It’s somewhat funny/poignant that I started writing this upon returning from Eicha on Tisha b’Av eve. As such, let me issue an upfront disclaimer that this is not intended as “lashon hara” (evil speech) against Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu. In fact, it would apply to any PM displaying the history and characteristics of the current PM. Let me also say for the record that I have come to realize that Bibi was the perfect PM for Israel during the Obama years. It was his zigzag ability of being able to dance between the raindrops that allowed Israel to be relatively undamaged by one of the most openly Israel-hostile US presidents in history. A more rightist PM would have openly defied Obama with potentially grave consequences, while a left-winger would have acceded to Obama's every Israel-hating whim of weakening Israel with worse grave consequences.
Further, as we see with Trump, Gd does not pick perfect people for a job. He picks people (incredibly flawed as they may be) who are perfect for the job at hand. And it is because of this and because Israel now has the most supportive US president in history that perhaps it is time to bring down the curtain on Bibi's record run as PM of Israel. If the stories are true regarding Trump's strong belief in Israel from a religious/faith point of view (to the point where allegedly, several of his "advisers" recently went to speak with HaRav Chaim Kanievsky regarding Moshiach and Trump's role) or from a general affection for Israel and the Jews, and/or a strong sense of what's right and damn the consequences, there is no denying that Tump's actions are rooted in faith-based decisions. Witness his determination and success in moving the US embassy to Jerusalem (over, as it is now known, Bibi's objections), his last minute Chanuka sentence commutation of Shlomo Rubashkin, his systematic destruction of the Palestinian Authority, piece by piece, his visit to Israel and trip to the Kotel, support for full Golan annexation; you get the point.
On the other hand, let's go back in time to Bibi's first run as PM. As a newly elected PM, Bibi had the ability to cancel the disastrous Hebron accords that had been negotiated but not yet implemented by Shimon Peres. As part of his weeks-long dithering process, he went to see the former Gerrer Rebbe, ZT"L who had spoken out quite definitively against the accords. The story goes that Bibi brought maps to demonstrate that despite a pullback of Israeli security, everything would be fine, and proceeded to give a full presentation to the Rebbe for over an hour who in turn, sat completely silent during Bibi's talk. When Bibi was done and asked the Rebbe for his thoughts, the Rebbe held up his thumb and first finger which he used to form a border on the pinky of his opposite hand from the tip to the first joint. He then replied to Bibi, "Mr. Prime Minister, if you had only this much Yirat Shemayim (fear of Gd/Heaven) in your entire body, we would not be having this discussion. Good night". And with that, the Rebbe left the room. Needless to say, the accords were implemented.
Fast forward to as recently as this past June, when Bezalel Smotrich called for the Israeli justice system to adhere to Jewish religious law. Bibi's predictable response? “The State of Israel will not be a halacha [Jewish religious law] state,” Netanyahu tweeted, amid an uproar over Smotrich’s remarks. And not just Bibi, but a whole cast of characters including Liberman, Okunis, Linvi, et al also jumped on the "no halacha state" bandwagon. While one could have predicted the unmasking of the usual cast of characters above who would have a vitriolic reaction to a statement like Somtrich's, it sure was interesting to see who kept silent about it, whatever their reasons might be. But I'm not here to debate the pros and cons of an Halachah-based state at this time (but that State will come, at some point, one way or another).
So we have established that Bibi, no matter what lip service he gives to Judaism, no matter his getting an aliyah to the Torah while wearing a kippa, no matter the same broken promises he makes again and again to the Yesha people, the man was pegged by the Rebbe from day one. Even this morning, he ordered the Temple Mount closed (and then re-opened under potential coalition pressure) to Jews on Tisha B'Av (part of a larger pattern of the government turning a blind eye to the illegal activities of the Waqf on the Mount). Don't forget, Bibi's book about Israel is called "A Place Among The Nations". Wrong, Bibi. Our role is to be "a light unto the Nations" which means Israel is out in front, not among. That's Israel's and the Jewish people's destiny.
And now, the pièce de résistance of our little discussion? Ambassador David Friedman, unashamedly and unabashedly a lover of Israel, a man who got his dream job from Trump, who relishes it, who like a cool assassin, takes apart Israel-hating reporters like Christiane Amanpour in a TV interview. David Friedman said, to the Israel - hating NY Times no less in a leftist-apoplexy-inducing statement that Israel has the right to annex parts of the West Bank. It's actually somewhat stunning that the Times didn't decide to try and bury the story behind its paywall, but I guess they were so in shock by Freidman's true and matter-of-fact statement that all rational anti-Israel thought just deserted them.
Realize that David Freidman did not say this in a vacuum. Also realize that there is no way Freidman could make a statement like this without Trump's and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's (himself another religious believer in Israel) full support and blessing. They are basically telling Bibi, hey, you want to go annex the West bank? We've got your back. No, they are screaming at him to do it. They are screaming that you need to fulfill Israel's destiny, out in front. And Bibi? Does he hear? Alas, it appears between his statements on Halacha-State and his previous history that he unfortunately is deaf to what they are saying. Bibi was a a perfect man for the job he had for the times that needed a man like him to be at the helm. But Israel's destiny is in faith-based leadership. If you haven't a faith-based bone in your body, you are not the right person for the job now. It's that simple. The secular Zionists were the right people for the right job at that time. But their time came to an end as they de-evolved into their post-Zionist national suicide for Israel because of their lack of faith.
Bibi is an elegant speaker. He is a brilliant politician. He was a great Israeli ambassador to the UN. He also slices up ignorant anti-Israel reporters and interviewers like few can. He had and maybe still has the potential to be one of the greatest leaders Israel ever had. I just hope he finds his hearing if he wants to keep his job. Remember, it's "a light unto the Nations". Get on board the train or get off.
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