Why I Was Not At The Demonstration

As I write these lines a huge demonstration is taking place near Prime Minister Sharon's office. Those who oppose Sharon's plan to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip and in the process ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip of its Jewish residents, are protesting Sharon's dictatorial behavior, and demand that the matter be brought to the people in the form of a referendum. There are several major flaws here, each one of them enough to prevent me from participating:

1) The referendum that the protesters are requesting was already held a few years ago. Labor candidate Amram Mitzna ran on a platform calling for unilateral withdrawal, while the Likud candidate Sharon dissed such an idea. The Likud won almost twice as many seats as the Labor Party.

2) I hold that the destruction of Jewish settlements in the Land of Israel is against Jewish Law. Even if 99% of the public supported such an action, I will not support it and will do nothing to implement it. If the laws of men conflict with the laws of G-d, my loyalty will always be with G-d.

3) Demonstrations are a tool in a democracy. Since the present Prime Minister has disdained his own party's platform and two internal party elections which rejected his disengagement plan, he has become a dictator. Democratic tools do not work with dictators.

So instead of wasting my time hearing the same banal speeches that are repeated ad nauseam at demonstrations of this kind, I attended my daf yomi class as usually and learned another page of Talmud. This is my contribution to the People of Israel and the Land of Israel.