Way To Go, Beitar!

By Moshe Feiglin

Cheshvan, 5768
November, 2008

This article was translated from the Makor Rishon newspaper, after the Beitar soccer team fans in Jerusalem jeered during the moment of silence in memory of Yitzchak Rabin this week.

Soccer games in Israel have turned into a sort of energy outlet amidst our country's despotic reality. In a way, the games have become reminiscent of the gladiator battles in the Roman colosseums. It is easy to understand why. The Israeli citizen has no political influence over his nation's fate. When he votes Left, he gets Left and when he votes Right he gets double Left. He also has no significant way to express himself within the one-dimensional consciousness that has been forced upon him. The media is completely captive to "Rabin's legacy." The judicial and educational systems represent no values other than "Oslo values." But there was one place left where an average Israeli could still express himself -- at soccer games.

It used to be that all sorts of talking heads would explain the importance of going to soccer games on Shabbat; donning the team colors, cursing the referees and afterwards, returning home to normalcy. The Israeli dictatorship likes that. You can choose to attend the game and you can even curse the referee; who said that this is not a democratic country?

But then the games became more and more violent. When a fan was crushed to death in a post-game riot a number of months ago, I suggested halting all games for a few months until they would once again become competitive sporting events and not war scenes. But modern culture sees the venting of dark urges as a basic privilege that is apparently more important than the value of life (just look at what goes on in Israel's night clubs).

And now, we have been introduced to a new value, even more important than the value of venting basic drives. Some people thought that the freedom in the soccer arenas was absolute. But they were wrong. It is fine to curse the referee, when fans throw firecrackers onto the playing field we will look the other way, and when a fan is trampled to death, we will send more police to the games. But to boo Rabin??? The soccer arenas are supposed to be a place where anger against the Israeli dictatorship is channeled elsewhere. To turn the rage against the dictatorship? Enough is enough!

I am not a Beitar fan, or a fan of any other team. Actually, I prefer to participate in sports rather than to watch them. I am not a Beitar fan, but I am a big fan of Beitar fans. When the Beitar fans jeered Rabin they showed the entire country that there are still a lot of people out there who have not turned into Rabin Robots -- even after even twelve years of pagan brainwashing. These people still have a problem with worshipping Rabin's legacy of hatred, terror and civil war. They still don't have it in them to praise the emperor with no clothes who continues to destroy Israel. They understand how the assassination is used to sell off whatever is left of our country. They see that even the jeers were used by Olmert as a spin to justify selling Jerusalem down the river.

Rabin's legacy is alive and devouring our entire nation. Before the expulsion from Gush Katif, the Left explained that "In the life of every nation or state there is more than one Altalena" (Ami Ayalon) and "We will have to neutralize them by shooting them." (Avshalom Vilan). The people who made these remarks are not the deviant, pariah, radical Left. They are the most legitimate mainstream of Israel's current leadership. This is Rabin's legacy, boiling just under the surface and exploding with the fire of hatred for brothers and obsequiousness to Israel's enemies.

If we need the up-front style of the Beitar fans to burst the bubble of hypocrisy and the devastating march of the emperor with no clothes, then all I can say is "Way to go, Beitar!"

The Druze Got The Picture

By Moshe Feiglin

Cheshvan 5768
Nov., '07

This article, translated from an article on the NRG website, was written after the riots in the Druze village of Peki'in two weeks ago.

Four years ago, I spent a wonderful Shabbat in the predominantly Druze village of Peki'in. Margalit Zinati, whose family had lived in Peki'in consecutively since the destruction of the Second Temple, was still alive. She showed us the ancient synagogue in Peki'in and the thousand year old Torah scroll on display there. We visited the cave where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai had hidden from the Romans and the graves of the Mishnaic scholars. Peki'in is a place untouched by the 2000 years of exile. It connects you to the simple, healthy foundation of the pre-exile Nation of Israel.

