The Suicide Solution
By Moshe Feiglin
6 Tevet, 5767 (Dec 28)
By Moshe Feiglin
6 Tevet, 5767 (Dec 28)
When the Nazis came into power, many of the assimilated Jewish intellectuals in Germany committed suicide. Their cultural world was the German world. When they realized that there was no room for Jews in their world, the only option they saw was death. The national process that Israel's elites are leading is becoming eerily reminiscent of the same psychosis.
If you listen to former Mosad Chief Donny Yatom or to a wide range of intellectuals and public opinion makers, you will conclude that all the rapid escapes, disengagements, peace pacts and restraints that the Oslo people have wrought upon us have been a dizzying success whose conclusion is clear: We must retreat from the Golan Heights and drive its Jewish residents out of their homes, we must continue to supply the good terrorists with weapons so that they can fight the bad terrorists, and, of course, we must release all the bad terrorists in Israeli jails so that they can join forces with the good terrorists. Even Gilad Shalit's father spoke this week in favor of a terrorist release prior to his son's release. We do not accuse all of these people of stupidity or wickedness. Something much deeper is triggering their solutions.
The hard core Leftists control all the State's power hubs that are not up for election -- culture, security, justice and economy. As far as they are concerned, if it is impossible to make peace -- in other words, if it is impossible for Israel to be a normal nation accepted by its neighbors -- there is no reason for the State to exist. The most basic Zionist ethos calls for normalization of the Jewish nation. The powers that be -- the Left -- have no intention of surrendering that vision. They will continue to grab at every last straw -- as ridiculous or dangerous as it may be -- in a desperate attempt to realize their vision.
It is important to understand that Israel's defense policy derives from Leftist Messianism. When Yossi Beilin, Shimon Peres and other Oslo criminals illegally met with terrorists, opening Israel's floodgates to the largest terror organization in the world, it wasn't because they were stupid or suffered from political/security myopia. They were simply clinging to the last straw they could find in their attempt to be accepted to the family of nations. As far as they are concerned, any "window of opportunity" is worth the risk, for if we do not make peace with our would-be murderers, we will remain a nation apart from all other nations. In other words, we will remain alone -- with only our Jewish identity.
Israel's government is reminiscent of those assimilated Jews who, when forced by the Nazis to accept their identity, preferred to commit suicide rather than face the truth. Israel's government will continue to cling to its suicidal policies in an effort to maintain its control over the nation against all odds -- marching stridently toward the unfeasible vision of negation of its Jewish identity and national assimilation.
The current leadership mindset will never come up with a solution for the Kassams because having a solution means fighting, winning and defeating the other side. Obviously, it doesn't have a clue how to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat.
Clearly, the solution is outside the parameters of Israel's Western-based ideology. It exists on the plane of Jewish identity that will elect Jewish leadership to express our Jewish values and destiny.
Conference Dynamism
If you listen to former Mosad Chief Donny Yatom or to a wide range of intellectuals and public opinion makers, you will conclude that all the rapid escapes, disengagements, peace pacts and restraints that the Oslo people have wrought upon us have been a dizzying success whose conclusion is clear: We must retreat from the Golan Heights and drive its Jewish residents out of their homes, we must continue to supply the good terrorists with weapons so that they can fight the bad terrorists, and, of course, we must release all the bad terrorists in Israeli jails so that they can join forces with the good terrorists. Even Gilad Shalit's father spoke this week in favor of a terrorist release prior to his son's release. We do not accuse all of these people of stupidity or wickedness. Something much deeper is triggering their solutions.
The hard core Leftists control all the State's power hubs that are not up for election -- culture, security, justice and economy. As far as they are concerned, if it is impossible to make peace -- in other words, if it is impossible for Israel to be a normal nation accepted by its neighbors -- there is no reason for the State to exist. The most basic Zionist ethos calls for normalization of the Jewish nation. The powers that be -- the Left -- have no intention of surrendering that vision. They will continue to grab at every last straw -- as ridiculous or dangerous as it may be -- in a desperate attempt to realize their vision.
