The Justice of Israel’s Cause

By Asher Zelig Fried

The threat facing Israel today is existential in nature and as severe as any in its near 60 year history. Iran proceeds unabated with development of its nuclear potential as it reinforces its conventional arsenal, and declares its intention to “wipe Israel off the map.”

Hezbollah rearmed to pre-war levels has repositioned itself in southern Lebanon while in Gaza; Hamas is newly fortified with advanced weaponry, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft batteries. Their training is now provided by Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

What is not readily acknowledged is a quiet and under-reported military buildup taking place both in Syria and Egypt. The regional balance of power is rapidly changing. Perhaps more ominously, while previous threats to Israel were met with unanimity founded on a belief in the justice of Israel’s cause, the country today is severely fractured. Its survival is dependent upon reunification behind its cause.

Israel was founded as a homeland for the Jewish people in the ancient land Israel. Its cause clear, Israelis, and indeed Jews around the world, understood it, internalized it, and proudly proclaimed its justice. When Israel was attacked at birth, its people fought valiantly to sustain their independence, and prevailed against forces far greater in number. The world then recognized Israel as the Jewish homeland and her international standing achieved its great heights.

Israel’s cause, and its very existence, was to be tested again in June of 1967. Five Arab nations aligned against her and positioned their armies to destroy her. Israel responded with unanimity of purpose and victory was swift. The heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, came under Jewish control for the first time in two thousand years. Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital was unified and its holy places liberated. Israel’s international standing sky-rocketed as there was never a time when the Jewish people was more admired, more respected, and more feared by its enemies, than in June of 1967.

The most harrowing threat to Israel existence occurred on Yom Kippur of 1973, as Egypt and Syria attacked simultaneously and prevailed in the initial battles of that war. With great desperation Israelis fought heroically as they understood their survival was dependent upon their actions. Their rallying point was the justice of their cause, the right of a homeland for the Jewish people in the ancient land of Israel.

There’s been much speculation as to why the justice of Israel’s cause has been so displaced, and why so diametric a change in Israel’s international standing has occurred. There is however widespread agreement as to the timing of the decline. It began most significantly in 1993, concurrent with the signing of the Oslo Accords, and has spiraled even more precipitously downward in the past several years.

The Accords introduced an entirely new narrative. It created the concept of an unjust Israel, and reversed the way many Israelis and the world perceived Israel. Pride of victory against sworn enemies was replaced by shame and defeat, as the government surrendered Jewish control over Jerusalem’s holy places and over Israel’s heartland to its enemy. Overnight Jews were branded “occupiers,” in their own land. The anomaly of Jews as occupiers of Judea, and of Jews occupying the Jewish city of Jerusalem was hardly questioned by the enlightened of western society.

The world, which once recognized Israel as the Jewish homeland and respected Israel for its ability to defend itself, was no longer certain as to who the land of Israel truly belonged. Further confusion reigned as to whether a united Jerusalem should or should not be part of the state Israel. It became difficult for even Israel’s staunchest allies to respect a people so ready to surrender their capital and much of their homeland to an enemy sworn to destroy them. World disdain for Israel began to incubate.

The most immediate result of the Oslo Accords, inconceivable in any context, was to bring back into the midst of Israel, the arch terrorist, Yasir Arafat and 7000 of his terrorist henchmen, many with Jewish blood on their hands. The government of Israel then provided these most vile and vicious murderers with massive quantities of weapons and ammunition. In their hapless delusion, the government declared this “The Peace Process.”

Arafat responded with a savage Intifada, deadly suicide attacks as Jewish families were blown apart, and the weapons that were provided to the terrorists were turned against the Jews. With the abject failure of Oslo still not apparent, then Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered Arafat an independent Palestinian state in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, and possession of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, Judaism’s most sacred site. Arafat’s response was an escalation of suicide attacks against Israeli civilians and further accusation against Israel as an occupier of Arab land.

While Israel’s many detractors continue to work incessantly at perverting the Israel narrative, precious little is accomplished at refuting even their most contemptible lies. The European media, and now segments of the American media, regularly describe Israel as an occupying power harshly suppressing a poor and peaceful indigenous Arab population. Israel is portrayed as a militaristic threat, so much so that polls indicate a majority of Europeans consider Israel the leading threat to world peace. With Israel characterized as a “racist and apartheid state” and a “Nazi-like occupier” there is little sympathy for Israel’s battle against terrorism or compassion for her bloodied victims of suicide bombings. Israel’s international standing is in free fall.

Hardly a day passes without some denigrating accusation, new boycott, or divestiture announcement. Her most honored sons have been treated as common or war criminals, even by her closest allies. A debate now circulating within the European media and universities, unimaginable even a few years ago is whether the creation of Israel was an historic mistake. The debate now, in western society and even among “enlightened Jews,” is whether Israel should continue to exist. The battle for the hearts and minds of the civilized world, historically and overwhelmingly supportive of Israel as the David against Goliaths, is well near lost.

The cumulative impact of such widespread and overwhelming condemnation has been devastating to the country and is most evident among an increasing number of individual Israelis. For many, the “Battered Wife Syndrome” has taken firm hold. They reason that “if all these terrible things are happening to us, it must be because we deserve it.” Many now powerless to confront the unending chorus of orchestrated lies have internalized them, and in the process have discarded Israel’s most critical asset, the justice of her cause.

