More than three years ago, when the expulsion sword hung over the heads of the Gush Katif and Northern Shomron, Ariel Zilber felt that he cannot continue sitting in his home in the beautiful and green Gallil, and enjoy life. He moved to Alei Sinai; wrote, composed, performed, and lent a shoulder in the struggle to stop the trampling expulsion machine. Thousands of arms of the Gush residents and supporters, including that of Zilber's. didn't succeed in stopping the machine, and so, Zilber was expelled, his compositions were partially boycotted, and his livelihood was badly effected because of those who form public opinion .
Q: Three years have passed since the expulsion. How have you changed?
A: I hope that the outlook of others has changed by what has taken place here. I hear many people asking: 'What did we do? Why didn't we listen? Why didn't we see?' I think that it will be very difficult for the government to pull off another expulsion. There are no words to define what happened here. The time has come to internalize the fact that it is impossible to speak with the Arabs about anything, just as the Rebbe said- not even to talk with them.
Q: You led the "Yesh Din v'Yesh Dayan" campaign. You even composed a very popular song to those words. Do you feel that you have come full circle through Olmert's announcement last week?
A; Yes, many have gotten their just desserts, and the public understands that this is a punishment for the expulsion. One of the stanzas of the song you mentioned speaks about the others on the list who can avoid the consequences if they stop acting against Eretz Yisroel. Therefore I think that we should concentrate on the future-so that this crime isn't perpetrated again. I despaired then, as I went from soldier to soldier trying to explain to them that 'a Jew doesn't banish another Jew'. They didn't 'get it'. Today I see that they are all sorry and express remorse.
Q: You invested much energy during the time of the expulsion. Do you fell that it was all in vain?
A: The fact is that we did not succeed. However, I hope that this will at least be achieved in the future. We must speak, we must unite, the Jewish nation must unite. We must unite immediately. When I speak with Yishmaelites, I tell them point blank that the land is ours because it says so in the Torah, and they accept this. This is the only way we can succeed in the struggle.
Q: How did you deal with the media boycott?
A: Here, too, I see a change for the good. The media already understands the significance of the expulsion. I paid a high price for the struggle; I do not regret it for even a minute.
Q: What is the next song to be released?
A: This year I released a new disc with protest songs, called "Politically Correct"-so that we shouldn't forget what was. Now I think the time has come to compose a song about Moshiach, to inspire the Jews to really wish for him, and to do everything possible for him to come already.
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