It is important to understand that Israel's defense policy derives from Leftist Messianism. When Yossi Beilin, Shimon Peres and other Oslo criminals illegally met with terrorists, opening Israel's floodgates to the largest terror organization in the world, it wasn't because they were stupid or suffered from political/security myopia. They were simply clinging to the last straw they could find in their attempt to be accepted to the family of nations. As far as they are concerned, any "window of opportunity" is worth the risk, for if we do not make peace with our would-be murderers, we will remain a nation apart from all other nations. In other words, we will remain alone -- with only our Jewish identity.
Israel's government is reminiscent of those assimilated Jews who, when forced by the Nazis to accept their identity, preferred to commit suicide rather than face the truth. Israel's government will continue to cling to its suicidal policies in an effort to maintain its control over the nation against all odds -- marching stridently toward the unfeasible vision of negation of its Jewish identity and national assimilation.
The current leadership mindset will never come up with a solution for the Kassams because having a solution means fighting, winning and defeating the other side. Obviously, it doesn't have a clue how to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat.
Clearly, the solution is outside the parameters of Israel's Western-based ideology. It exists on the plane of Jewish identity that will elect Jewish leadership to express our Jewish values and destiny.
Conference Dynamism
Although the Manhigut Yehudit Chanukah Conference took place over a week ago, the enthusiastic reactions are still pouring in. Both Manhigut veterans and newcomers alike have taken the time to call or write and tell us how inspired they were by the conference. Their message is basically the same: Manhigut Yehudit has given us hope that there really is a solution for Israel's crisis. It has restored our faith in our power to really make a change. It has inspired us to act to make Israel the Jewish State that we have always dreamed of.
Rivka, who attended the conference although she knew almost nothing about Manhigut, described her feelings at the end of the evening as a tremendous sense of relief. Concerned about Israel's future, she had tried activism in various political factions, but always left disappointed. "Do you hear what he's saying?" she loudly whispered in the middle of Michael Fuah's speech. "He said that when you vote Left, you get Left, and when you vote Right, you get double Left! Why hasn't anybody dared say that before?" Rivka is now busily handing out Manhigut Yehudit brochures to her friends and acquaintances, preparing the ground for a local meeting that she plans to hold at her home. "Nobody but Manhigut Yehudit is proposing a realistic solution," she says. "My friends feel the same way and have been extremely interested and supportive."
A couple from Gush Katif called our office after the conference to express their deep thanks. They related that since they were driven out of their home a year and a half ago, they have been despondent. They had always believed in the State, and when the cruel reality finally hit home, they felt that they had nowhere to turn. Looking around, they saw no leadership that was facing reality and taking practical steps to improve it. "The Manhigut Yehudit Conference rekindled our hope and the strength we need to face our problems and solve them," they said. We cannot thank you enough, and plan to do our utmost to create belief based leadership for Israel."
These are just two small examples. There are countless more. The warm response stems from a number of factors:
First, when the Nation has authentic Jewish leadership, it stands up proudly for its values. Second, Jewish leadership is the only all- encompassing solution that there is. That is why everybody feels comfortable with it: Religious and secular, veteran Israelis and olim, those who feel more esteem toward State institutions and those who feel less. Third, the candle-lighting ceremony, that undoubtedly provided the Conference's most moving moments.
The candle lighting ceremony was a perfect example of the difference between sectarian activity and leadership that presents itself as a national alternative. Sectarian leadership will always attempt to disassociate itself from those who it feels will drag it outside the comfort of the "consensus." But leadership that believes that it represents the Nation does not draw its legitimacy from the current government. It clearly declares its intention to replace it. This type of leadership has no problem placing the most reviled and rejected heroes of our generation at center stage. We are not ashamed to lead the way, honoring those people who have paid a price for clinging to the truth.
Click here, to view a short film of the Chanukah Conference.
Click here, to listen to live interviews from the Chanukah Conference.
Rivka, who attended the conference although she knew almost nothing about Manhigut, described her feelings at the end of the evening as a tremendous sense of relief. Concerned about Israel's future, she had tried activism in various political factions, but always left disappointed. "Do you hear what he's saying?" she loudly whispered in the middle of Michael Fuah's speech. "He said that when you vote Left, you get Left, and when you vote Right, you get double Left! Why hasn't anybody dared say that before?" Rivka is now busily handing out Manhigut Yehudit brochures to her friends and acquaintances, preparing the ground for a local meeting that she plans to hold at her home. "Nobody but Manhigut Yehudit is proposing a realistic solution," she says. "My friends feel the same way and have been extremely interested and supportive."