The strategy employed by Israel’s enemies is simple, effective, and Israel was forewarned. The prophetic words of the poet Nathan Alterman must now awaken us.

“Then did Satan say: ‘How will I conquer this beleaguered one? He possesses courage, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and tools of war.’ And then he said: ‘I’ll not rob his strength, nor bridle him, nor rein him in, nor enervate his hand. But this I’ll do - blunt his mind, till he forgets his cause is just.”

We are all witness to the return of the Jewish people to the land of their fathers after 2000 years of torturous and murderous exile. The world exists today with Christian countries and with Muslim countries, with Hindu and with Buddhist countries, and with 22 Arab countries. There is but one Jewish country and it exists on the ancient land of the Jewish people. This is Israel’s cause, and it is a just cause. It must again fill the heart of every Israeli, be proclaimed proudly and loudly, and unity will return and renewed pride will flower in Israel.

The Magic Gun; Real Israeli Democracy; Controlling The Temple Mount; Let The Polls Speak

Happiness is a Magic Gun: By Moshe Feiglin

13 Shvat, 5767 Feb. 1, 2007 Translated from Ma'ariv's NRG Website The peaceful townspeople hoped that the new sheriff would succeed; all his predecessors had failed. Time and again, bands of robbers would attack the town, shoot in every direction, murder, rob and get away unharmed. All the people responsible for the town's security had promised to make peace with the robbers. This made it impossible to defeat them. It was like a collective mental illness. The townspeople, after all, had built the town in an attempt to create a new, normal identity for themselves. They wanted to be just an ordinary town and live in peace with their neighbors. But the neighbors didn't like the townspeople's new identity. They fought them constantly. And so, the town couldn't triumph. Triumph would mean that there was no peace. Without peace, the town could not be an ordinary place. So the townspeople decided that it was "impossible to defeat terror," and tried to solve the problem with protective walls, separation fences and roadblocks. No doubt about it; it was a type of mental illness. The situation went from bad to worse. So the townspeople blamed the residents of the isolated houses at the edge of the town. "They upset the robbers," the sheriffs explained to the townspeople. "It's their fault that we don't have peace with the robbers. Why should we die for them, anyway?" So instead of fighting the robbers, every new sheriff would fight the townspeople who lived at the edge of town. The last sheriff went one step farther. He even demolished all the isolated houses at the edge of town and threw all the poor townspeople who lived there to the dogs. The regular townspeople were very impressed with the brave sheriff's glorious victory and elected him for an additional term in office by a large majority. But then the brave sheriff had a stroke. A new sheriff replaced him. He had already learned how to be popular in the peaceful town. "My predecessor bravely disengaged from a few isolated houses," he said. "But I will be much braver than him. I will have the entire town converge into the Town Square!" The robbers got the idea and vigorously attacked all the remaining houses in town. This time they did more than rob and plunder; they also abducted some of the townspeople before getting away. The new sheriff tried to prove to the townspeople that he could protect them from the borders of the Town Square. He tried to fight the robbers according to accepted town practice -- from the plasma screen in his office. The robbers laughed and laughed. They went to live at the edge of town, where the isolated townspeople used to live. From there, they would shoot at the frightened townspeople whenever they pleased. The new sheriff even shot back. After a month, though, the new sheriff understood that he could simply not win. So he announced that he won and stopped shooting. The robbers also stopped shooting. What did they care? The hostages were still in their hands, and they needed to rest and re-supply, anyway. The Magic Gun The new sheriff had a serious problem. The townspeople no longer had faith in him. He had become the laughingstock of the town. His loyal aides explained that he must present some sort of solution. If not, they warned, the fate of his career would be sealed. "Do not fear," said the sheriff to the weary and frightened townspeople. "We are working on the perfect solution. We have an unbeatable plan to protect you." While the townspeople gazed on in astonishment, the sheriff demonstrated his new Magic Gun solution. "The Magic Gun will allow us to make peace with the robbers -- even if they don't stop shooting. When the next robber comes," the sheriff enthusiastically explained, "we will do nothing to endanger peace. When the robber will provoke the townspeople, I won't even have to leave my office. That could endanger the normalization of our relations with them, you understand." "When the robber waves his gun, I will explain that it is nothing more than a water gun. That will prevent unnecessary friction. And when the robber will point his gun straight at the heart of a little towns-girl, I will be able to continue my daily nap. And when the robber pulls the trigger, I will just turn over in my bed." "But," the sheriff excitedly added, "when the bullet leaves the gun, everything will change. The Magic Gun will rapidly identify the flying bullet. It will jump from my belt, even while I'm still sleeping, home-in on the robber's gun, shoot a magic bullet at the robber's bullet and destroy it in mid-air. The robber will not be harmed at all, and that way we will be able to continue with our peaceful neighborly relations." The townspeople were very excited. Finally, somebody had found the way to make true peace. Finally, they could be an ordinary town, like everyone else. There was one Nuisance there who tried to ask what would happen if the robbers would shoot more than one bullet at a time. He even reminded the townspeople that recently, the sheriff had given the robbers automatic guns. "Furthermore," the Nuisance added, "every magic bullet costs one trillion dollars. Even if the magic works, after one round of robbers' bullets, we will have to leave our town to find food for our children!" The townspeople got very angry at the Nuisance. On their television, they repeatedly displayed the amazing new technology that was behind the Magic Gun. They were in no mood to let a few warmongering Nuisances ruin their dream of being ordinary townspeople. They let out their anger on some of the Nuisances' settlements and gave the good and pragmatic robbers more money and automatic weapons so that they could fight the bad, religious robbers. And so, the perfect solution was finally found to restore peace and quiet to the town. Finally, the townspeople could blend in normally with their surroundings. The robbers robbed and murdered, the sheriff ruled in his sleep, the Nuisances were gotten rid of, the townspeople paid for the Magic Gun and all the damages incurred-- and everyone lived happily ever after.