But it was hard not to feel the hostility. Margalit, elderly at the time, had been the last remaining Jew in Peki'in. A few years before our visit, a number of Jewish families had joined her to rekindle the Jewish history of the village. Margalit told us that she and the other Jews in the village were periodically harassed by the Druze neighbors.

Jewish home destroyed in Peki'in last week

As part of my political activities, I have visited Druze villages many times, and I have good friends there. The first time that I attended an elections meeting in a Druze village, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. A number of other Jewish Likud candidates had also come to the meeting to ask for the support of the Druze. One after the other, they got up to speak. Their opening remarks were all the same; "We are all brothers. We are your brothers. You are our brothers. We are brothers, brothers, brothers."

I didn't know exactly what I was going to say. But I knew that I wasn't going to flatter them with false claims of brotherhood. The meeting took place a short time after Ehud Barak had given orders for the IDF to flee Lebanon. The betrayal of our allies, the soldiers of the South Lebanon Army -- was still heavy in the air. I looked at the obviously traditional audience; young people in back, adults in front and the elder leaders in traditional garb in the first rows.

"I am not your brother," I opened my remarks to the astonished crowd, while thinking to myself that I may have just gotten myself into hot water. "I am a Jew and you are Druze. And it is precisely because I understand exactly who I am -- precisely because I am faithful to my identity -- that I know the significance of loyalty and respect for my allies. I look at you and I see how you treasure your identity. He who has no anchor cannot be loyal to anything. Not to his wife, not to his community, not to his nation, not to his land and certainly not to his allies. If Israel's covenant with the Druze is not to end in the same way as its covenant with the South Lebanese Army ended, Israel needs leadership that is loyal to its Jewish identity and does not flee it."

I don't know if the Jews in the hall understood what I was saying, but the Druze certainly did. My words made a strong impression on them that was expressed in the voting booth. The Druze wanted me in the Knesset, but the same Supreme Court that allowed Azmi Bashara to run disqualified my candidacy.

What do we want from the Druze in Peki'in? The Israeli culture of betrayal has pushed their backs against the wall. "Are you crazy?" the atmosphere of betrayal mocks them. "The Israelis are here only temporarily, they bow down to any and every display of Arab nationalism, they have betrayed their own identity and their own land. Deep down, the Israelis think that the Arab claims on the Land are just; that is why they are always looking for 'pragmatic' solutions.' It allows them to run away from the question of justice. Clearly, even though you have established a covenant of blood with them, you do not merit the same respect that the Arabs receive from the Israelis. The Israelis despise themselves. So how do you expect them to relate to those who join them? They call the Arabs who help them 'stinkers,' not allies. Do you really think that they will not betray you as well?"

In a press release following the pogrom in Peki'in I commented as follows:
The events in Peki'in are the answer to those who ask why Israel needs the outskirts of Jerusalem. Those individuals who do not understand the justice of our sovereignty in Jerusalem have no answer to the Arab claims of ownership over the Land of Israel. It is only natural that the Druze community will ultimately join the side that believes in the justice of its cause.

And how did the Israelis react? First, they attempted to explain that the riots had nothing to do with nationalism and were only because of the antennas. That doesn't really explain why the Jewish homes in Peki'in were ransacked and burned, though. The government forced the Jews to leave Peki'in, proving to one and all that the Israelis have no roots, and are nothing more than shifting sands here.

The conclusion for the Druze is simple and obvious. It is best to join forces with those who plan to stay here. Because if after 2000 consecutive years of Jewish presence in Peki'in, Israel drives the Jews out, it is clear that there is no justification for the existence of the state of the Jews. Sooner or later, it will disappear. A Druze has to be an idiot to remain loyal to a state like that.

