[We bring the following two excerpts of a talk spoken [Purim 1985] by the Lubavitcher Rebbe after the secret ‘London Agreement’ to hand over further territories to the enemy.]
The government of Israel is handing over to gentiles [Egypt] territories which belong to the Land of Israel, land which was given by G-d as an everlasting inheritance to the entire Jewish people from the generation who were present at the Revelation at Mount Sinai right up until the generation who will receive Moshiach.
Such a transaction is very serious. More so: even according to the view of those who argue ‘we should be like all the nations’ [a nation defined by land-ownership], such a step creates a dire security risk for Israel and her inhabitants. Returning strategic territories to Egypt endangers the security of three million Jews [may they increase] dwelling in the Holy Land. In addition to all of this, the Israeli government returned to Egypt all of the oil wells after great efforts were expended by Jewish people in opening the oil wells and huge financial investments made, including monies donated by Jewish people in the Kol Nidre Appeal [on Yom Kippur]. For this they sullied the relationship with one of the Jewish magnates who invested huge sums of money.
Even today it is not known if they healed the relationship, given that oil is the most basic commodity for Israel’s existence, including the four Holy Cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, Tzfas and Tiberius and all other towns where Jewish people dwell. We are speaking now from a purely economic point of view of dependence on oil even in times of peace and certainly from a security point of view when the need arises to activate weapons! Even more severe, they gave instructions that the return of the territories and oil wells will be no more than a loan to be proclaimed at a joyous ceremony and gatherings of happiness. What did they receive in return for this? A signature on a peace contract with two signatures of each side and an intermediary. They knew very well how little faith could be put on this signature. Today we see the consequential results.
At the very time that they were proceeding with signing this agreement, I received clear information of the proposed plan [not from those actually in the negotiations but from both Jews and non-Jews who have easy access in government circles in Washington, who did not hesitate to endanger their political positions by handing over to me this information]. I issued a most powerful protest against these proposed plans and explained my words in full, namely, that this proposition creates a serious threat to the security of the Jewish people in the townships of Israel.
Essentially, there was nothing new here. Those who brought about the signing of the agreement knew very well the great security danger to the land of Israel tied up with returning the territories and the oil wells to Egypt. Yet, regardless, the representative of the Israeli government decided to endanger the security of Jews living in Israel putting their lives at risk, May G-d protect us, just in order to get a signature of a peace agreement. It is well known who lead these talks, those who decided to accept these agreements, and the reasons which motivated them to do this.
Rather than initiating a policy of uniting Samaria now that Jewish people have merited living in areas of Judea and Samaria and surrounding them with protective walls and authorizing many new cities in Israel to draw down blessing;instead the government is running after [not just gentiles], but murderers and terrorists, in order to find favor in their eyes they should just agree to take from us areas of land in Judea and Samaria! And that’s not all. They have no shame in doing this openly and in public!
Such a downtrodden situation of bowing before a gentile in such a disgraceful fashion has never taken place even outside of Israel in the exile! And most shocking, they still argue that this is the beginning of the Redemption! They announce: Arise and join us, we are ready for anything: a joint government, we will train together, autonomy, the main point being that we should be able to sit together round a table with those murderers and terrorists! They themselves know that they are murderers and terrorists, that after they will promise and sign, they are not to be relied upon; that even after they will have the signed document in their hands, it will have no more value than a bit of paper!
This is analogous to a man sitting around a table with a murderer to come to an agreement, and at that very moment the murderer holds in his hand a dagger and stabs him! The staggering thing is that they will not learn from past mistakes.
This is not the first time that they want to return territories in return for a peace agreement. There is a precedent with the signing the fateful Camp David contract [strangely the location is named after David, King of Israel!] where they returned to Egypt everything in return for a signature of peace. Today, everyone is in agreement what a terrible mistake that was. Yet, the government of Israel continues down the same path now in connection with Judea and Samaria. It is worthwhile that we make mention of some of the outcomes of that contract with Egypt in order to open their eyes. Jewish people who toiled, labored and sweated to build new towns in the Land of Israel were expelled from their homes and lands, men, women, and children!
That is not all: the government forced soldiers who sacrifice their lives in order to protect the land of Israel and those who dwell there – to expel Jews from their homes in the land of Israel! Young soldiers who go with innocent and pure hearts to protect the land and those who dwell there, putting their lives at risk, are forced [using the fact that they are obliged to obey orders to men of flesh and blood] to do this!
For what? To give these lands to gentiles, amongst them Egypt, the root of all Exiles. Every Exile which Jews have suffered, Babylon, Media, Greece, the West; the source of all of this tragic history was Egypt!
