By Moshe Feiglin
Even from the beginning of the primaries, observers on both Right and Left understood that my candidacy was much more than just another political campaign. My primaries race touched on the exposed roots of the crisis in Israel. It offered new leadership, new thinking and a truly Jewish solution to the dead end threat of cessation looming over our country. The elites that have brought Israel to its present crisis situation and continue to be sustained by the rotten system that they have established quickly identified the alternative being created within the Likud and rose in infuriated self defense. It was a world war between the Jewish State waiting in the wings and the state void of significance and hope that has been forced upon the Jewish majority in Israel.
The media fixation on my candidacy brought the faith-based leadership alternative into every home in Israel. On major Hebrew news sites such as ynet and walla, interviews with me generated many hundreds of talkbacks - most of them positive. The entire campaign progressed with the feeling that we were making a tremendous breakthrough in voter mentality. The fact that I was elected to the Likud list despite all of the mudslinging against me was a major leap forward. It was a cue for the entire faith based public to connect to Israel's leadership arena in the Likud. After my election to 20th place - not only did the Likud not lose 6 mandates in the polls as Netanyahu had threatened - it gained 6 mandates and was holding at 40 potential Knesset seats.
Beside the very important achievement in advancing the cause of Jewish leadership for Israel, we had an additional success. Our list of recommended candidates had significant influence on the entire Likud roster. The first five candidates on the roster are all MKs who had 'rebelled' against Sharon's expulsion plan. In most districts, the ideological candidates who we endorsed were elected. Slots number thirty and up include many people who received our support: Boaz Haetzni, Sagiv Asulin, Ehud Yatom and Michael Ratzon.
On the night of the Likud primaries election, Israeli politics was revolutionized: The faith based public began to seriously connect to the Likud, strengthening the national ideological elements within the party. This landmark change began to immediately and decisively transform Israel's Oslo agenda. It is this change that frightens Netanyahu more than anything else. He pulled all the necessary strings to nip the process in the bud, lowering me down to the 36th slot. But the entire Likud fell with me and is paying the price of Netanyahu's refusal to face reality. Instead of opening a large lead against Kadimah, potential Likud votes are scattering to Lieberman, National Union, Jewish Home and even back to Kadimah. Who knows? Tzippy Livni may become the next prime minister, after all.
I do not know what the results of the elections will be for me, personally. But it is clear that no great change will take place on the broad political scene. Sooner than we think, there will be primaries for the head of the national camp's ruling party - the Likud. As long as G-d gives me the strength, I will be running. With G-d's help we will triumph, unite the entire loyal camp and lead the huge Jewish majority in Israel to true leadership of the State of Israel - in the path of G-d.
1 comment:
Moshe, you never, ever should have campaigned against your ideological home party of Ichud Leumi. It was a shanda for you to try and drive them out while boosting a party that expels Jews, concedes land and releases terrorists from jail. When they banished you to 36th you should have advocated for your supporters to vote NU and prop up the nationalist presence in knesset.
If NU only gets 4 seats they can't influence Bibi's coalition, but if they had 10 they would have forced him to do business with the nationalist camp. You have great ideas, but badly misread how to handle this situation. The Yishuv community will be more imperiled because you chose to divide their voice and stifle their influence.
I respect your views and what you're trying to do, but you really blew it this time by advocating for the nationalists to support a bad, weak Likud instead of making a stronger Ichud Leumi.
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