty

Tuvia Tenenbom’s latest book asks a pointed question about Judea and Samaria: “Excuse Me, Is This Yours?”

The Israeli-American author, playwright and journalist offered his answer May 7 at the Oz Vegaon Nature Preserve in Gush Etzion, Judea, where he argued that if Israel believes Judea and Samaria belong to the Jewish people, it should apply sovereignty there. If not, he said, Israelis should leave.

The book, based on Tenenbom’s eight-month stay in Judea and Samaria and his conversations with residents and leaders, is now available in Hebrew and will be released in English this summer.

Tenenbom, 68, grew up in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak and served in the Israel Defense Forces as a tank driver before moving to the United States, where he founded the Jewish Theater of New York. He has written extensively about Israel, Germany, the United States and Jewish life.

The May 7 event was hosted by the Sovereignty Movement, an Israeli activist group that advocates applying Israeli law and sovereignty to Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

“This place is wonderful,” Tenenbom said. “It’s the cradle of the Jewish people, and it makes no difference if you’re religious or not. It’s the land of the Bible. It’s the foundation of the Jewish nation. More than 80 percent of the stories in the Tanach [the Bible] happened here, not in Tel Aviv.”

“So why isn’t there sovereignty?” he asked.

Tenenbom said Israel’s leaders have not fought hard enough for it. He questioned why Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism Party, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, chairman of the Otzma Yehudit Party, did not demand sovereignty over Judea and Samaria as a condition for joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government after the November 2022 election.

Tenenbom said he has repeatedly heard politicians say, “It’s not the right time.”

“I love this region,” he said, adding that when other countries win wars and capture territory, they generally keep it. “What’s wrong with us? I don’t understand. What are you afraid of? It’s your right.

“Is it yours? If not, get out of here. If yes, take ownership. Demand it from your leaders.”

The status of Judea and Samaria, also known internationally as the West Bank, is among the most contested issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli sovereignty there is supported by many on Israel’s right and opposed by Palestinians and much of the international community.

Tenenbom said activists should pressure political leaders directly rather than stage demonstrations in public squares.

“Have a guy make a scene at shul, where your leaders go,” he said. “It would be over in two weeks. That was what ended Naftali Bennett’s government.”

Asked about the Arab population in Judea and Samaria, many of whom oppose Israeli rule, Tenenbom said citizenship should depend on loyalty to Israel.

“That’s very easy,” he told JNS. “When I wanted to get a green card in America, I had to swear allegiance to the United States of America. If you ask those Arabs, with their hands on the Koran, to swear allegiance to the Jewish State of Israel, how many of the two and a half million will do that? Maybe two and a half people.

“They cannot be Israeli citizens if they don’t swear allegiance; they are guests, like in any other country. If they want a permit to work, the government can decide.”

Tenenbom also challenged the idea that Palestinians would voluntarily leave Judea and Samaria.

“If the Jewish people who live in the settlements believe — or say they believe — they can convince the Palestinians to leave, they are lying to themselves and cheating themselves,” he said. “I asked the settlers and their leaders: If you really believe the Arabs are leaving, why did you spend millions and millions of dollars on special roads where only Israeli cars can drive, circumventing Palestinian areas?”

Attorney Michael Sperber described Arab residents of Judea and Samaria as a security threat.

“We want to move them eastward. Jordan is Palestine, and if we say this openly, it is the only thing that will guarantee our survival,” he said.

Omer Rahamim, chief executive of the Yesha Council, said it is crucial before Israel’s next national election, due by Oct. 27, to secure a decisive victory for a government that views Judea and Samaria as an intrinsic part of the State of Israel.

Dubi Sheffler, head of the Efrat Local Council, urged attendees to help advance sovereignty by bringing tour groups to Judea and Samaria.

Nearly 60 years after the Six-Day War, Israel has not declared sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.

“But it will happen,” Sovereignty Movement co-chairs Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katsover said in their closing remarks. “Because it’s ours.”