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| Return of the Feiglinites: By Moshe Feiglin |
 28 Cheshvan,
5772Nov. 25,' 11 Translated from the Makor Rishon newspaper "The fight for democracy is taking place today within the Likud; between Ruby Rivlin, Michael Eitan and Dan Meridor on one side and Yariv Levin, Ze'ev Elkin, Danny Danon and all those who are, conditionally, of course – on Feiglin's endorsed list - on the other." In a long and reasoned article published this week on Israel's most popular news site, Ynet, Labor party activist Dr. Itai Asher explains how the Likud has become the arena for the battle over the future of the State of Israel: a battle between "democracy" and the "Feiglinites." In principle, Dr. Asher is right. Manhigut Yehudit did help to shape the Likud's Knesset roster, aligning it more with the National Camp's ideology. But a quick look at the list of names that Dr. Asher cites shows that the "battle for democracy," in his words, is not being fought between different endorsed groups, alone. Its roots go much deeper: Ruby Rivlin, for example, was on the Manhigut Yehudit endorsed candidates list. If so, how is it that Ruby opposes the new law proposals requiring a Knesset hearing for candidates for the Supreme Court and imposing stiff fines for libel? On the other hand, MK Ze'ev Elkin, who got into the Knesset as a Bibi candidate, is working hard to get the proposals legislated. How can it be that Elkin has positioned himself in the "dark Feiglinite dictatorship" in the words of Opposition leader Tzippy Livni? Rivlin, Eitan and Meridor are all part of the veteran generation of the Likud. Their actions are dictated by the old Likud mentality. Levin, Elkin and Danon belong to the new generation in the Likud. They represent the mentality of the future that is developing within the national ruling party. More than Manhigut Yehudit influences the makeup of the party roster, it influences the vision of the Likud and the perspective of its members. My repeated candidacies for leadership of the Likud planted the option for different values in the nationalist ruling party. No more existence for its own sake that sees the "peace process" as its ultimate dream, preventing the Likud from following any path other than Oslo. Instead, Manhigut Yehudit has infused the Likud with a sense of destiny for which it is sometimes worthwhile to sacrifice one's individual existence. It is a destiny that frees the National Camp from its psychological dependence on the Left. My candidacy for leadership of the Likud opened the gates for a steady stream of faith-based voters, who voted for the MKs who are working hard today to liberate the Jewish majority from the grip of the Left's two main ruling tools – courts and media. It is no coincidence that the latest legislative proposals focus on these two tentacles. The courts and the media are the long arms of the Left. They sustain Israel's dubious "democracy." The generation of Rivlin, Eitan and Meridor did not come of age with Manhigut Yehudit in the Likud. They have made peace with the leftist hegemony. We have all gotten used to the fact that when you vote Left you get Left, and when you vote Right, you get double Left. The veteran politicians cannot internalize the thought that the Likud can develop its own sense of legitimacy, adopt a path that deviates from what the Left dictates and simply insist on ruling. Ironically, they see the new internal liberty as straying from Jabotinsky's principles. Elkin, Levin and Danon, on the other hand, draw the courage to face off against the Supreme Court and the media from the new sense of destiny and from the masses of faith based voters who have joined the Likud. True, the Likud and the new MKs have not yet connected to the faith-based vision. That will still take some time. But the new sense of destiny has already created new reality. It exudes self-confidence, creates independence, straightens the back of the National Camp and is bearing fruit. From our vantage point within this process, it is sometimes hard to appreciate what has happened. It is not always easy to identify the process that begins with the faith-based vision and candidacy for leadership of the Likud to mass faith-based membership in the Likud and then on to the recent legislative proposals. To understand what is taking place here, we must look to the Left. They are not talking about a Lieberman or Marzelite dictatorship, but rather a "Feiglinite tyranny". They easily discovered the precise source of the process that threatens to liberate the Jewish majority from their generations-long grip. They understand where it came from and where it is going much better than all the rightists. They have identified the source and that is where they are taking aim. |
| Will Anyone Out There Admit he was Wrong? By Moshe Feiglin |
 "We anticipate a
direct conflict with Egypt in the near future," explained Fuad Ben-Eliezer,
one of the great patrons of the peace accords with Egypt, earlier
