As Binyamin Netanyahu continues efforts to block a Likud Central Committee vote, a vote that most predict will boost the representation of the Manhigut Yehudit faction of Moshe Feiglin, even the party ideologues are standing firmly at the party leader’s side. When it comes to protecting one’s powerbase, ideology apparently becomes secondary since Likud Ministers Moshe Ya’alon and Dr. Binyamin Begin are among the ‘hawks’ in the party, those who are painfully aware of just how far the prime minister has veered from the ideology of Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Menachem Begin.
Nevertheless, it appears that a strong Manhigut Yehudit faction and its accompanying Torah values poses a greater threat that the ideologically bankrupt Netanyahu, who clings to his yearning to remain in power, at any cost.
The prime minister cleared his schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday, traveling the country to attend Likud party functions, no less than six, seeking to personally persuade central committee members to once again adopt his anti-democratic position, to push off the vote under the guise of “saving the Likud from those outsiders who do not represent our ideology”.
He is seeking to persuade party veterans to support him, seeking to intimidate them, explaining with the growing threats from Hizbullah and Iran, “now is not the time” to shake up the party, the same reasoning he used last year by the way, when it too was “not the time”. The champion western-educated democrat obviously feels the time is never right to challenge his authority and leadership position.
Fortunately for Feiglin and his supporters, many of the central committee’s 2,500 members have grown complacent and turnout among the mainstream faction is expected to be low, while the committed followers of Feiglin, who yearn to direct the party back to the ideological path on which it was founded will be present in large numbers.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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7 Responses
Netanyahu will try to steal the election by not allowing poll watchers. Then his representatives will destroy or change the ballots.
As Josef Stalin said, “It is not who votes, but it’s who counts the votes.”
In a parliamentary system with proportional representation (as opposed to a single-member district system), a major party (meaning one that hopes to lead a coaltion, rather than be a junior partner) needs to take votes away from the center.
The people who support Feiglin might switch to another party in the election, but that party will have no choice but to support Likud in the coalition. To win the election, Likud needs to capture the center. A Likud with 40 seats can (and has been) the opposition party, whereas a Likud with 30 seats can form a government parties to their right win enough seats.
Historically, Likud’s basis has been people who are somewhat traditional, or at least not anti-religious, but hasn’t included people whose political views are based on halachic concerns. Its based has been the business community (derived from the former “Liberals” which were the party of capitalism), and an appeals to Sefardim and nationalists who were alienated from Likud. Likud has always included non-Jews.
Feiglin’s positions are radically different from the historic Likud’s positions, and if Likud were to move to a Feiglin-esque position, it would probably result it Kadima ending up forming the next government. Netanyahu is wise to prefer Feiglin to be in a separate party (i.e. to be a potential junior partner in his coalition, rather than a backbencher in his own party which as a result would probably end up in opposition).
This article is more opinion than news, as is usual with Mr. Spira.
YWN PLEASE separate new from opinion. Your news coverage is GREAT. Mr. Spira’s opinions are totally irrelevant.
I agree 100% with #3, I appreciate Mr Spira’s efforts, but his articles are usually 5% facts and 95% editorial.
Reading his articles make me feel like I am listening to a silly Shabbos Table discussion about politics where everyone and their uncle have a solution for everything.
i agree with moose613
So what you’re saying is that the end justifies the means. “Netanyahu, go ahead and steal the election because we want you to win!” Amazing!
#3, #4 and #5 – I thought I was the only one that saw this. Thanks for sharing.