  “What
side of the fence are YOU on?” and “Put
Hamas on trial” were some of the placards intended
to send a message to The Hague on the eve of its hearings
to deliberate the legitimacy of the Israel security
fence. The Protestors heard from Rabbi Zev
Meir Friedman who said, “The notion
that the world court will deliberate Israel’s
security fence while never convening on the legitimacy
or actions of the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and
the Arab States such as Syria and Saudi Arabia which
sponsor terrorism is a travesty of justice. ”The
Oslo Accords and Road Map requires the Palestinian
Authority to dismantle and prevent terrorism before the
borders between Israel and the West Bank are determined.”
 
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 ...Congressman
Elliot Engel spoke to the crowd and stated, “We
must stand behind Israel and its fight against
terror. If homicide bombings can happen in Jerusalem
and against our troops in Iraq, they can happen
on
the streets of New York. What would those countries
say if terrorists struck them and their buses and
cafes? If terrorists came across the border from
Canada, wouldn’t
the U.S. pursue them and root them out? If there
is one lesson one can learn from World War II,
it’s that
one can never appease a terrorist. If the P.A.
would reign in terror, there would be no need for
a fence. The World Court is now going to decide
if Israel can build a fence, what an outrage! If
they decide against Israel's right to defend itself,
the decision will not be worth the paper
it’s written on.”
Congressman
Anthony Weiner addressed the crowd and
said, “Last
night as we slept, Palestinian terrorists killed
another eight innocent Israelis. If you want to
find the Al Aqsa Brigade, go to Arafat’s
office and check the speed dial on his phone, he
controls  them. Is the World Court or the U.N. going
to condemn
Arafat
or the Palestinian terrorists? No!” He called
on the United States to stop all aid to the P.A.
saying
that hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars have
been given to promote democracy and they instead
have used
it to embrace terror. In fact, he said that the litmus
test for those running for office should be whether
or not they support aid to the Palestinians.
Student Israel Weinstein, a junior
at Rambam Mesivta, read a letter prepared by Senator
Charles
Schumer which stated in part, “By taking up
the legality of the fence, the ICJ has become a pawn
to narrow
political interests. The court’s intervention
in this security matter will only undermine its reputation
and credibility,
 so I pray that it will choose not to advise on the
issue after hearing oral arguments this week, as
its prerogative.”
Sophomore Avi Fuss read a letter from Congressman
Vito Fossella written for the rally which stated, “If
the Court decides to issue a ruling, enemies of the
United States may begin using the Court to hinder
or outright
block American foreign policy.”
Stephen Burg, an 11th grader,
read Congressman Garry Ackerman’s letter
which said, “There
can be no question that building this fence is Israel’s
right, and indeed is considered by almost all of
Israel’s
citizens to be a fundamental obligation of their
government. And while Palestinian complaints about
humanitarian
difficulties deserve to be heard, the blame for whatever
costs this fence imposes lie exclusively on the Palestinians
themselves.
But for the past 3 plus years of barbaric Palestinian
terrorism targeted at Israel’s civilian population,
this fence would never have come into being.”
Congressman Joseph Crowley, in
a letter read by
sophomore Zoli Honig, wrote, “In
fact, the right to self-defense, which Israel is
applying by
building the security fence, is codified in Article
51 of the United Nations Charter. Ironically, this
same charter also established the International
Court of Justice, which will
be hearing the issue on Israel’s fence.”
Protestors heard a letter written to President
Bush by Republican J.D. Hayworth and
co-signed by other members of Congress which states, “We
are all thankful that there has not been another
successful terrorist attack on US
soil. But that has not been an accident. It is
in part attributable to the measures we have taken
to protect ourselves from potential threats. Since
the Palestinian leadership has been unwilling or
unable to curtail terrorism, Israel should also be
able to take defensive measures to stop terrorists
from killing its citizens.”
Sophomore Ariel Lindenfeld read
a letter from
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney which
said, “Congratulations
to Rambam Mesivta High School for organizing a
rally to address this important
issue. I hope your message is heard loud and clear.”
Photos by Zoli Honig, Daniel Himber and Avi
Meir
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