Atheists for Feiglin!

22 Sivan, 5773
May 31, ‘13

A letter to Moshe Feiglin from an unlikely admirer. You can see what an impact Moshe is having on Israelis of all walks of life.

Dear Moshe,

I must tell you that until I saw you speaking over the last months, I lost all interest, faith, love and desire to remain in Israel. Most years, I did not even trouble myself to go and vote, because I knew that there was no hope for the world and for the rotten country in which I live. I thought that there was no reason to take action because I was not planning to continue to live here. I just wanted to finish my degree and escape the stupidity and craziness.

I still have the same opinions today, but with one major change: You gave me hope; hope that when my generation gets into the government (if at all) they will say worthy things from the Knesset podium; hope that there are other people in the government who understand that the justification for their existence is for them to act and fight for the good of the citizens of the country. You have no idea how refreshing it is to hear a Member of Knesset speaking so rationally, eloquently, passionately and with such wisdom. Not only on cannabis; it began for me when you were the first who did not fear to publicly speak about the profits of the drug companies (to be honest, I thought that it would lead to attempts on your life). My admiration grew when you displayed expertise in each of the reports and studies on cannabis (finally somebody was using facts and science to base his claims, and not whims and emotions). It continues with every deliberation, Knesset committee meeting or media appearance that I watch.

You have restored my faith that perhaps one day we really will be a free people in our land. As an extreme atheist, I must say that you also kindled within me something positive about anything that has to do with religion. It is so nice to hear you speak of human liberty as a supreme value, about separation of religion and state and the senselessness of coercing one way of life on all the citizens whether or not they have chosen it. The main message that you project is of acceptance, tolerance, help for others and love of mankind; a message that, if it would be assimilated by all, even an atheist like me would be able to be proud of the fact that I was born and live in a Jewish state.

May there be more people like you in the government and in the world.

Don’t give up! Clear logic will prevail and one day we will all sit together outside Plato’s Cave and barbeque (not on Shabbat) and maybe we will even pass around an aromatic, legal thorny crown.

If only the present prime minister would know how many votes and what positive public relations one intelligent person in his party can bring in, maybe he would trouble himself to find and put in others like you. In the next elections, I will vote for whatever party you belong to. May I see you one day as prime minister. It won’t hurt me to have something to be proud of when I think of the State of Israel.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

S.A.

Moshe Feiglin’s reply:
Thank you, S.A. You have moved me very much. May I be worthy of even a small bit of your praises.