In a normal Jewish state, the government would have encouraged the Jewish settlement enterprise in Hebron, the city of our forefathers, the city that Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, viewed as a sister to Jerusalem.

However, for generations, Israeli governments, including the current one, have actively “dried up” and frozen the settlement in Hebron. To the best of our knowledge, there was nothing faulty about the acquisition of Beit Hamachpelah, the disputed house in Hebron that the Defense Ministry has ordered be evacuated. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a golden opportunity before him to thaw this freeze, and to put Defense Minister Ehud Barak – who overstepped his authority – in his place.

The Jewish community in Hebron will continue to exist even if a final- status agreement is reached with the Palestinians – and for that reason, it is preferable the community remain strong, well-founded and recognized. Moreover, the existence of the Jewish community in Hebron, and particularly around the Cave of the Patriarchs, embodies a founding principle we seem to have forgotten: The Land of Israel is not only our physical house, but also our historic and religious one, where our patriarchs and matriarchs are buried, and where the Jewish community in Hebron has existed for hundreds of years. These are inextricable parts of Israel.

The commandment “And you shall tell your son,” which we will fulfill around the Seder table in a few days, is essential today so that we don’t view the state of Israel only as a refuge and a homeland. We must understand that the Jews’ story did not begin with the establishment of the Zionist movement and its continuation, the state of Israel.

The Jews’ earlier roots are firmly grounded in the Cave of the Patriarchs, Rachel’s Tomb and the Temple Mount. The settlers in Hebron, although sometimes difficult, deserve great thanks for reminding us of this every once in a while.