this week. Israel's direct conflict with Egypt has never ended. But for the last three decades it had assumed a more subtle form that tied Israel's hands. The peace accords with Egypt were nothing more than a miserable illusion that robbed us of the Sinai and its settlements. They forced Israel into recognition of the "Palestinian nation" and its right to our Land, to the Madrid Accords and finally to Oslo, the loss of Gush Katif and Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Throughout this process, thousands of Israelis paid the price of mushrooming terror and Israel lost its oil fields and major financial resources. Now, when the direct conflict begins, it will happen just outside of Be'er Sheva and not on the banks of the Suez Canal, as was the case in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Who is responsible for this fiasco? Menachem Begin is at the top of the pyramid. But the pyramid rests on layers of officials that developed political, media, academic, legal, military and of course, economic careers from Camp David, Madrid, Oslo and the entire Orwellian "peace process." Where are all the experts and advisors who day in and day out pressured Israel to give the Golan Heights to the Syrians immediately? Where is Ron Lauder, who mediated between Israel and Syria in Netanyahu's previous government? Where are all the journalists? The Middle East analysts? The commentators? The broadcasters? Do any of them feel the need to apologize and admit their mistakes? Do any of them have the courage to say that it is a good thing that Israel did not succumb to their demands and didn't repeat the mistake they made with Egypt? Let us say that a bank robber escapes from the bank with a sack of money over his shoulder. Passers-by identify him and shout, "Catch the bank robber!" Chances are that he will be caught within a short time. But now let us change the scenario. It is not the robber making his quick escape from the bank, but the bankers. Instead of running away, they distribute the money from the sacks to the passers-by. Is anybody going to shout, "Catch the bank robber!"? Fuad Ben Eliezer gleaned invaluable benefit from the "peace spoils". His friendship with Mubarak afforded him great prestige and was his main calling card. Like Fuad, major layers of Israeli society basked in the glow of the "peace process" and enjoyed its abundant and multi-faceted perks. Only "nut cases" opposed the accords and did not partake of its spoils. The "peace process" representatives have nothing to worry about. Nobody is going to demand that they pay for robbing Sinai, Gaza and parts of Samaria from the Nation of Israel. They have distributed so many dividends to such wide circles of society that everyone has enjoyed the spoils of the robbery. The relatively few sane people who remain have nowhere to turn to demand justice. As long as those responsible for the scandal remain in the government and influential positions, nothing will change. They will never admit their mistakes, they will never take responsibility and they will continue to push the State of Israel over the cliff – employing the same principles that they have so successfully used in the past. The peace process fiasco is the product of governments of both left and right. The Likud is no less responsible for the bizarre situation in Israel than Labor and Kadimah. Both the left and right wings of Zionism are incapable of getting on a track other than the "peace" track, because they cannot define a destiny worth dieing for. For if Israel is nothing more than a "safe haven" for the Jews, then the Zionist experiment has utterly failed. In no other place on the globe are Jews targeted by tens of thousands of Islamic terrorist rockets, waiting for the nuclear salvo that is supposed to pick up where the missiles left off. Manhigut Yehudit is changing the situation from the foundation up. Our candidacy for leadership of the Likud is the way to break out of the "peace process" trap. Our Jewish destiny is the only factor that makes our existence here values-based; something worth fighting for – and not just surrendering for. |
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Click here for a full version print PDF. Easy to view and print, this version also makes it easy to copy and paste articles in order to use them on your blogs, websites or emails. Manhigut Yehudit's US Director, Rob Muchnick, creates his own weekly 2-page full-color pdf newsletter, called "Rob's Shul Newsletter" (which really stands out on the table of handouts in your shul). In it are included most or all of the articles in the Weekly Update, plus additional commentary, pictures, quotes and articles by Rob - with his own down-to-earth, sharp and sometimes irreverent style.
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| If you are already a Likud
member and you would like to check your membership status, just email
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Be sure to include your name, Israeli ID No., and a phone number where
it is easiest to reach you. Or give us a call at our "English
Speakers" office: 02-996-1123 (Israel), or 516-620-2475 (USA). If you are not Israeli citizen, you can become a Manhigut Yehudit International Member. Joining Manhigut Yehudit International is much more than just a donation. Now you're part of the team! If you are interested in arranging a lecture or meeting in your community with Moshe Feiglin or Shmuel Sackett, either in Israel or in the USA, please contact Dovid Shirel at shir@manhigut.org, or call: 02-996-1123 (Israel) or 516-620-2475 (USA). |
Manhigut Yehudit The Jewish Leadership Movement Email: office@jewishisrael.org Web: www.jewishisrael.org Tel: 02-996-1123 (Israel); 516-620-2475 (USA) |
| Our Aim: To perfect the world in the Kingdom of the Almighty
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"And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil soup and he ate and he
drank and he rose and he went and Esau despised the
birthright." (From this week's Torah portion, Toldot,
Genesis 25:34)