Dramatic events are sweeping Israel and the Jewish people. The expression “events of biblical proportions” has become a commonly used phrase during the past two years—and rightly so. Leaders and representatives of countries are asking to be part of the historic moves unfolding before our eyes. Some have our best interests at heart, but more often than not, they are pursuing their own interests.

A review of the provisions of the 20-point plan Israel signed with Hamas, orchestrated by the president of the United States, reveals to our sorrow that the issue of sovereignty does not appear in it. In fact, it seems that in this agreement, we are ceding portions of our sovereignty—and worse.

The peace agreement states that in the future, Gaza will be administered by foreign international forces under U.S. supervision. The vision hidden between its language is the establishment of a Palestinian state.

We bring you some of the worrying clauses included in the agreement:

No. 9: “Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the ‘Board of Peace,’ which will be headed and chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump, with other members and heads of state to be announced, including former [British] Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on the best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.”

Section 15: “The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt, who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.”

No. 19: “While Gaza redevelopment advances and when the P.A. reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.”

And the final point, No. 20, states: “The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.”

The Sovereignty Movement was founded with a primary goal: to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state in our land. Such a state has not been established to date, thanks to growing public opinion, determined politicians and statesmen, public advocacy, and, as a result of a painful national awakening in light of the results of the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Nevertheless, international and internal pressures to establish such a state in the heart of our land remain and are growing.

Indeed, in his speech, Trump emphasized that Judea and Samaria are areas of historical, security and religious importance for the Jewish people, but at the same time, he made clear, directly and bluntly, that he will not allow Israeli sovereignty to be applied to those areas.

Hope, faith, optimism and the aspiration for peace have filled the Jewish people for generations—and rightly so—yet it also led parts of our people in Israel to accept the Oslo Accords, and the expulsion from communities in Gaza and northern Samaria as steps whose outcome they hoped would be tranquility and security. Our aversion to wars led us to make every effort to end each military operation as quickly as possible, even without a decisive outcome that would guarantee security and peace for generations. Thus, we slid from round to round, from operation to operation, until the horrific massacre on Oct. 7.

It seemed that this time would be different; this time, we had woken up. At least that is what we thought and hoped. It seemed that the people had risen up like a lion to destroy enemies that seek our annihilation. 

The expectation was that at the end of the harsh war imposed on us, we would see only the coastline of Gaza, with no more houses and people threatening our existence. 

When it was again shown, including in a poll, that more than 80% of Arabs in Judea and Samaria supported the atrocities of Oct. 7, and when the deafening silence of their leaders, who refused to condemn the massacre, rang in our ears, we believed that now a broad national consensus was forming around the opportunity to cement the borders of the State of Israel so that they would include the country’s historical and biblical spaces from the river to the sea. We longed for the extension of sovereignty alongside governance that would be enforced with a firm hand, also in the Negev and the Galilee, and for the people of Israel to finally feel what sovereignty is.

We hoped, expected, yearned. But weakness—some say Westernization—still seized our leaders and prevented us from reaching our national goals, from fulfilling the vision yearned for by generations of Jews: full Israeli sovereignty over the entire Land of Israel, over Judea, Samaria, the Gaza Strip and Golan.

Alongside the great joy that filled our hearts at the sight of the last living hostages returning home, alongside the rage over every individual murdered in captivity and coffin returned in tears, we were exposed to the enemy’s continuing deceptions. We have witnessed the cruel way they treat their own people—the breaking of limbs and humiliations in Gaza’s streets, public executions cheered by the crowds, the tyrannical seizure of food and water from their own people. We see all of this and still refuse to understand the rules and minds of the Middle East.

In such a difficult region, with such neighbors, we must ensure our existence by every means. The first step for that is the consolidation and strengthening of our sovereignty over the land.

We cannot just sit confined in our homes. We cannot watch helplessly as continuing international pressure seeks to grant a state as a prize to the enemy. We cannot accept the transfer of the reins of responsibility for our security and future into foreign hands. 

This is a time for national soul-searching. We are approaching an election period, after which it is unknown who will make up the next government of Israel. Even the relatively friendly U.S. administration will not remain in the White House forever.

It is uncertain how the future Israeli government and future American administration will act when gaps arise between Jerusalem’s interests and those of Washington. Therefore, we must act now to strengthen our nationalism, our identity and our sovereignty.

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