Urgent: A Jewish Revolution Needed

Since the advent of Oslo, Israel has slowly but surely degenerated into a dictatorship. This became blatantly apparent during the days of the destruction of Gush Katif and Northern Shomron. Sharon was able to destroy the settlements and expel their Jews because the Left has found the way to run the country through the votes of the Right. The Likud voters did not want the expulsion. The ideological Right and the religious voters certainly did not. But in the Israeli "democracy" that is exactly what they got. The Likud votes were enslaved to the Left, the ideological Right's votes were and remain insignificant and the religious? They made sure that there would be no expulsions on Shabbat.

When there is no alternative, there are no demonstrations. Manhigut Yehudit's job is to create the alternative. At this point, we are wielding our considerable political power to take the wind out of the Annapolis sails. As we reported in previous updates, Manhigut Yehudit is acting to convene the Likud Central Committee that will declare that no Likud government will ever honor agreements on the division of Jerusalem. We also support other important campaigns, such as the petition initiated by Likud MK Yisrael Katz in which the Knesset members assert that they will not vote in favor of any changes in the Jerusalem Law.

It is important to remember, though, that unless the current dictatorship is replaced, it will find the ways to deal with minor details such as the will of the majority, the law or ethical governance. Gush Katif proves that point.

So what should the average frustrated, distressed, agitated, faithful person do about Jerusalem? There are those who will return to the familiar solutions. As we have already seen this week, the established right wing leadership will hold demonstrations. They cost huge amounts of money and are focused on certain goals -- but winning is not one of them.

The true solution is a Jewish revolution -- authentic Jewish leadership that believes in the Jewish destiny of the Nation of Israel in the Land of Israel. How can we achieve the Jewish revolution that we so sorely need? The long term answer is to create the basis for Moshe Feiglin to win the leadership of the Likud by registering for membership in the party.

But there is much more than that. It is crucial that the Jewish Nation understands the source of the problem; Israel's loss of Jewish direction. The solution is not to topple Olmert and replace him with Bibi. The solution is not to build higher fences or to bring more soldiers or police into Jerusalem. The solution is not to bring hundreds of thousands of pro-Jerusalem demonstrators into the streets, either. UNLESS those hundreds of thousands take to the streets with a truly revolutionary demand; to replace Israel's current, faithless and treacherous leaders with authentic Jewish leadership.

More and more people within the Likud and without are beginning to understand how vital authentic Jewish leadership is to Jewish survival. More and more people are seriously considering Moshe Feiglin as the man for the job. It is urgent to get the word out and create the Jewish leadership revolution. To paraphrase Rabbi Tarfon in the Ethics of our Fathers, "The entire job is not on your shoulders. But you certainly must do your part!"

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One Way Street

By Moshe Feiglin

During the previous primaries, one of my donors -- an American Jew aware of Israel's political culture -- offered to donate ten thousand dollars to publicize a major ad inviting Netanyahu to a public debate. I very much wanted to debate Netanyahu. In countries with a true democratic culture, there is no such thing as elections without a debate. It doesn't matter what the polls say and which of the candidates seems like a shoe-in; the two sides are committed to putting their ideology to the public test. But despite my confidence in my ideology, I decided not to take my donor up on his generous offer. In Israel's current political climate -- particularly in the post-Sharon era -- an invitation to a debate is not perceived as an assertion of confidence in one's ideas. Just the opposite; it is perceived as weakness. Because if you are strong, why do you need to explain anything? If you attempt to explain yourself, it is a sure sign of weakness.

A violent political culture in which substance is meaningless has grown in Israel. Everything hinges on power, manipulation of public opinion and toeing the line of the State Attorney's office, the media and academia. Netanyahu knows where the power is concentrated and announces that when he wins the elections he will invite Labor party Ehud Barak to be his Defense Minister. What is he actually saying? He is saying that the Right has capitulated to the antagonistic political culture introduced to Israel by Ben Gurion; a culture that found its extreme expression in the legacies of Rabin and Sharon.

