This week's program features Rabbi Eliezer Waldman, the head of the Nir Yeshiva in Kiryat Arba. Rabbi Waldman moved with his family and a few other families to Hebron during Passover, 1968 after Israel reclaimed the city during the Six-Day War. Since then, Rabbi Waldman has worked to build Jewish life throughout Judea and Samaria (for dialup, use the smaller video player at the bottom of the post).
There are currently a vast number of wars ("international conflicts") being waged in the world today. The number varies according to the source and its definition of "war" and "conflict". The type of "conflicts" range from terrorist organizations fighting against sovereign governments to nations warring against nations to spiritual battles being waged around the globe. The curious aspect in all of this is that the war in Israel seems to be the one event that causes most of the world to feel threatened.
Because of many different beliefs and attitudes regarding, among other things, peace and freedom, the situation in Israel tends to become quite convoluted. Misunderstandings regarding the reasons for the fighting abound, even among followers of the God of Israel. Also involved are the agendas, hidden and otherwise, of many of the key players involved. In its simplest terms, the "conflict" in Israel is being waged by those who are fighting (whether intentionally or not) against the God of Israel, the Creator of the universe. It is a battle, for the most part, between those of faith who believe the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and those who, for whatever reasons, would prefer that Israel (i.e., the Jews) did not live on the land bordered by the Nile and Euphrates Rivers and the Mediterranean Sea and the wilderness of Jordan. The faithful in Israel are obeying a direct commandment from God ("inhabit the land").
