Shleimus Ha'aretz

Shleimus Ha'aretz (or the campaign for Shleimus Ha'aretz) is a campaign led by the Rebbe to prevent giving away territories from Eretz Yisroel or areas vital to its security ("land for peace"). The struggle also included pressure on the Israeli government to achieve clear victories in its wars. The struggle began immediately after the Six Day War and continues to this day.

In cases where the Israeli government did not follow the Rebbe's advice - their actions led to harm to the Jewish people and endangered Jewish lives. In retrospect, one can see that if the officials had followed the Rebbe's instructions - things would have turned out much better.

Our Right to the LandEdit

The Rebbe strongly opposed the claim that the nations of the world gave us the land through their UN votes or various declarations (like the Balfour Declaration) because the world's nations have no authority to give us something that doesn't belong to them. Similarly, the Rebbe opposed those who claim that the Jewish people have a "historical right" to Eretz Yisroel because it is the land of our forefathers, since many nations lived in the land at different times and have no right to the land, just as in any other country no nation can claim rights to it because they lived there generations ago. As an example, the Rebbe cited that Native Americans cannot demand rights to the United States despite having lived there.

The Rebbe clarified many times that the only right of the Jewish people to the Holy Land is the right of Divine promise, the right that Hashem promised to Avraham Avinu "To your descendants I will give this land." Hashem made the same promise to Yitzchok and repeated the promise to Yaakov. And during the exodus from Egypt, Hashem promised Israel the land saying "And I will bring you to the land which I lifted My hand to give to Avraham, to Yitzchok, and to Yaakov, and I will give it to you as an inheritance, I am Hashem." These promises from Hashem constitute the Jewish ownership of Eretz Yisroel and they are the only undisputed claims since most of the world believes in the Creator and the Tanach and what is written in it. These claims are the most just and righteous claims that have no opposition and they are the ones that will be accepted by the nations of the world more than any other claim.

The Rebbe also rejected claims that since Yishmael was also Avraham Avinu's son, his descendants also have rights to Eretz Yisroel, because today's Arabs are not descendants of Yishmael, and furthermore Yishmael and all the children of the concubines did not inherit the land but were sent during Avraham's lifetime to the land of the people of the East, so they have no portion in the land and therefore even if they were Yishmael's descendants, they have no ownership of the land.

Explanation to the WorldEdit

The Rebbe explained that the only argument that will be accepted in the world regarding the Jewish people's ownership of the land is quoting Rashi's commentary on the Torah on the verse "In the beginning God created heaven and earth":

Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Torah should have begun from "This month shall be to you," which is the first commandment given to Israel. Why did it begin with "In the beginning"? Because of [the verse] "The power of His works He declared to His people, to give them the inheritance of nations." Should the nations of the world say to Israel "You are robbers, for you conquered the lands of the seven nations," they [Israel] can reply "The entire earth belongs to the Holy One, Blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whomever He deemed proper in His eyes. By His will He gave it to them, and by His will He took it from them and gave it to us."

Rashi explains that the reason the Torah tells the story of creation and doesn't begin with the commandments is so that when the time comes and a nation says that the Jewish people stole their land, Israel will have a ready answer - that Hashem created the world and He manages it with His power, and He gave the land to the seven nations and later gave it to us as an eternal possession, and therefore the Jewish people only liberated their land and did not steal it.

Over the years, this verse has been used several times but only in closed conversations or speeches within Israel and not at the UN or in speeches to the world.

Land for Peace AgreementsEdit

Since the Six Day War, ideas have emerged about returning territories liberated during the war in exchange for peace agreements. Immediately after the war, Yigal Allon proposed the first plan for returning territories. The Rebbe expressed strong opposition to returning territories in exchange for peace and spoke about this many times. The Rebbe based his opposition on three main reasons:

Pikuach Nefesh (Preservation of Life) - Military experts' position that any surrender of territory would endanger the security of Israel's residents.
Lack of Authority - Eretz Yisroel was given to all of Am Yisroel together, and the government in Eretz Yisroel does not have the authority to give away parts of it.
Halacha - The halacha states that "When non-Jews besiege Jewish cities... in a border city, even if they only come for straw and hay, we desecrate Shabbos for them, lest they capture the city and from there the land will be easy to conquer before them." From this, the Rebbe concluded that it is fundamentally forbidden to give border territories to an enemy, even when the current situation could endanger lives, as it could lead to total conquest by the enemy. The Rebbe noted that this halacha applies even outside Eretz Yisroel.

