The American Hero?

By Shaun Meller

As an American, I view the world in a certain way. I expect to have to pay the amount written on the price tag. I expect contracts to be fulfilled to the letter. I expect fairness and justice. In short, I expect consistency and regularity.

I’ve spent enough time in Israel to get used to “hondling” for a better price on an item. I’ve heard enough stories from friends who have had their signed contracts turned into mere suggestions by contractors. I’ve watched enough footage of the “evacuation” from Gaza, the police orgy of violence at Amona, and now the blatant disregard for an iron-clad purchase agreement in Hebron to know that beyond the cafes on Emek Rephaim, trinket stores on Ben Yehuda and the Inbal Hotel, the concept of fairness and justice in Israel is an unfulfilled promise.

So what about the Likud primaries has me so irate? Perhaps it’s the straw that broke the camel’s back (pun fully intended). Or, more likely, it’s that of all people who is the most “American” of Israeli politicians, Bibi Netanyahu has failed his party and his country for what will hopefully be the last time. Why are Israelis, or more particularly Likudnikim, so enamored by Bibi? It certainly isn’t his track record when considering his finest moments as being: giving away Hebron, the Wye Accords, shaking hands with Arafat, failing to bring home Jonathan Pollard, raising his hand in support of the disengagement from Gaza, turning his back on his constituency and, most recently, his deafening silence as head of the opposition. No…the attraction of Netanyahu can only be the image he projects to Israel’s supposedly staunchest, ally, the United States.

Bibi has appeared on America’s Fox News more often than Arafat was invited to Clinton’s White House (for those of you who lost count, it’s more than your fingers and toes combined). He is remarkably polished, and comes across the airwaves the same as any natural-born American statesman. American journalists like Sean Hannity swoon over him, and revel in having a “former and future Prime Minister” sitting in their studio, and subject to their sound bites. Seated in front of U.S. Congressman for hearings as an “expert” on terrorism, he made Israelis and American Jews kvell at the prospect of a former Israeli Prime Minister counseling the mighty American legislature. Not coincidentally, that same desk today is the guillotine for the CEOs from Ford, GM, Chrysler and Lehman Brothers. Netanyahu should be similarly dragged in front of the Likud Central Committee to explain his actions of these last few days.

How could someone who, according to all appearances (including his resume listing U.S. higher education and record of free market economics) should be the most well versed in American style democracy, push every dirty trick in the game to “stack the deck” quite literally for himself? He pushed for a change in the rules at every possible juncture to exclude a specific group, Moshe Feiglin and his supporters, long-time members of the Likud, and favor new members with suspect credentials. He attempted to include thousands of voters who were double-registered with Kadima. He changed the voting rules a week before the election, specifically to make it more difficult for Moshe Feiglin’s supporters running on the olim spots. He is now, amazingly, even appealing the results of the election to move around elected spots previously agreed upon, specifically to subvert the successful results for Moshe and two of his supporters further down on the list.

Despite my ardent support for Manhigut Yehudit, these actions should make the most secular voter in Israel stand up and cry “fowl!” If Netanyahu can get away with playing dirty and changing the rules, then democracy has failed in “the only democracy in the Middle East.” That oft-repeated quip has been thrown around as an arrogant weapon against the Arab countries and an attempt to curry support from like-minded Europeans and Americans. We already know about the corruption of Israeli politics, but when these shockingly blatant actions are taken, even the veneer of democracy is exposed as a sham, and Israel proves, yet again, to be the banana republic its citizens know it to be. It serves as a body blow to all who hold elections and the power of the ballot to be sacrosanct. It gives credence to the utter hopelessness that Israeli voters feel, and why so many stay at home on Election Day.

Netanyahu should be embracing his adversaries under the banner of the national camp, however the vote falls out. He should be proud to sit atop a list of people chosen by majority vote from those most loyal to the Land of Israel. He should be focused on being the leader of ALL party members that will halt the disastrous course on which the country has been headed under the reigns of Olmert and every Prime Minister before him (even Bibi himself). If he values his silver-tongued American accent and his American-style democratic credentials, he should welcome Feiglin and leftists like Dan Meridor alike, with open arms in the struggle that will be his to bear as the leader of that myriad group. The strength of the party should come from its varied constituents of kippa-sruga and chiloni members under the umbrella of national consensus for real change. Bibi should be presenting a uniquely Likud platform, as formulated by its Members of Knesset-to-be, to all Israeli voters in the upcoming national election. That platform should be starkly different from Labor/Kadima, and not merely the execution of their same failed philosophy. LET LIKUD BE BRANDED AS EXTREMIST! If it takes extremes to present real change, then let extremism prevail!

Sadly, Netanyahu is showing that his leadership skills are reserved for the American cameras alone. We have Moshe Feiglin to thank for many things, including bringing Netanyahu’s obvious weaknesses to the forefront for all to see and judge for themselves. The Israeli electorate should see with unadulterated clarity what is obvious to an American - that they’ve been starved of real choice. Democracy-loving Laborites and Kadimanicks should be thrilled at the outcome of the Likud election, for no reason other than that their forgotten Israeli citizenship may be able to finally taste a small hint of real democracy for the first time in a very long time. Moshe Feiglin represents a breath of fresh air on the Israeli political scene, even for those who disagree with him. Personally, I expect great things of him, selfishly chief among them for him to revive the euphoric days of aliyah from North America that were inspired following the Six Day War, when he finally restores Jewish pride and backbone to the Israel of old.