In Israel, the voter is completely irrelevant. The hapless right wing candidate surrenders in advance to the masters of the land and promises that despite the majority that supports him, he will leave the control in the hands of the land's leftist rulers. Sharon understood this, and brought the Labor party into his government for no apparent political reason. Laborite Barak, on the other hand, did all he could to divide Jerusalem even though he headed a minority government. The fact that he did not enjoy the support of a majority of the Israeli public for such far-reaching measures did not bother him, at all. And he was right. Barak had the full support of Israel's media-cultural-judicial elite, and that was all that he needed.

The unity government that Netanyahu is already promising today is actually a euphemism for a political cartel. When companies form a cartel to neutralize the customers and control the economic markets, they have broken the law. But when political parties unite to neutralize the voters and to control the ideological "market," they commit a much more serious crime: they effectively purge democracy of its significance. In Israeli 'newspeak,' this is called 'unity.'

Rabin's assassination was a reaction to this violent political culture. The murder occurred after a government elected on the basis of a clear policy not to negotiate with the PLO, made a complete turnabout. Rabin dismissed the wave of protest that broke out throughout the country with tried and true deligitimization methods; he called the protesters 'propellers,' 'Hamas,' and more. The assassination was the best gift Israel's Left could have dreamed of. It provided a tremendous power surge to the deligitimization process. The last remnants of Israel's political freedom rapidly turned to dust. Since Rabin's assassination, there is only one legitimate opinion in Israel. In Israeli 'democracy,' when you vote Left you get Left. But when you vote Right, you get double Left.

The freedom to think and to offer an alternative is not a simple democratic game. In a country in which the citizens feel that they are living on borrowed time and whose young people stand in a shameful line to merit foreign citizenship from the countries that slaughtered their grandparents (so that they will have a place to escape to when the Titanic sinks) there is only one legitimate path to solve our existential problems. The path that keeps exploding in our faces.

Jewish Legs or Leftist Crutches?

When Menachem Begin was elected as prime minister in 1977, Jews in Israel and the world over were filled with pride and hope. Those hopes, though, were summarily dashed. Whoever had anticipated a true revolution soon became painfully aware that political rule and actual control are not necessarily concurrent. Begin quickly appointed Laborite Ezer Weitzman to serve as defense minister and Moshe Dayan to serve as Foreign Minister. Those appointments proved that nationalism without Judaism cannot stand on its own two feet. In order to see itself as legitimate, it needs leftist crutches.

The leaders of the Right have a problem. On the one hand, they represent the majority in Israel. But on the other hand, both the religious and political rightist leaders do not believe in the relevance of Judaism on the national level. As a result, they are incapable of creating an authentic nationalist alternative to the Left. These leaders have no real intention of fighting the battle of their constituency. And why should they? They can be prime minister, or Yesha leader or head of the yeshivah/military academies without troubling themselves to fight.

Common political wisdom dictates that for the Likud to win the elections, it must win the "centrist" vote. But the truth is just the opposite. As soon as the Likud adopts more leftist positions, it loses. Netanyahu also explains his battle against Moshe Feiglin with the same logic. If the Likud will seem too rightist, it will lose votes. The facts, of course, don't seem to disturb Mr. Netanyahu. After his struggle against Moshe Feiglin, the Likud won just 12 Knesset seats. The Kadimah voters were unimpressed with Netanyahu's "centrist" rhetoric. But he did lose a tremendous amount of rightist votes to Lieberman -- who is now bolstering Olmert's Jerusalem-dividing government with the votes of his well-meaning but naïve constituency.

Last week, Dr. Asher Cohen of the Bar Ilan University published the findings of his 2006 democracy survey. The findings show that 22% of Israel's citizens define themselves as "extreme Right," 12% as "Right," and 15% as "moderate Right," or in other words, as Likud. When Netanyahu locked the doors to prevent Moshe Feiglin from congratulating him after the previous primaries, he was actually disenfranchising 34% of Israel's population. Moshe Feiglin and Manhigut Yehudit are the Likud bridgehead to a vast amount of voters who are disenchanted with the ruling nationalist party.