Districts for a Democratic Israel

Translated and excerpted from Moshe Feiglin's book, "The War of Dreams." A true democracy cannot exist when the public's representatives are not dependant on the voters. In 97% of the world's democracies, including countries the size of Israel, the election method is based on voting districts. The elected official knows his voters and has to work hard to maintain their faith in him. This method strengthens the community framework and delegates authority and responsibility to the local government. Israel's founders -- the Labor Mapai and its satellites -- talked about democracy, but they didn't really mean it. The method that they imposed upon us is centralized and turns the entire country into one large district. This method is unique to Israel. It gives the central government all the power, but no responsibility. Imagine that every district in Israel would know in advance that it would receive a proportionate allocation of the national budget in addition to a percentage of local taxes. The residents of the Bnei Brak district could, for example, decide what portion of their budget they would like to allocate to large families; the residents of Ramat Aviv could decide how much to allocate to human rights parades; the residents of the south could decide how much to allocate to the Negev Law. This proposal is not only possible; it is critical. It also correlates with the basic Jewish approach toward community life (the tribal division, if you will). Division into voting districts applies to every facet of our national lives. The community should appoint its local police chief; it should decide which streets will be opened and closed to traffic on Shabbat; if there will be longer school days in the district and at the expense of what. Since most Israelis want to remain Jews, this will strengthen the Jewish identity of the state and democracy will flourish. The Left -- a small minority that controls the country by using the centralized method to its benefit -- will lose its power. That is also the reason that the "Big Brothers" of the elite will do all they can to thwart this proposal. The continued control of the elites depends on Israel's continued centralized democracy. But do not worry. In the end, the nation will triumph. The only question is at what price. Who is the Sovereign on the Temple Mount? "He who rules the Mount rules the Land" wrote Uri Tzvi Greenberg. This week, we had another painful reminder of this fact. Once again, Israel's government caved in to Arab threats of violence and international pressure, indefinitely postponing construction work on the Mugrabim Bridge at the foot of the Temple Mount. Israel's surrender of its sovereignty on the Temple Mount triggers its collapse throughout the country. Unhappily, the State of Israel was not established to realize the historical goals of the Nation of Israel. Its declared purpose was to be a safe haven for the nation that would be just like all other nations. But when the Nation of Israel attempts to be just an ordinary nation, it cannot even provide itself with safety, and its sovereignty is lost. Now, like sixty years ago, Israel is facing the threat of destruction. Ostensibly, the country was founded for this very moment. But what is Israel's solution to Iran's nuclear threats? What is the significant difference between Olmert's solution and Netanyahu's? The entire spectrum of Israeli consciousness -- from Right to Left, is incapable of suggesting anything more than turning to the international community for help. Once again, we hope and pray that the American and British warplanes will bomb Auschwitz. A government that is incapable of retaining its sovereignty over Israel's heart -- the TempleMount -- loses the remnants of its sovereignty and its ability to defend its people and its country. You can turn the State of Jews into the Jewish State. Now is the Time! Join Manhigut Yehudit Today Joining Manhigut Yehudit is much more than just a donation. Now you're part of the team! Learn about our special Members Club Making Headway This week's poll on the Arutz 7 website asked readers to choose their favorite candidate for Prime Minister. The results of over 2000 votes are as follows: Moshe Feiglin: 37.9% Aryeh Eldad: 33.1% Binyamin Netanyahu: 21.1% Avigdor Leiberman: 7.9% True, this poll would certainly have had different results if it had been taken on a website visited by a wider spectrum of Israeli voters. But it does give us a fairly accurate picture of where the Jewish Majority is holding. And that picture is very encouraging: For one, we see that the voters are fed up with the eternal candidates that the political system re-cooks from one election to the next. This phenomenon seems to be common to most of the Israeli public. Secondly, important headway has been made in the leadership consciousness of the Jewish Majority. Lieberman and Netanyahu, both considered "Rightists", lag way behind in this poll. The Jewish Majority voters do not see them as worthy candidates. Both Moshe Feiglin and Aryeh Eldad, on the other hand, enjoy the support of 30% to 40% of the Arutz 7 voters. Obviously, these numbers do not reflect Israeli society as a whole. But for the first time, we can see that the Jewish Majority has begun to throw off the shackles of inferiority that it has traditionally felt toward the "real Israelis" of the Left. Bibi, who reverts time and again to Leftist policies, is no longer their man. They are looking for a fresh, new leader who can provide Israel with honest and comprehensive solutions. Moshe Feiglin and Aryeh Eldad have earned the confidence of the Jewish Majority. It would be interesting to see the results of a race between them. There is just one problem, though. Aryeh Eldad is not running for Prime Minister. He has always sufficed himself with influencing the Prime Minister from his sectoral-party Knesset seat. Of the four candidates in the poll, only two -- Moshe Feiglin and Binyamin Netanyahu -- are in the real race for Prime Minister. If we would assume that the votes for Eldad and Lieberman would be split more or less equally between the two candidates in the leadership arena, we would still remain with a ratio of 60:40 in Moshe Feiglin's favor. Clearly, Manhigut Yehudit's leadership drive has made a real breakthrough in the Jewish Majority's consciousness. Ten years ago, most voters would have been frightened to leave the familiarity of the conventional candidate -- no matter how much he had betrayed them in the past. When we finally manage to break through the iron wall of inferiority consciousness with which the Jewish Majority is afflicted, a true symbiosis between basic Jewish culture and national leadership will be created. And when that happens, how many people will continue to vote for the National Religious Party or for the National Union? How many will stay with Lieberman or with Shas? The religious and nationalist satellite parties will become irrelevant and will automatically attach themselves to the Jewish Majority's umbrella party -- Jewish Israel -- under the leadership of the Likud. With G-d's help, this party will lead Israel to its destiny. Now You can Vote Which candidate would you prefer for Prime Minister? Unlike the Arutz 7 poll, Manhigut Yehudit's poll includes only those National Camp candidates who are in the leadership arena: Moshe Feiglin and Binyamin Netanyahu. So who do you choose? Moshe Feiglin or Binyamin Netanyahu Click here to vote now and see what others are thinking!