A couple from Gush Katif called our office after the conference to express their deep thanks. They related that since they were driven out of their home a year and a half ago, they have been despondent. They had always believed in the State, and when the cruel reality finally hit home, they felt that they had nowhere to turn. Looking around, they saw no leadership that was facing reality and taking practical steps to improve it. "The Manhigut Yehudit Conference rekindled our hope and the strength we need to face our problems and solve them," they said. We cannot thank you enough, and plan to do our utmost to create belief based leadership for Israel."
These are just two small examples. There are countless more. The warm response stems from a number of factors:
First, when the Nation has authentic Jewish leadership, it stands up proudly for its values. Second, Jewish leadership is the only all- encompassing solution that there is. That is why everybody feels comfortable with it: Religious and secular, veteran Israelis and olim, those who feel more esteem toward State institutions and those who feel less. Third, the candle-lighting ceremony, that undoubtedly provided the Conference's most moving moments.
The candle lighting ceremony was a perfect example of the difference between sectarian activity and leadership that presents itself as a national alternative. Sectarian leadership will always attempt to disassociate itself from those who it feels will drag it outside the comfort of the "consensus." But leadership that believes that it represents the Nation does not draw its legitimacy from the current government. It clearly declares its intention to replace it. This type of leadership has no problem placing the most reviled and rejected heroes of our generation at center stage. We are not ashamed to lead the way, honoring those people who have paid a price for clinging to the truth.
Click here, to view a short film of the Chanukah Conference.
Click here, to listen to live interviews from the Chanukah Conference.
Click here to rate this post on JBlog
3 comments:
Dear Jason, Moshe and Shmuel,
I finally figured out why I was so attracted to the idea of a state of Judea alongside the state of Israel. I was aware of the need for something stronger than what we have now, but not of the ongoing millenia-old conflict (older, in fact, than the nation of Israel) needing to be resolved, desperately. I refer to that between Yehuda and Yosef, which has continued with their descendants, who were at first physical (Rechovam and Yerovam, the first kings of Judea and Israel, after Melech Shlomo) and now are probably more spiritual than physical (does anyone nowadays identify himself/herself with Sh'vatei Yehuda or Yosef? or, for that matter, most of the tribes other than Levi and perhaps Menashe?).
I'm sure you know that this conflict has deeper ramifications than that of quarreling brothers, even if they are two of the holy sh'vatim; that each of them has a different philosophy on how Israel should be ruled, and both have their place in its ruling.
Not that I'm such a talmidah chachmah, but the thing that struck me this Shabbat while studying Vayigash is that, today, those representing Yosef and Yehuda -- if I am interpreting this correctly -- each is missing something that his progenitors did not. Yosef, whom I believe is unfortunately represented by the Israeli government and its supporters to varying degrees, has the rule of the nation with little to no holiness (desire to follow haShem and His commandments). Yehuda, represented to varying degrees by those who cling to their Jewishness through their identity, culture and religion, has the holiness of their meticulously kept Jewish lives with no desire to lead the way for the rest of the nation.
This business of the small right wing parties pulling the leaders' reins behind the scenes is not like Yehuda of old, not at all; the Israeli government's total absorption into the current world's view hardly emulates Yosef's ways, either. The righteous Yosef, in fact, called Egypt "the land of my suffering" even though he enjoyed the best of it through his position in the kingdom.
I think that if M"Y is to succeed -- and I wish them all the best of everything and wish I could be there RIGHT NOW helping -- this is the BIG QUESTION.
And now, I can finally go from Vayigash to Vayeshev. Chazak, chazak v'nitchazek!
Chava Bar-Levi
Who WAS that guy -- the last speaker on the Live Interviews audio file? I liked what he said, and wish we could know who he is. The voice sounds familiar, but I can't place it.
In general, it would benefit M"Y more all the way around if people who speak are consistently introduced, whether on audio or video.
Also, the short film link is no longer connected to the film. I really wanted to see that!
Best,
Chava
Slichah, anashim! I meant, ...go from Vayigash to Vayechee. And now, on to Shmot!
Post a Comment