G-d Helped Pass the Jerusalem Law, Says MK Cohen
July 9, 2012Former Knesset Member Geula Cohen believes that annexing Judea and Samaria is possible, if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wills it. Based on her experience, however, she noted that the law can be proposed by an MK and not by Netanyahu himself.
Cohen, a former underground fighter who formed the Tehiya party in 1979, initiated the Jerusalem Basic Law that declared “the complete and unified” Jerusalem to be Israel’s capital, in 1980.
“It was difficult to think, then, that the Jerusalem Law could pass,” Cohen recollected. “[Israeli Prime Minister Menachem] Begin and [Egyptian President Anwar] Sadat had an agreement that such a law would only pass if both sides agreed to it, but G-d helped and one day I read in the newspaper that the Egyptian parliament discussed Jerusalem being Palestinian. That contradicted the agreement with Sadat.”
“I went to Begin and told him that in that case, we are allowed to do the same thing. Begin said that we wrote and signed that this subject will only pass in agreement. I kept working on the law. I did not think practically and immediately proposed the Jerusalem Law. I remember the jeering there was in the press about me and about the bill. They said that Geula Cohen against wants to tie down and rape the Knesset.”
Then-Interior Minister Yosef Burg (NRP) told Cohen the bill’s time had not yet come, but Begin was optimistic – and his optimism spurred her to bring the law to a vote, she said.
Leftists Yossi Sarid and Shulamit Aloni (Ratz, later Meretz) left the plenum before the vote, but the entire Likud voted in favor, as did some of the Maarakh (Labor) MKs. The NRP did not take part in the first reading, but voted for the law in the second and third readings.
“There was great happiness in Jerusalem,” she recalled. “It’s hard to describe. I walked down the street and everyone was happy. There has not been a law that passed with the vote of G-d like this law. Only the finger of G-d did this. It is the finger that voted. Everyone was ashamed to vote against the law. I hardly passed any other law over the years. This is the law for which I spent 20 years in the Knesset.”
Cohen’s statements were recorded in a message that will be screened at the Sovereignty Conference in Hevron Thursday.
Similar posts
-
Dear World: I Don't Care
November 2, 2023By Avi Lewis I don’t care that you sympathize with Hamas I know you wouldn’t tolerate any of ...
-
Stand With Israel!
October 17, 2023Stand with Israel. Don't stand with the extreme terror organization Hamas. This is a war about huma...
-
Israel Thanks You For Your Support
October 13, 2023Israel extends its heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you, dear friends and supporters, f...
-
How Israel Benefits the United States
October 5, 2023The relationship between Israel and the United States has been a cornerstone of American foreign po...
-
How Israel Helps Its Arab Neighbors
September 27, 2023Introduction Israel, a country known for its rich history and complex geopolitical landscape, ha...
-
The Amazing Country of Israel
September 15, 2023Introduction Nestled in the heart of the Middle East, Israel is a nation with a remarkable histo...
-
Israel Safeguards The World From Terror Attacks
August 23, 2023Introduction In an era where terrorism poses a significant threat to global security, Israel sta...
-
Israel Helps The World With Water Recycling
August 10, 2023Introduction In a world grappling with the challenges of water scarcity and resource management,...