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The Surrender Continues With Hope In The Distance

By Jason Gold

Capitulating To Terror
Depressing isn't it? Thinking about the lives lost, the Jewish blood spilled to return to our homeland only to have a faithless, morally bankrupt corrupt group of clowns, thugs, and empty suits give it away? And not all at once, mind you. No, they are doing it in stages, like slow torture, ripping the heart out of Israel piece by piece. The only reason it is not proceeding faster is that the terrorists have been too busy killing each other, although now based on what happened in Mecca, they seem to have gotten their act together to kill Jews again. Yes we are fortunate that the Saudis were there to set things straight.

Help From The Religious
And the secular surrenderers have help from our religious so-called leaders. The erstwhile religious mayor of Jerusalem has been aiding and abetting in the surrender. Everyone knows that the repairs on the Rambam gate are not endangering the mosques. But seeing our lack of resolve, the Arabs know that they can pretty much do and claim whatever they want in an attempt to loosen our hold on the Temple Mount even more. It worked didn't it? After all, the mayor did issue an order stopping the repair work in the interest of a dialog between religious leaders. And all this as Hizbullah re-arms, Kassam fire continues, and the religious political leadership sits in the Knesset and debates what with the PM? Which suit he should wear to the proposed summit with Abbas. What was it that Nero did while Rome burned?

Avigdor, Are You There?
And now in the latest saga of surrender, the army under orders from "above" abandoned Israeli-owned land to the Arabs and their leftist collaborators in Southern Yesha. You know somewhere I remember a newly anointed secular messiah (where are you hiding Avigdor?) stating that he was joining the government and abandoning his sacred 5 principles so that this wouldn't happen. Oh well, at least he is dealing with the Iranian strategic threat, right?

Hope In The Distance
So what's the answer, class? Once again, FAITH-BASED LEADERSHIP. Accept no substitutes because nothing else works. That includes new up and coming leftists stars like Ami Amaylon, Livnat, Barak, Peres, ad nauseum. There is a poll of 1800+ people on the Arutz-7 Hebrew website, of who should be leader of Israel. Given the choice between Aryeh Eldad (33.2%), Bibi (20.9%), Lieberman (8.1%), and Feiglin (37.7%), it is apparent that the secular and dati nationalist camp is finally beginning to see that faith-based leadership is the order of the day.

It's all about empowerment, folks. It's about shrugging off the lethargy, the feeling of hopelessness, and doing what needs to be done. The matsav can be changed. But it means bringing down the current roster of ineffective players and replacing them with those who understand what faith-based leadership is. And it's about more than just wearing a kippah, right Mr. Mayor?


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Welcome To The Party, Bibi

By Jason Gold

Better late than never, eh Bibi? Come on in. Contenders to the right, pretenders to the left. So where do you fit in? Suddenly in an epiphany, you have discovered the value of Jewish education? So pray tell, what exactly were you doing while your erstwhile fellow Likudnik continued the tradition of gutting the education ministry in Sharon's last stand with the Likud? Yes, yes I know you were busy running the finance ministry and you actually did a fairly decent job of it as the economy will now testify. However, you left much undone, such as not breaking the Histadrut when you had the chance (did you think Peretz and his hoods would vote for you?) and as shown in the infamous photo below, voting for the hitnakut of Gush Katif and then resigning from the government when it suited your political purposes.

You are an excellent spokesperson. You were a solid finance minister. You were a disaster as PM and would be so again. Your decisions on Chevron haunt us to this day including the murder of Shalhevet Pass. Your inability to stand up to Clinton at Wye and to at least come home with Jonathan Pollard shows a serious lack of backbone. Your failure to get Israel off the narcotic of US aid money shows serious follow through issues. Your political zigzagging is all the more painful when one considers the promise that you had. Yes, you had the ability to be one of Israel's greatest leaders and all you are missing is one small thing. A thing called emunah, yiras shamayim, or as we here in Manhigut Yehudit call it, Jewish Identity. Yes, Jewish education is a key ingredient in MY's platform, Bibi. Obviously you were paying attention to Feiglin as he closed in on you from nowhere in the last Likud primaries. Obviously you were so terrified of him, you resorted to all sorts of dirty little tricks to try to get him thrown out of the party before realizing that you would end up alienating Sharansky, Edelstein and a large block of Likudniks that back Feiglin.

