Interview with Yishai Fleisher:“It’s Either Our Land or It’s Not” Interview with Yishai Fleisher

The Middle-East Magazine
www.mideastmag.com
28 April '11
Posted before Shabbat



Yishai Fleisher is best known as Israeli National News (INN) radio show host and a Zionist Activist who engages many in his frequent speaking tours in the US. Yishai is also the founder of KUMAH – an activism site which he himself describes as “production house” for new ideas with regard to elevating Jewish pride and Aliyah causes in Israel and all around the world. Middle East Magazine had the distinct pleasure to interview him recently and we hope you find this piece as informative and inspiring, as we did.

It’s great to have you here Yishai. Tell me something, you talk a lot about being of Russian descent, studying in America, and living in Judea Shomron, what exactly does that make you?

I’m Israeli, the proudest identity. An Israeli is a Jew living in the Land of Israel.

As a Jewish resident of “East” Jerusalem, would you consider yourself a champion of the right wing in Israel? What is your position on how best to achieve peace?

I am not right wing. In the Middle East we need to speak with clarity and assert our rights. We need to wake up and understand we are not Westerners – we are Middle Easterners. We do belong here. This is not a “right wing” argument. It explains how we exist here. “Right Wing” is itself a European term. We should get away from using these concepts. You can’t give up your land – nobody respects that. Land for peace is like, “here is my wife, take her.” In a land where respect and honor are EVERYTHING, how could we possibly enter into any dialogue based on this?

What do you think about the response to the Fogel family murders?

It’s a tragedy. My heart goes out for the family. What bothers me is the response. In only building after this mass murder, we are sending the signal that we will only build if someone, G-d forbid, gets hurt, or even worse. Israel is either our land or it’s not.

What is the best time to build?

When are we going to build for the simple reason that we belong here? We need to fall in love with ourselves again. We need to recognize that our home is the Middle East and that we are a Middle Eastern country. There were many positive things we learned in our 2,000 sojourn in the West, but we are home now – we need to get comfortable and realize that we are not going anywhere.

(Read full interview)

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