The Rebbe expressed strong opposition to understanding the conflict as a dispute over control and territories. The Rebbe saw the Arab claim to the land as challenging the very existence of Am Yisroel. Therefore, the Rebbe also saw mortal danger in any IDF withdrawal, even from territory not defined as Eretz Yisroel territory.

Historical BackgroundEdit

The Six Day War ended in a decisive Israeli victory (1967) following a long period of intense tension in the country before the war. The Rebbe was the only one who predicted the victory and sent reassuring messages to Israel. During the war, Israel liberated Jerusalem and the territories of Yehuda and Shomron that were under Jordanian control, the Golan Heights from the Syrians, and conquered the Sinai Peninsula from the Egyptians.

At the end of the war, Israeli elements began talking about willingness to return the liberated territories in exchange for establishing peace between Israel and its enemies. The Arab side refused but immediately began a massive diplomatic campaign aimed at forcing Israel to withdraw from the conquered territories without Arab commitment. The Rebbe spoke extensively about how the only reason for this was that Israel itself made a proposal that brought the Arabs to realize they could get the territories through pressure. The Rebbe explained that this stems from a Jew feeling inferior to the goy and feeling a need to appease him, whereas if the goy would see that the Jew behaves with "Geon Yaakov" (Pride of Jacob), the goy nullifies himself before the Jew.

At the end of the war, a ceasefire agreement was signed between the warring parties. Egypt violated the ceasefire by advancing missiles toward the Suez Canal contrary to what was signed. The Rebbe strongly pushed for the IDF to bomb the Egyptians and not wait for the Egyptians to attack first. The Rebbe argued that a harsh response to the ceasefire violation would create deterrence that would prevent a heavy price in blood in the future. In practice, the IDF refrained from responding, which created the War of Attrition during which the IDF suffered heavy casualties and avoided destroying the Egyptian missile array that caused heavy casualties in the Yom Kippur War.

During the war period, then-US President Nixon tried to achieve a ceasefire between the parties. The Rebbe constantly conveyed messages to Israel through letters to officials and spoke about how it was forbidden to agree to a ceasefire because Egypt would use it for massive armament that would ultimately lead to a war that would claim many more casualties. In practice, Israel signed the ceasefire. Twenty-four hours after it went into effect, the Egyptians violated the ceasefire by advancing many missiles toward the canal. The Rebbe urged bombing the launchers, but Israel settled for diplomatic protests only.

On Yom Kippur 1973, the Yom Kippur War broke out. The war broke out after Israel refused to mobilize reserves for fear of being considered the one who started the war. Later, the Rebbe said about this that even the avoidance of a preemptive strike was from the feeling of inferiority Jews felt toward the goy, and this feeling cost Israel many casualties. At the beginning of the war, the Egyptian force succeeded in breaking through the IDF's defense array. In the second week of the war, Israel managed to recapture Sinai and even cross the canal. The IDF flanked a large Egyptian force but refrained from capturing it - about this too the Rebbe spoke the same things. In the north, Israel succeeded in repelling the Syrians and entering Syrian territory, reaching the outskirts of Damascus. The Rebbe urged capturing Damascus for a short time to create great deterrence and would serve as a force that would push the Syrians to sign a peace agreement with Israel.

Camp DavidEdit

In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel for peace agreement discussions. In the period that followed, many discussions began about signing an agreement in exchange for IDF withdrawal from Sinai and establishing a Palestinian state in the territories of Yehuda and Shomron liberated in the Six Day War with Jerusalem as its capital. Begin refused to establish a Palestinian state but agreed to establish Palestinian autonomy in parts of Yehuda and Shomron and refused to divide Jerusalem.

