From a private interview with Mr. Moshe Stern, 7 Iyar 1982
Prepared for publication by Rabbi Binyomin Schlanger
The Rebbe repeatedly stated that it is a sacred obligation to broaden the Jewish settlement in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Rebbe also spoke at great length and explained in fine detail that great efforts should be expended to settle not just the Jewish Quarter, but also houses in the Moslem Quarter and the nearby buildings. “In my view,” said the Rebbe, “this is not just a Mitzva of inhabiting the Land of Israel, but additionally an urgent mission which must be activated. Every single person is obligated to offer assistance. We must prove our rightful ownership of Eretz Yisroel.” The Rebbe said with great pain: “G-d has wrought for us miracles. It is inexplicable that the Government of Israel does not fulfill its obligation.”
Then the Rebbe explained: “Upon the freeing of Jerusalem and Hebron I turned to high standing officials and repeated my request several times regarding the houses outside of the Jewish Quarter within the walls of the Old City. I requested that they inhabit the many houses and areas in Hebron.
“They are telling me,” the Rebbe continued, “that the matter runs contrary to the policy of the government not to anger the gentiles, and they offer the same response regarding Jerusalem! The Government of Israel made a serious mistake, that immediately upon the release (of Jerusalem) they did not lay their hands upon all these houses and did not fill them with Jewish people. This is inexplicable!
“I believe,” the Rebbe went on to say, “that it is not yet too late. However, it is not possible to do today what could have been done immediately after the Six Day War. If today matters cannot be carried out with strength, this can be achieved with money. Action must be taken; buy the houses and populate them with Jewish people so that Jews will live not just in the New City but also within the walls, where I have heard there live no more than 400 families. This is not enough!”
The Rebbe requested that I meet with Minister Burg, then asked us our view of the policy of the government and her actions. When we replied that we are insufficiently versed in politics, the Rebbe responded: “I see that you are avoiding talking to me about politics.”
The Rebbe continued talking about the political situation in Israel and how there are Jews causing harm to other Jewish people there, such as the group ‘Shalom Achshav’ and Knesset members who follow them, who hold battle with Torah Jews, and repeated: “What is your opinion?” I responded that this is one of the shocking things that have befallen the Jewish people, and it is painful that there also are a number of religious who follow them.
The Rebbe said that this is not all; these are men with exile in their spirit and hearts. Freedom of the body is not sufficient. The main thing is to expel the exile from within the heart, the Rebbe emphasized. These men have not succeeded in freeing themselves. It is still lodged in their hearts. He repeated the expression “exile within the heart” many times, arguing that this is holding back the Redemption, and expressed himself in this way: “One has to take action to extricate the exile from the hearts of Jews in the Land of Israel. They are not free men as long as the exile remains in their hearts.”
This expression to expel the exile from the heart was known to us from the Rebbe previously when he spoke of his objection to the Camp David agreements. I told the Rebbe that this idea had made a great impression on the people since he first spoke of this and that we had repeated this expression many times to inhabitants of the Old City. When I said this, satisfaction was visible on the Rebbe’s face. I added that it seems that the sole unifying factor of the Prime Minister and Knesset members is their motivation to retain their seats as minister. The Rebbe sighed deeply and asked: “Where is the voice of the religious?” I replied that their voice is ineffective, their representation has been cut by one third and that many regard the religious parties in the Knesset as blackmailers.