Thirty years ago, on this date, a once great leader died. He did not die completely, just the righteous part of him withered and died away. On this day, he won the accolades of the world, and all he had to do to win this, was betray his own people and lose his soul. This man's name was Mencahim Begin. He won the Nobel peace prize. He gave up the Sinai.
Thirty years ago, on this date, a criminal won the respect of the non-arab world. This murderer gained for his country territory they had lost in war. All he had to do this was promise peace. Has there been peace? He was later murdered by his own people because they were too stupid to realize that he had advanced their cause to eliminate the Jewish state and all the Jews who dwelled within it. He won for Egypt the Sinai. All it cost him was his worthless life. His name was Anwar Sadat (ym"sh).
The rest of the world, that had been travelling slowly in the direction towards evil, picked up speed. They called evil good and good evil. The arab world has learned from this. The Jewish state has not. The arab world has learned that it works to fight the Jews actively on the one hand, and seek support from the world by calling for peace on the other. This strategy has helped them immensely. The Jewish state has not recognized that it will only suffer defeat by attempting to appease, by calling for peace, with an arab world that is only motivated by the singular goal of ridding the world of Jews and establishing a world-wide caliphate.
This 30 year anniversary is not insignificant. The greatest tragedy of this past 30 years is that Israel has not learned from history. The giving up of the Sinai was merely the first step in a long and painful surrender.
What has happened to Israel. Its leaders release arab murderers. Its leaders, media, and even its sole ally the United States call for giving up Israeli territory for the ILLUSION of peace. Israel forces its own people out of their own homes in Judea and Samaria just to win an ounce of affection from a world that despises them. Israel gave Gaza to the arabs and the arabs have used this property to launch missiles into Israel. Israel does not reply. Israel has given up trying to forge their own economy and relies instead on handouts. Worst of all, Israel has abandoned G-d. It favours instead a decadent lifestyle and the values of Times Square.
Thirty years ago, today can be seen in its historic context as perhaps the first nail in Israel's coffin. (I say perhaps, because one could argue that the events immediately folling the six-day war was the first nail).
We need to remember the significance of this day, for it was on this day thirty years ago, that the Jewish people abandoned the dream of Zion.