During that time, the Rebbe spoke extensively about how it is forbidden to return territories vital to state security and based his position on the Shulchan Aruch in section 329. The Rebbe also said that if Israel would insist on its positions, Egypt would have no choice but to agree because during that period Sadat needed a peace agreement to raise his status in Egypt. The Rebbe also spoke about the foolishness in giving up territories that have oil wells that could greatly strengthen Israel's military and economic position and giving them away without compensation. Regarding the autonomy plan, the Rebbe claimed that Israel should reject the idea because autonomy would be leverage for Palestinian demands to establish a Palestinian state. The Rebbe also claimed that it was proven that when they stood firm on the Jerusalem issue, the other side gave in, so this should be done with the other sections as well. The Rebbe said that the source of all the appeasement is self-inferiority before the goy.

In practice, Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed at Camp David (a vacation residence of US presidents) an agreement to hand over Sinai and agreed to establish Palestinian autonomy. The agreement was divided into stages in which Israel would withdraw from Sinai. In practice, Egypt violated the agreement many times already after the first stage when it did not establish normal relations (normalization) with Israel and brought in many more forces than agreed to the Sinai area. During this period, the Rebbe called to stop the agreement and not continue its implementation. The Rebbe mentioned many times that here too, the reason Israel does not stop the agreement but continues its withdrawal while the other side does not lift a finger to implement the agreement also stems from Jews' feeling of inferiority toward the goy.

In practice, Israel completed its withdrawal from Egypt. In the years that followed, the Rebbe claimed that now many terrorists enter Israel from Sinai and the agreement led to an increase in casualties. When the First Lebanon War broke out, the Rebbe spoke about how this was because of the deterrence that was eroded because of the Camp David Accords. This war was stopped due to international pressure despite great victories on the battlefield. Here too, the Rebbe pressed not to surrender to pressure but to finish the job and eliminate the PLO organization. In practice, Israel allowed the terrorists to leave Lebanon with their weapons and withdrew the IDF from Lebanon. The Rebbe explained about this that this too was due to the fact that the Jew feels inferior to the goy causes them to prefer foreign interests over security interests and this causes the murder of many Jews.

During the signing of the Camp David Accords, Menachem Begin attached a written declaration emphasizing that Jerusalem would remain Israel's capital and his agreement to negotiate autonomy for Palestinians. Although Begin's draft agreement was not implemented, talks on establishing autonomy began. The Palestinian National Movement and PLO did not participate in the talks and actually opposed the plan. The plan was frozen with the passing of the Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel in 1980. Sadat's assassination undermined the plan, and talks finally ended following the outbreak of the Lebanon War in 1982.

The Rebbe completely rejected the plan, saying that even discussions about negotiations on this topic led to increased terrorism and increased international pressure on Israel. The Rebbe said that Palestinian demands would not end with autonomy but would intensify, and after autonomy was established, there would be demands for a Palestinian state, with the ultimate goal being a Palestinian state over all of Eretz Yisroel.

Tzach asked the Rebbe if they should organize protests. The Rebbe responded: Act in the name of Chabad through Chabad Houses and Tzach.

In 1987, a Palestinian uprising broke out (the First Intifada). The Intifada led to Israeli and Palestinian representatives meeting to discuss a peace agreement. The Rebbe spoke about how the talks only showed the Arabs that terrorism was the right path and that the terrorists only drew encouragement from the talks.

The Stinking ManeuverEdit

When Peres tried to bring down Yitzchak Shamir's government during the "Stinking Maneuver" (in 1990), the Rebbe prevented the government's fall by instructing MK Eliezer Mizrachi not to support Peres because the Rebbe saw enormous danger in a left-wing government that would try to establish Palestinian autonomy. Eventually, a narrow right-wing government was formed by Yitzchak Shamir. The Rebbe preferred Shamir's government, who was a supporter of the complete Eretz Yisroel position.

During Shamir's government, talks about autonomy resumed within the framework of the Madrid Conference then convened in Spain. Initially, Shamir insisted on not participating in the conference fearing it would create international pressure on Israel but finally gave in and decided to participate. Representatives of Israel and all Arab countries participated in the conference. The Rebbe urged Shamir to stand firm and not compromise on Israel's security interests. In practice, nothing came from the conference, but because of it elections were moved up and Yitzchak Rabin came to power.