So now that MY controls the largest solid block of voters in Likud, what will you do this time? Will you try to fight a fair fight against Feiglin? Will you even have the courage to debate him? Will you try to convince people that you truly have discovered Jewish Identity so that other pretenders will claim that they can "influence" you from behind the scenes? What about the current boosha of Har Habayit Bibi? What about "more painful concessions" Bibi? What about the massive corruption Bibi? Which murderer's hand will you shake this time Bibi? You see, the people are starting to slowly come out of their anesthetized state. Maybe that's why in a recent poll of Israeli voters, almost 2/3 said that you, Livni, and Olmert were all non-choices. If you can convince people that you truly have changed and that you now have more than the typical Israeli hack politician's 12 hour planning horizon, then perhaps you deserve to be PM. Then again, maybe not, although if the people actually vote you in, then perhaps they deserve what they will get. I find it amazing that you somehow manage to induce amnesia in a significant number of people including some otherwise superb journalists that would actually back you.

So do us a favor Bibi. Let Moshe run the Likud and then the country. Be the finance minister or Ambassador to the UN or anywhere else that you can get your picture on the news and slice up ignorant, bigoted, BBC reporters because that is what you are good at. You are not a leader. As your secular Likudnik Moshe Peled said, secular leadership is no longer appropriate for Israel. And just as importantly, whether or not they agree or disagree with him, you will never get the reaction from the Israeli "little guy" that Feiglin invokes. That reaction? "Ish Yashar."

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The Revolution Gains Traction; Bibi Joins Manhigut?; Feiglin On The IDF and Hizbullah

Belief Based Revolution Gaining Ground One sure sign of approaching elections in Israel is the plethora of political polls that appear daily in the press. Bibi goes up, Olmert goes down, and the public still has nowhere to turn. Interestingly, in a recent poll conducted by Arutz 7 that asked who is the preferable candidate for Prime Minister: Olmert, Netanyahu or Tzippy Livni, over 62% answered "none of the above." In other words, Israel is looking for something that does not yet exist -- neither on the Left nor the Right. But there are other polls that are much more significant to Manhigut Yehudit: The polls that measure where the public is holding on the Jewish identity continuum. These polls consistently show that the Israeli public is interested in a Jewish state that expresses its Jewish identity. In fact, more and more people are opting for Jewish identity all the time. And that is where Manhigut Yehudit comes in. True, in order for the belief based revolution to succeed, it has to have a ruling base. That is why Manhigut Yehudit is aiming to lead the Likud. But the main part of Manhigut Yehudit's goal is in the change of consciousness that it seeks to engender. It's not enough to sign up tens of thousands of supporters to the Likud and then "artificially" win the primaries. That may be all that we need to win. But we need to do more than win. We need to rule. And to rule, we must have widespread support for our Jewish identity platform. For over a decade, Manhigut Yehudit has focused its efforts on presenting the public with the belief based alternative. Thank G-d, the concept of Jewish leadership for Israel has taken root. People may not realize that they first heard about Jewish leadership from Manhigut Yehudit, but it makes no difference. Today, Israelis know that they are disgusted with our current leaders, but that the media-backed alternatives will just give them more of the same. They search for an authentic leader whose values reflect his Jewish identity.

How Does the Belief Based Revolution Look?

In a recent lecture at a yeshiva high school, Moshe Feiglin asked the students and staff who they would like to see as Israel's next prime minister. All sorts of names came up: Former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, the head of the yeshiva hosting Moshe's lecture, a number of other religious figures and one basketball star. "This is the Manhigut Yehudit revolution," Moshe Feiglin proclaimed to his audience."When I was in yeshiva high school," he continued, "nobody would even dream of a belief based prime minister. The greatest dream that we could muster was to have Raful Eitan at the helm. But now, basketball star notwithstanding, not one person suggested a leader whose starting point is not firm belief in G-d. In my eyes, this is Manhigut Yehudit's greatest achievement. In just a few years, everybody in this room will be eligible to vote. The very near future belongs to the belief based revolution." Even more widespread evidence of the inroads that the belief based revolution is making in the Israeli public is the poll conducted by the Gesher Institute in conjunction with Israel's Yediot Acharonot website, publicized this Sunday. Over 57% of the respondents who identify themselves as non-observant said that the Jewish identity of the State of Israel should be on equal footing with democracy. This is a surprising figure, given the "democracy above all" propaganda constantly injected into Israel's veins by the justice system and media. (See Moshe Feiglin's article, "Democratic Because It's Jewish"). In addition, 58% of the respondents are willing to have stores closed on Shabbat in order to maintain Israel's Jewish orientation. And a full 99% think that solid Jewish education is vital for all of Israel's children. The most important phenomenon that the poll re- emphasized is the fact that the "traditional" public -- those people who do not consider themselves observant, yet firmly retain their Jewish identity -- were the most dominant factor in the poll and dictated the outcome of all its results. These are the Israelis who identify first as Jews. They are poised to change Israeli society. In short, despite all the media hype to the contrary, Jewish identity is rapidly taking hold throughout Israel. That is Manhigut Yehudit's message, and its support base is growing day by day. Who's Afraid of the Belief Based Revolution? The small, yet powerful minority in Israeli society that strives to make Israel a state of all its citizens. In fact, although the above poll was jointly commissioned by Ynet, it spent only a few short hours on its home page. Apparently, the poll's results do not fit in with Ynet's anti-Jewish identity/state of all its citizens message. After a brief appearance on Ynet's homepage, the poll completely disappeared from the website and was replaced with three anti-religious articles that have enjoyed a much longer stay in the limelight.

