The Sword Conquered For A While, But the Spirit Conquers Forever!*

In Jewish history there are no coincidences.
---Elie Wiesel

It is following this idea that I choose to believe that everything in our lives happens for a reason. Because it is supposed to. Because it is G-d's will.

And with that, I would like to believe the Israeli disengagement of the West Bank is what is meant to be. As Israelis (and ultimately as Jews) we continue to strive for peace with the Palestinians and it is the hope of our Israeli government that this will bring further peace between the two nationalities. Perhaps it is mere mortal who made the decision. But Hashem has a hand in everything and ultimately it is what he feels should happen to at the present time.

That doesn't mean I agree with the decision to pull out of Gaza. Nevertheless, I hope and pray that Hashem has a good reason to reinforce this decision upon the Israelis. I hope that in the end, this decision will come back to reward us, not with violence and death, but with peace, happiness, and merriment and ultimately, Moshiach, who will bring all the Jews back to Israel.

I am for lasting peace... United, I believe, we can win the battle for peace. But it must be a different peace, one with full recognition of the rights of the Jews in their one and only land: peace with security for generations and peace with a united Jerusalem as the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish people in the state of Israel forever.
----Ariel Sharon

Just as there was a reason for the destruction of the Temple, ultimately there is a reason for this disengagement. For now we mourn the loss of land and territory just as we mourn the loss of our beloved Bet Hamikdash on Tisha B'av (ironic how both occurences happened around the same time) but soon our suffering will be rewarded. Soon, very soon---as long as all Jews hope and pray and believe in Hashem. Everything will be ok.

The Jewish people have been in exile for 2,000 years; they have lived in hundreds of countries, spoken hundreds of languages and still they kept their old language, Hebrew. They kept their Aramaic, later their Yiddish; they kept their books; they kept their faith.
----Isaac Bashevis Singer

*Quote from Sholem Asch