Oslo AccordsEdit

Upon taking office, Rabin began discussing the "Oslo Accords" with the Palestinians, aimed at creating a peace agreement with PLO terrorists in exchange for granting Palestinian autonomy, which according to those involved in preserving the Land's completeness, could bring disaster Heaven forbid upon millions of Jews.

The Struggle Against the AgreementEdit

Rabin's government signed two Oslo Accords with the Palestinians (in 1993). The signing of the agreements was accompanied by sharp public protest.

The agreement sparked protest demonstrations throughout the country, mainly following the decision to provide weapons to the established Palestinian police, claiming they would be used for attacks against Jews.

During the struggle, the Rebbe approved for the N'shei Ubnos Chabad organization to officially participate in a protest rally organized by several Religious Zionist women's organizations.

Later, the "This Is Our Land" movement and several other organizations, including Tzeirei Agudas Chabad, organized a massive demonstration against the agreement in Malchei Yisroel Square in Tel Aviv.

During the Oslo Accords, Tzeirei Chabad asked the Rebbe if they should act in Chabad's name and the Rebbe replied to act openly in Chabad's name through Tzach and Chabad Houses.

As part of the struggle against the agreement, the Headquarters for the Peace of the People and the Land was established, headed by Rabbi Yisroel Halperin, with representatives from Chabad's central organizations in the Holy Land.

The Headquarters' main activity was the "Eretz Yisroel in Danger" campaign, during which thousands of Chabad chassidim went out to protest against the agreement.

The Headquarters published a newspaper called "Kol Ha'aretz," edited by Rabbi Menachem Brod, and it was distributed throughout the country.

Implementation of the Agreement by NetanyahuEdit

After Rabin's assassination and Benjamin Netanyahu's rise to power, the initial parts of the agreement were implemented, including transferring parts of Chevron to the Palestinian Authority led by senior PLO terrorists. Chabad chassidim who supported him in the elections distanced themselves from him as a result. The advanced stages of the agreement were halted due to increased Palestinian terrorism. About half a year after signing the agreement, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat yimach shemo spoke in Johannesburg where he called to continue the path of terrorism until the conquest of all of Israel.

The Second IntifadaEdit

When Ehud Barak was elected in 5759 (1999), he began discussing the establishment of a Palestinian state with the Palestinians. The failure of these talks created an armed Palestinian uprising in which cruel terrorists murdered and injured many Jews. Thus, the Oslo Accords directly led to the Second Intifada that broke out at the end of 5759 (1999), during which approximately two thousand Jews were killed. Only after Operation Defensive Shield initiated by Ariel Sharon in 5763 (2003) was the intifada stopped.

The Disengagement PlanEdit

Nevertheless, Sharon initiated the Disengagement Plan (5765/2005), during which the Gaza Strip was unilaterally handed over to the Palestinians. In practice, the disengagement led to the rise of the terrorist organization "Hamas" to power in Gaza, and since then, Israeli residents have suffered from rocket fire from the territory handed over to the Arabs. Even afterward, attempts at negotiations with the Palestinian Authority continued for establishing a Palestinian state in Yehuda and Shomron.

In 5774 (2014), due to international pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted peace negotiations to establish a Palestinian state. Chabad Rabbonim conducted extensive activities meant to bring down any government that would try to give away parts of Eretz Yisroel. Eventually, the negotiations collapsed.

Trump Plan - Deal of the CenturyEdit

In 5780 (2020), Trump initiated the "Deal of the Century - Trump Plan" for a dangerous agreement between Israel and the Arabs, during which the Arabs would receive about 30 percent of Yehuda and Shomron and could establish a Palestinian state. This agreement contradicts the Rebbe's view and chas v'shalom could endanger millions of Jews.

Chabad chassidim held protests against it, some organized by the World Headquarters for Saving the Nation and the Land, led by Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Wolpo and Rabbi Yekutiel Rapp. Tmimim from Yerushalayim held a protest vigil at the entrance to Yerushalayim.