Bibi on the Jewish Identity Bandwagon

Binyamin Netanyahu also seems to have realized that Jewish identity is "cool" and the way to win. In a recent public appearance, Bibi proclaimed that when he is prime minister, every child in Israel will receive a proper Jewish education. Imitation, of course is the sincerest form of flattery, and Manhigut Yehudit is gratified that Bibi has also begun to spread the Manhigut message. The problem with Bibi's message, though, is that he presents Jewish education as a beneficial band-aid. Manhigut Yehudit, on the other hand, includes Jewish education as part of an all-inclusive change of lifestyle. Besides Jewish education, Manhigut Yehudit stands for Jewish economy, Jewish culture, Jewish justice and more as parts of a complete re-orientation of Israel as an authentically holistic Jewish society. (See Jewish State: Guidelines on the Manhigut Yehudit website.) It is possible that only Bibi and Moshe Feiglin will run in the Likud primaries. Even if other candidates join the race, though, it looks like Bibi has realized that the Jewish identity ticket is the way to go. For the first time in Israel's history, the political debate will center on an authentic issue. At that point, the public will have to be able to discern between Bibi's Jewish "spin" (Does anybody really believe that he has so quickly repented for embracing Arafat, surrendering Hebron , voting for the destruction of Gush Katif and more?) and Moshe Feiglin's honest plans to make Israel a truly Jewish country. And that is when we will need our friends and supporters to reach out to the Likudniks, present them with the facts and --essentially -- save Israel. You can turn the State of Jews into the Jewish State. Now is the Time! Join Manhigut Yehudit Today Joining Manhigut Yehudit is much more than just a donation. Now you're part of the team! Learn about our special Members Club

Will the Real General Please Stand Up?

By Moshe Feiglin 9 Shvat, 5767 January 28, 2007 From Israel's Ma'ariv website Last week, Prime Minister Olmert met with the IDF High Command and declared: "If somebody would have said on July 11th that in another half a year Southern Lebanon would be free of the Hizbollah, everyone would have said that he was crazy." The following is a letter that I recently received: I am sorry to say that since the end of the war in the North, Israel's situation has deteriorated. I spoke with a reserve soldier from the Golani brigade that just finished his reserve duty on the northern border. He saw the Hizbollah terrorists just thirty meters from the border fence. They are armed but do not wear uniforms. Israel's soldiers are not allowed to aim their weapons at them and are not allowed to anger them in any way. Two soldiers in the 51st Golani Brigade also reported the same. I have only written a bit of what I have found out. Clearly, the next abduction is just a matter of time. (I hope that I am wrong.) Unfortunately, the media has analyzed what happened in the past, but there is no discussion about what lies in store. Actually, we don't need this letter to know what is happening on the northern border. Hizbollah flags wave proudly on the border fence. Anybody who is willing to listen knows that the Hizbollah was never expelled from Southern Lebanon. On the contrary: Hizbollah's undeniable victory over the IDF has significantly strengthened it; its control in Lebanon has increased and sooner or later, it will take over the entire country. But what this letter and the follow-up phone call that I made did clarify was that there is a conspiracy of silence between Israel's government, the IDF and the Hizbollah terrorists. If the IDF soldiers are ordered not to shoot when the Hizbollah provokes them, that means that everyone knows they are there and everyone is trying to buy some time by creating a false illusion that they are not there. In other words: If they shoot at you, run away, because if you shoot back we will have to admit that somebody shot. Israel's security is not the greatest concern for Olmert and the IDF generals. Their personal, political survival is much more important. Security considerations require dealing with the situation. But all that political survival requires is deception of the public. In essence, Israel's leaders and the Hizbollah are cooperating in their deception of the Israeli public. The Hizbollah terrorists do not wear uniforms and Israel's government and army commanders tell us that the region is "free" of Hizbollah. The government and the generals cannot admit that the International Force in Southern Lebanon is a farce. They cannot admit that it does not enhance Israel's security, but it does limit the IDF's ability to react to provocations, while entangling Israel in an endless array of possible military misadventures and misunderstandings. They cannot admit that Israel's "glorious victory" in Lebanon has created a defensive umbrella of international forces to shield the Hizbollah -- that has remained in the very same place with at least the same military might -- just without uniform. To admit all of that would mean admitting that they failed miserably on the political front and were roundly defeated on the military front. Then they may have to leave their offices and surrender their personal power to someone else; someone who may even actually take responsibility for Israel's security. The most serious aspect of this situation is not Olmert's remarks. Israelis have already learned not to take him very seriously, anyway. The problem is the silence of the lineup of generals at that meeting. Actually, they were not completely silent. From their responses we could have concluded that not only did the IDF clear the entire region of Hizbollah, but it also instilled the fear of the Lord in all of Israel's enemies and from now on, nobody in the entire Middle East will dare attack our country. The problem is not only ex-Chief of Staff Halutz, and the solution is not only to appoint a new Chief of Staff. The problem is the entire military High Command. The problem is that not one general had the courage to stand up at that meeting and say, "Mr. Prime Minister, I am sorry, but the facts that you have presented do not reflect reality. The Hizbollah is on the border fence. This presents us with both tactical and strategic problems. On the tactical level, we continue to face the danger of Hizbollah missiles on Israel's northern region, as well as additional abductions of soldiers. On the strategic level, Hizbollah's presence on our northern border increases the chances of regular Arab armies joining in the fighting in the next round." If not one general stood up and told the bitter truth, then the present IDF High Command has no real excuse for existing. Every minute that it remains creates a security problem for Israel, because it obstructs our country from facing up to the truth and dealing with it.

