MDBOPART 2 We request only that they leave us the most holy place that is left for us, as a refuge, the site of the Western Wall, so that we will still be able to pour out our prayers before our father in heaven, concerning any trouble, that may befall us, God forbid, and whenever a Jewish soul desires this holy place, without any disturbance and with peace of mind, as was always the case.
I declare my words before everyone. And I hope that all righteous peoples of the world will recognize the justice of my words, and because of this recognition will make every exertion and explore every possibility to restore peace to the Holy Land, and to remove suspicion and jealousy from the hearts of all the inhabitants. And then the Lord will take pleasure in our deeds and strengthen the work of our hands, in order to see the building of our Holy Land and its blossoming, for the enrichment of the entire world, and then His presence will dwell amongst us as in ancient times.
The "Holy Land", upon which the eyes of the Lord, our God are from the beginning of the year until the end of the year, the land from which comes forth blessings for all the peoples, and in which the prophets of the Lord foresaw the promises of the future and the perfection of all humanity, and from which they called for the peace of all creation, has groaned and cried for two years because of pain and insult, and its soil, which is permeated with holy memories of purity of heart and morality of character, has become a witness to racial hatred and strife between neighbors.
And the atmosphere of spiritual life is filled with suffocating clouds which poison every understanding heart, and remnant of human love. The prolonged controversy and dissention is repelling the Divine Presence and is removing, God forbid, the blessing of the Lord from the beautiful and bountiful land, which is destined and assured by providence. And in its place come aching souls, quarrels between brothers, scheming hearts, lack of faith and trust in the Lord, and mistaken and misleading suspicions of one another.
As one of the elders of the "Holy Land", who has been privileged, with God's help, to be in this land, now nearly sixty years, and who has been an eyewitness to years of tranquility, security and complete peace between the inhabitants, I permit myself to turn to all the inhabitants of the Holy Land, regardless of race or religion, the people whom the Divine Providence has given the privilege of dwelling in the land which is holier than any other land, to ask them, from the depths of my broken and sad heart to have pity upon the bountiful land and upon the various ethnic groups that dwell in it, to come together to rebuild the moral ruin and to reestablish the broken fragments of humane feeling and divine ethnics, which have been ruined and shattered during the last few years.
Uproot every grudge from your hearts. Remove the suspicions that came from false prophecies and seductions which nest there, and pave the road to peace. The heads of the Jewish people in the Holy Land will be the first to call for peace, and the hearts of the leaders and heads of the Arab People will, in turn, be aroused to the restoration of peace to the people. The blessing of the Lord will accompany the good will of the inhabitants.
It will enrich and crown this will with success and saturate the holy ground with the dew of life.
And may we be privileged to see the new light which the Lord will cause to shine on Zion, and nations will go by His light.
As the entreaty of one who awaits and longs for heavenly mercy, Yosef Chaim Zonenfeld