Netanyahu is a very rational man. Wouldn't he prefer to head a true right wing party with 49 Knesset seats instead of a shrunken centrist party with 12 or 15 Knesset seats?

The painful but true answer is that he would not. Netanyahu prefers to lean on the Left's crutches with a small and identity-less Likud behind him. He would rather leave the control in the hands of the Left than to head a strong Likud government that stands on its own two Jewish feet.

Why?

Netanyahu does not believe in the ability of the national camp to lead by itself. He certainly does not believe that Israel should be guided by Jewish values. But he does want to be prime minister. So he prefers to have the Likud just strong enough to get him into the prime minister's chair -- but absolutely not more than that. When Netanyahu fights against Feiglin, he does not do so to make the Likud seem more "centrist" and get more votes. He does it to signal to the Left that he is fighting their common enemy -- the person with the real potential to replace them.

Netanyahu does not fight Feiglin to save the Likud. Netanyahu fights Feiglin and the Likud -- to save Netanyahu.

Don't we have more important things to write about, with Jerusalem on the chopping block? Not really. To save Jerusalem and essentially -- to save the Nation of Israel, we have to understand which leaders actually intend to win the struggle -- and which leaders will channel all of our frustrated energy and concern to absolutely nowhere, as part of the cynical game orchestrated by the Left.

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Now is the time!

Your donation
can turn the State of the Jews
into the Jewish State.

Joining Manhigut Yehudit is much more than just a donation.

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You don't need to be living in Israel

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OPERATION JERUSALEM SHIELD

Manhigut Yehudit, led by Moshe Feiglin, is spearheading a movement to STOP Olmert's plan to divide Jerusalem.

The main focus of "Operation Jerusalem Shield" is to pressure all Knesset members - starting with Likud - to commit IN WRITING that they will NEVER honor agreements signed by Olmert, or anyone else, regarding Jerusalem.

All polls show that Likud will lead the next government and Moshe Feiglin wants to make 100% certain that the entire world knows the Likud will declare all Jerusalem deals - NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY - as totally NULL and VOID!

Simply put: Jerusalem is NOT negotiable. Not now... not ever.

Manhigut Yehudit is asking for your involvement in "Operation Jerusalem Shield".
The money we raise in this campaign will be used in the following ways:

1) Lobbying efforts in the Knesset with Likud members and then with other Knesset parties as well
2) Massive PR campaign that will pressure as many Knesset members as possible to sign our pledge
3) Street demonstrations - all over Israel - focused at getting grass-roots suppport
4) International media campaign
5) Internet projects, in several languages, to educate the world about our program; video and audio included.

Click

here to support the

Jerusalem Shield campaign.

WILL IT HELP???

We started Manhigut Yehudit to accomplish one goal: To lead the State of Israel based on authentic Jewish values. When that happens, things like NEGOTIATING THE STATUS OF JERUSALEM will never happen! Real Jewish leaders will BUILD Jerusalem, settle Jews in every part of our G-d given land, educate all children in our traditions, financially help the Jewish poor and restore the IDF to its days of pride and strength! That was -- and still is -- the goal of Manhigut Yehudit.

But right now there is a major struggle that we cannot ignore. The struggle for Jerusalem is the struggle for the entire Land of Israel! WE MUST WIN THIS FIGHT and to do that, we need your support!

As stated above, Moshe Feiglin is leading the fight on all levels. From lobbying and pressuring Knesset members, to rallying the people in the streets, to mounting an international PR and educational campaign. The work load is enormous. We will gladly do our part and fight for Jerusalem with every fibre of our being, but we need you standing with us!

Jerusalem needs you. Please click

here to support the Jerusalem Shield Campaign.

Do You Follow Halloween Or Purim?