Tackling the Issues: Jewish Culture

The following is excerpted from Moshe Feiglin's book, "The War of Dreams." The belief based public is imprisoned in its "anti-culture" stance. We do not create real culture. Instead, we secretly adopt the existing culture -- that so often lacks restraint and refinement. We read A.B. Yehoshua and Amos Oz and hum Leftist songs to ourselves. Not that we agree with the words, but they are written in authentic language and we can identify with them. After all, what is our alternative? Utzu Eitzah? Mashiach Mashiach? Those songs are good for weddings, but what deep needs do they answer in our souls? Does anybody hum Mashiach Mashiach when he is alone? When Israelis whistle the tunes of Shlomo Artzi, they adopt his spiritual world. Ultimately, they also adopt his words, "We already have a land, why do we need another one?" And then, when the settlement enterprise is threatened with destruction, Tel Aviv accepts it without blinking an eye. We must begin to build an authentic Israeli culture -- a culture founded on our Jewish roots; a Torah-motivated culture that will replace the culture of estrangement and cynicism that exists today. It's time to get to work! Time for creative and free writing, for new and original music, for artistic photography that emphasizes our true will, for authentic poetry, meaningful satire, for drawing and sculpting that reflect our morals and values. This is the way for us to become a great nation, a united nation; a nation that is proud of its identity; a nation that would never think of abandoning its authentic culture or the Land on which it developed.

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The Faithfulness Factor; National Security?; Creating Deterrence; Where Is The Opposition?

The Faithfulness Factor
By Moshe Feiglin

The exact details do not interest me. The past foibles of Plaintiff A don't interest me either. The court will decide if it was done with coercion or not. These stories are great for the media, because they present a golden opportunity to sell pornography in the guise of public report and debate. But amidst the din of reporters and the flashes of the cameras, the real question has completely disappeared:

Was President Katzav unfaithful to his wife, or not?

To find the answer to that question, I do not have to know A's occupation. And the exact measure of her cooperation is also irrelevant. Only one thing interests me: Was he unfaithful to his wife? Yes? Or no?

The media, the police, the State Prosecution and the courts are concerned with a completely different question. What interests them is if President Katzav broke the law. That is very important. But the question of faithfulness goes even deeper.

We live in a culture of disloyalty. It begins with the sphere closest to us; our spouse and children. It ends with the national sphere. Disloyalty to our homeland, the Land of Israel, has become a national sport. Nobody has any problem with lauding terror collaborator, Tali Fachimah, at a posh conference at which Yossi Beilin also spoke. Simply because Fachimah's treachery is the tip of the iceberg of the disloyal culture that has encompassed our entire society. Traitor Udi Adiv, who served seventeen years in prison for spying for Syria, was accepted as a political science instructor at Haifa University. Today he teaches at the Open University. Nobody has any problem with that. I wonder what would happen if Yigal Amir would get out of jail and teach political science at Bar Ilan University?

Israeli society futilely attempts to exchange its lost culture of loyalty for a culture of disloyalty supported by the law. Clearly, it will never work. Law is supposed to express culture; it cannot replace it. If unfaithfulness to one's spouse is culturally acceptable, a thousand laws and ordinances to formalize the disloyalty will not make it morally legitimate.

The newscasters all gravely explain that State Attorney Mazuz scrutinized the evidence thoroughly. They explain that all the investigative mechanisms did their work in an exemplary manner, and that we must have faith in them. But when the entire culture is disloyal, nobody has faith in anyone. What was the police interest in breaking the story now? Why were equally serious allegations against others not investigated? Who does the State Attorney represent? Me? You? Who appointed him and why? Who are the Supreme Court justices? Who chose them? What is their cultural orientation? Do any of them have skeletons in their closets similar to those of which the President is accused? (I can testify that at least one of them has a much more serious skeleton in his closet).

No concept scares me more than the 'Rule of Law.' A minor criminal breaks the law. An intermediate criminal evades the law. But a major criminal uses the law.

The Rule of Law is a concept taken straight from Sodom. Israel must aspire to the Rule of Justice. When Israel's public is convinced that the legal system serves justice, the law will be respected. But now that Israel has despaired of searching for justice; now that it has decided that there is no G-d, no truth, no justice and no morality; now that Israeli society agrees that truth is subjective; that everyone has his own story -- the law is nothing more than a stoplight to direct traffic between the various narratives. The problem is that the person activating the stoplight is a king. Even if he is a fair person, he cannot but force his narrative on mine.

