Why is Manhigut Yehudit Still in the Likud?

By Moshe Feiglin

Editor's note: In last week's Hebrew B'sheva newspaper, right wing activist Baruch Marzel wrote an article in which he criticized Moshe Feiglin and Manhigut Yehudit. The main points of Marzel's article were:

1. By remaining in the Likud despite Netanyahu's leftist policies, Manhigut Yehudit is bolstering a party that does not deserve rightist support.
2. Moshe Feiglin should take the widespread support that he enjoys and join up with like-minded rightist parties, such as the National Union, instead of attracting right wing votes that give the Likud power to carry out leftist policies.
3. If Manhigut has as much influence as it claims, it should topple Netanyahu immediately.

The following is Moshe Feiglin's rebuttal to Baruch Marzel. It will appear in next week's B'sheva newspaper.

Approximately half a year ago, the Likud lost the elections to Kadimah, in great part because of the battle that Netanyahu waged against me. Nevertheless, Marzel's party, the National Union, endorsed Netanyahu as its candidate to form a government. Netanyahu is prime minister today thanks to the endorsements of the right wing parties. Now that Netanyahu is promoting the "two-state solution" Marzel is placing the responsibility for deposing Netanyahu - not on his own party - but, of course, on me. Without noticing, Marzel has actually attested to the fact that Manhigut Yehudit has more political power than his own party.

Baruch Marzel is a dear Jew who, like many of the settlers, enjoyed the sweet taste of the Zo Artzeinu protests and wants to continue to bask in their glow. But we cannot forget that after the major Zo Artzeinu protest, Netanyahu became prime minister and, with all the right wing votes in tow, continued to implement the Oslo Accords. Manhigut Yehudit decided that it would no longer play the game. But according to Marzel, the final result of the game is not what is important. All that counts is that you played.

If we ask ourselves how Baruch Marzel has helped the settlements with his Um-El-Fahm antics, we will have a hard time answering. But I can tell you that Baruch and his friends have been very successful. They are successful because their goal, as above, is simply to stay in the game. They don't even dare dream of winning. If you made a judge or reporter angry or if you squeezed an irritated curse word out of a leftist MK, you have put a smile on the faces of many people in the national camp - and you have achieved your goal. Now you can return to "Peace House" or other homes that you have settled in Hebron and wait for the next expulsion with the comforting knowledge that you have done what you can.

It is certainly Marzel's right to act on his beliefs and, in truth, some of his antics have also put smiles on our faces. The problem begins when Baruch and his friends insist on applying the same goals that they have set for themselves to Manhigut Yehudit. From Manhigut Yehudit's inception, we have explained time and again that our goal is not to get the next Netanyahu clone elected. We have but one goal; faith based leadership for Israel. Just as Marzel's success must be judged according to the goal that he has set for himself, Manhigut Yehudit can only be judged in light of its own, vastly different, goal.

The question is not if Feiglin got into the Knesset or if Netanyahu is behaving himself. These are not the goals that Manhigut Yehudit set for itself. It is clear for all to see that I could have been in the Knesset long ago. In addition, I was at the forefront of those who warned against what Bibi would do if and when elected. It is also clear that because of the major goal that we have set for ourselves, Bibi fought against me tooth and nail - dirty tricks included - to prevent my entry into the Knesset. It is ridiculous to claim that the mountain climber who has not yet reached the peak of the Everest has failed, while the person who hasn't even begun to climb has succeeded.

The questions that determine whether Manhigut Yehudit has succeeded are completely different. The question is if Manhigut Yehudit has succeeded in promoting the faith based alternative for leadership of Israel. Is the faith based public today aware of the idea? Are ever-widening circles within Religious Zionism and outside it aware that a new alternative for leadership of Israel exists? Have the faith based candidate and the ideas that he represents penetrated public awareness? Or has nothing changed at all? Has nobody heard of the idea or the candidate? Has anyone begun to dream the dream of faith based leadership?

If the answer is still not completely clear, here is another question. Over whom does Netanyahu, Marzel's nemesis, lose sleep? Likud member Feiglin or National Union MK, my neighbor and good friend, Michael Ben-Ari? Feiglin? Or all the MKs of the National Union put together? If you are willing to face the truth, the answer is clear.

Most of the MKs in both the National Union and the Jewish Home are excellent people who are eminently worthy to serve in the Knesset. But their refusal to actually compete for leadership, their insistence on running in sectoral parties and setting limited goals for the faith based public have diverted the faith based public from its true task; leading Israel with faith in G-d.

Instead, these politicians repeatedly fuse their constituency onto a course that has failed time and again. Since we "stopped the retreat from Sinai" we have continued on the same path and in most cases, with the same people. Now we "stop the retreat" in Gush Katif, "stop the retreat" in the outposts and we can even "stop the retreat" in Ofrah and the established settlements. He who flees his destiny will necessarily find himself fighting a pointless rearguard war. Eventually, he will not even be able to defend himself.

Manhigut Yehudit uses the major political power that it has amassed in the Likud to support and aid settlement in every centimeter of the Land of Israel. The extra-parliamentary struggle is also very important and must continue. Even the antics of Marzel and his friends have their place in the big picture.

But before we run to settle and protest, we must take a very important step. Everybody must register for the Likud. Not only so that we can wage a successful battle for the Land of Israel. First and foremost, we must register for the Likud so that the faith based public will be firmly on the arena where the most important battle of all is being waged - the battle for the leadership of Israel.