By Shlomo Walfish

Living in the five towns with lots of Jewish neighbors can be wonderful, but sometimes one can easily forget he is still in exile. Last Wednesday on my way to a wedding I was clearly reminded of this. I was driving to the Marina Del Rey, crossed the Whitestone bridge, got off the exit and headed down East Tremont Avenue. Suddenly, I saw a clown on the street. At first I first though there’s a party, then I saw more people with costumes. When I saw a witch I realized that it was Halloween. I wasn’t checking my Christian calendar that week. As I got closer to my destination I realized I am NOT in Woodmere anymore. The children on the sidewalks were in full costume with bags and orange plastic pumpkin buckets going door to door collecting their treats. It was a refreshing wake up call and reminded me where I really was.

I got to the wedding hall and when dinner came the Choson's brother got up to make a speech. He is a Persian Jew that lives in Great Neck. He started by apologizing to the Non Jewish waiters and staff who were in the room, he then said, tonight Americans celebrate Halloween and continued to explain that its origins are completely PAGAN. He then pointed out that Jews have Purim which has many similarities, we also dress up and eat treats... so what is the BIG difference? He then explained the main message the gentiles teach their children on Halloween is to go out and TAKE treats, but Jews on Purim teach their children to go out and GIVE gifts to others. This is the Jewish way, and the Choson and Kallah should give to each other.

This got me thinking about how Israeli religious leaders and political representatives relate to this concept. In particular I was thinking of the political parties that believe in the Torah. While the religious parties in Israel have provided well for their constituents in the past, like getting funding for Torah institutions, mikvahs, etc. what in fact is their basic modis operandi? If one is brutally honest one will realize that although the religious parties may have good intentions, their main function is and always was, TAKING money from the government and using it for what they deem important. While on the surface this may not seem so bad, one has to ask, does this follow the teaching of Purim or that of Halloween? Since Halloween is about TAKING the answer should be obvious. But one may argue they are supporting Torah. If one views this as the Jewish way, let's get a more complete view of how this way of thinking effects Israel.

The Shas Party voted for the Oslo accords in 1993 which gave 50,000 machine guns to terrorist who used them to kill Jews. Before the expulsion of 10,000 Jews from Gush Katif the Mafdal kept the Government alive even while the government was planning its destruction. After it was all “legal” and the damage was done, they decided to leave. Then the United Torah Judaism stepped in the save the day for the promise of a few million shekel. The religious parties have had ministers in education positions in the past and never instituted GIVING a Jewish education to all Jewish children in Israel. Now Israel has Prime Minister Olmert, President Shimon Peres, (thanks to Shas), and a government that continues to throw Jews out of their homes in places like Hebron, beat up Jews who disagree with and protest against their suicidal policies, and are planning to divide Jerusalem and give over Har Habaiyit the Holiest JEWISH place on earth to Terrorists. And once again for money, Shas and the Yisrael Beitenu party will continue to support this government.

The Torah tells us in Mishpatim 23:8 not to TAKE bribes “Shochad Yaaver Pikchim V’yisalef Divrei Tzadikim” Bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the words of the righteous. R. Yaakov Kaminetzky used to say, and that’s talking about real Tzadikim, that even the Torah considers Tzadikim. Can one expect religious parties and leaders to see clearly after taking bribes when the Torah clearly says it CAN NOT be done?

Is there ANY political movement that follows the message of Purim, the lesson of GIVING? The answer is YES! That group is called Manhigut Yehudit. They did not join the Likud to get jobs, money, power, or other treats. They are there to GIVE. To give Jewish direction and leadership to Israel. To give Jewish education to every Jewish child in Israel, to reform the judicial system so it represents Jewish values, to promote Jewish labor for an effective creative and moral economy, to show how a truly JEWISH army fights to protect Jewish citizens, to influence the media that it should reflect Jewish values and morals, to institute a massive Aliyah program so every Jew in the world can come and feel at home! To GIVE GIVE and GIVE some more!

You can learn about, support, and GIVE to Manhigut Yehudit which follows the lessons of Purim, or you can continue to watch other parties and political leaders follow the lessons of Halloween.