What went on deep inside the President's office is mainly a matter of viewpoint. Some people are convinced by A's attorney. Others think that the same facts point to blatant blackmail. That is why I have no faith in the farce surrounding the Presidential scandal. None of the 'facts' in the charge sheet have any significance. Maybe they are true, maybe they are false. All I want to hear from the President is one clear statement. Was he unfaithful to his wife? Yes or no?

If he was unfaithful to his wife -- even if everything that happened was absolutely legal -- he is completely unworthy. And if he was not unfaithful, then even if the Rule of Law Gang (in the words of former Justice Minister Chaim Ramon's associates) convicts him, as far as I'm concerned, he can remain in his position.


National Security? When Israel reflects G-dliness

On the day that a suicide bomber kills three Israelis in Eilat and on the backdrop of the Iranian nuclear threat and the steady rain of rockets on the south, Israel's Defense Minister Peretz has nothing more urgent to do than to convene a special ministerial committee meeting to deal with settlers who insult Arabs. Leadership that is incapable of defending its citizens desperately needs an enemy that it can defeat. Israel's government is unwilling to fight the Arabs, but the settlers are a perfect target. Although government persecution of settlers has become the order of the day, Israel's security situation keeps deteriorating.

How would authentic Jewish leadership provide national security?

Even beginners know that the most important factor in security is deterrence. The Torah explicitly spells out how Israel can deter its enemies:

And all the nations of the world will see that G-d's Name is called upon you, and they will fear you (Deuteronomy 28:10).

When the nations of the world see that we are united around our Jewish identity and faithful to the national ethical code that the Creator bestowed upon us, they understand that G-d is with us.

More than Israel's military blunders, it is its moral breakdown that has obliterated its deterrence. To restore the deterrence that Israel so sorely lacks, we need to return to our national culture, to respect ourselves and to reflect G-dliness in both our personal and national lives.

Does this mean we don't need an army?

Of course we need an army. And it must be the most effective and professional army in the world. But without a strong, Jewish moral foundation, no re- organization will help. Manhigut Yehudit would first and foremost build a national ethical foundation that would ensure that its soldiers are motivated by a strong sense of the justice of their cause. The Western moral codes forced upon the army by the Supreme Court will be completely replaced by Jewish values. The army will be small, efficient and eager to fight. It will understand the intrinsic significance of the Land for which it fights and the People for whom it fights. The name of the Israel Defense Forces will be changed to the Israeli Army. Induction will be on a voluntary basis. Soldiers serving in combat units will receive national benefits that will reflect their self- sacrifice for the People of Israel.

Creating Deterrence
Any element hostile to Israel -- be it the heads of the regime in Iran or the terror heads in and around Israel -- must feel personally threatened. Israel's enemies must be afraid to provoke us:

Local Terror
Israel does not need to pursue either temporary or permanent peace agreements. They are nothing more than self-delusion at a costly price in blood. Any provocation or act of violence against Israel will exact a price that the Arab enemy understands: Loss of territory. Israel will conquer, declare sovereignty upon and settle any territory that serves as a launching point for terror.

Egypt
The suicide bombing in Eilat this week is a painful reminder that under the guise of 'peace,' Israel's shared border with Egypt has become its most dangerous frontier. Israel must remove the 'peace' mask behind which Egypt furthers policies directed at destroying us. The Egyptian border is a virtual super-highway for arms and explosives that stream unhindered from Sinai to the terrorists in Gaza. Israel's army is encumbered with a 'peace' dream. It is unprepared for any military attack by Egypt. Egypt, on the other hand, is well-trained and prepared to attack Israel. (Israel is the only enemy against which Egypt trains). The media silence that smoke-screens this huge fiasco is reminiscent of the pre-Yom Kippur War days.

Authentic Jewish leadership would first and foremost open its eyes and face the truth about our 'peaceful' neighbor to the south. Simple military preparedness on our border with Egypt would do a lot for Israel's deterrence on that foolishly open frontier.

Iran
The most dangerous enemy with whom we do not share a border is Iran. When Olmert and Netanyahu repeat that the world must unite against the Iranian threat, they are actually shirking responsibility. Israel must defend itself and not depend upon the nations of the world to do the job for it. Netanyahu's proposals for worldwide economic sanctions against Iran are likewise futile. Economic sanctions worked against South Africa because the liberal Left worldwide was united against the apartheid regime. But economic sanctions against Iran to protect Israel will not work. The world will not initiate them. It needs Iran to do its anti-Semitic dirty work.

Authentic Jewish leadership would clarify to Iran that its insane threats against Israel will be met with equally insane deterrence measures.

Where is The Opposition?
The polls show the Likud taking off while Kadimah is imploding. (Latest polls show support for Olmert down to a 'whopping' 3%). Israel's public is clearly disenchanted with Kadimah's corruption and Leftist policies. But the Likud's imminent election victory has nothing to do with Netanyahu's alternative plans, because he has none. It is simply a vote against the Left. Time and again, Netanyahu has proven that he is ensnared in the Left's judicial/media trap. He will not dare overstep the politically correct boundaries that the Left has delineated. From his infamous handshake with Arafat that practically destroyed the Right, to his vote in favor of the Disengagement and his support of Olmert's War of Deception, Netanyahu has been consistently incapable of resisting Leftist policies.

If Netanyahu is at the head of the Likud when it returns to power, he will proceed to fulfill the radical Left's dreams -- but with no Opposition. Only authentic Jewish leadership can provide Israel with true, Jewish alternatives and set it on its true course.



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