Rabbonim from Machon Halacha, together with Rabbonim involved in Shleimus HaAretz, issued a strong protest against the Trump Plan. Important Rabbonim signed the letter, including: Rabbi Baruch Boaz Yurkowitz, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Labkivker, Rabbi Moshe Kornwitz, Rabbi Yisroel Halperin, and Rabbi Shalom Ber Wolpo. The 'Pikuach Nefesh' Rabbinical Congress led by Rabbi Yosef Gerlitzky protested against the Trump Plan, and Chabad Info website and Beis Moshiach weekly published interviews and articles against the Deal of the Century - Trump Plan.

Ultimately, the peace agreement was not implemented.

The "Right's" PositionEdit

Even today, certain parts of the right-wing bloc in Israel support establishing a Palestinian state, and their disagreements with the left are only about its size and security arrangements.

Organizations for Shleimus HaAretzEdit

Many organizations operate in this matter, including: Pikuach Nefesh Rabbinical Congress, the World Headquarters for Saving the Nation and the Land, and others.

ReferendumEdit

Before transferring the Sinai to Egypt, the idea of holding a referendum on the matter arose. The Rebbe addressed this issue and clarified that the very question of whether it was worthwhile to give up territories in exchange for peace was misleading, since many agreements signed in the past were quickly violated, and there was no guarantee that this agreement would not be violated as well. Even if the signatory would keep the agreement, Arab society consists of many factions that are not bound by the agreement, or if leadership changes, the new leadership would not be bound by the agreement. Therefore, the question is not territories for peace, but rather territories in exchange for a lack of commitment to peace.

The Rebbe said in a yechidus to one of the politicians that if a referendum is held, the wording should be as follows:

Is it worthwhile to put every home in Eretz Yisroel in mortal danger and risk war, with Israel remaining without oil, without defensible borders, with the enemy close to our population centers, in exchange for Sadat's signature on paper, when it is clear that until today the Egyptians have already violated their signature four times, and it is clear that Sadat will not live long and will never rule Egypt forever, and it is clear that he has no influence over the Arabs in Yehuda and Shomron, and it is clear that the Arabs of Yehuda and Shomron openly declare their intention to destroy and kill all the people dwelling in Tzion, and it is clear that even if a certain group agrees to peace, other groups will not agree - and the question is whether in this situation it is worth risking and returning the territories in exchange for a piece of paper that binds no one?

The Solution to International PressureEdit

The only solution to international pressure on Israel to hand over the liberated territories to the Arabs is "establishing facts on the ground" through immediate settlement of all uninhabited areas. The great advantage of this solution is sealing off any possibility of establishing a state within Israel's territory, because when a large number of settlers that cannot be evacuated settles in all parts of the territories without leaving realistic space for a Palestinian state, the world and even the Palestinians themselves will recognize that Jewish settlement in the territories is an accomplished fact and consequently the pressures will cease.

The Rebbe clarified that slow settlement in select points only invites additional pressure since world nations see that Israel is not determined to settle the territories and does it slowly and hesitantly. They only increase the pressure, as they understand that Israel is not convinced of its ownership of these territories, so if pressure increases, Israel will stop settlement and even dismantle it. In contrast, rapid settlement of all territories at once signals to the world a determination that prevents pressure. Several times the Rebbe said that "a million settlers" need to be brought.

The Rebbe recognized that such settlement would provoke a wave of condemnations and pressure from world nations but explained that the angry response would be relatively short-term and afterward the pressures would cease, while slow settlement causes the same condemnations but without end.

The Rebbe clarified that this should be done quietly and without public declarations that would draw heavy pressure from the world that could lead to the cancellation of settlement. The Rebbe explained that when a Jew shows his strength, it angers the goy who must condemn it, whereas it was tangibly seen that when settlement began in certain places with determination and without public declaration, the powers refrained from responding. The Rebbe brought as an example Israel's nuclear reactor that was built without declarations and with determination, and the world said nothing. The Rebbe added that it is clear that the quiet in settlement should not come at the expense of public explanation of the right of Am Yisroel to Eretz Yisroel.