Israeli Sovereignty Key to Ending National Tragedy on Tisha B'Av, Say Sovereignty Movement Leaders

The Sovereignty Movement's chairwomen argue that the Oslo Accords were not merely a security mistake but legitimized the idea of another nation's national rights in the heart of Israel, leading to a loss of sovereignty equated with the destruction of the Temple. They contend that true restoration and rebuilding can only occur once full Israeli sovereignty is reestablished over all of the Land of Israel, including Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley, and Gaza, with the complete dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.

They emphasize that Tisha B'Av, traditionally a day of mourning for the Temple's destruction, should also serve as a national day of reckoning. The authors highlight that the current reality includes a de facto Palestinian state within Israel's heartland, with its own government institutions, security forces, legal and educational systems, foreign relations, and symbols, which actively promote hatred and deny Jewish national rights. This situation, they argue, is not a future threat but a present reality created by Israeli policies since Oslo.

The article calls for a shift from merely expanding settlements to achieving full sovereignty, stating that settlements alone cannot replace sovereignty and remain vulnerable without it. The authors criticize successive Israeli governments for managing rather than resolving the conflict and accepting the existence of a hostile entity within Israel's borders. They urge decisive action to end hesitation and delay, framing the current generation's legacy on whether it will complete sovereignty and thus enable the rebuilding of the Temple and the full restoration of the Jewish people in their land.

The piece concludes with a call to recognize that the indictment of Tisha B'Av is directed not at ancient empires but at Israel itself for failing to assert sovereignty, warning that without change, Tisha B'Av will remain a day of mourning and indictment rather than redemption.