On Monday, the registered voters of the Likud Party around the country will have an opportunity to vote for the party’s lineup in the upcoming general elections for the 18th Knesset.
Party leader Binyamin Netanyahu during recent days has been showing signs of nothing less than panic, a panic that most feel is based on the reality that some of his new all-star team will not land a realistic enough slot to become ministers, or perhaps some of the party’s veterans who side with the party leader, may be too far down on the list to become MKs due to the extremely large all-star list.
In addition, there is Netanyahu’s chronic Feiglin panic, with polls showing the Manhigut Yehudit faction may indeed land 4-5 seats in the next Knesset.
The Sunday Yediot Achronot reported that after losing all legal battles to stop Feiglin, Netanyahu is now planning to put two ballot boxes in some areas, with one intended for Central Committee members, the approximately 3,000 members of the party’s ruling council. He is using his clout to persuade them to approve a move that he, as party leader, will have the authority following bring in outsiders as he sees fit to ultimately build the party list as it suits him.
Feiglin already announced the move is illegal, and of course, should the party leader move ahead with his plan, he will find himself in court again, trying once again to defend his actions.
Appearing on a Channel 10 news magazine program on Sunday night, Feiglin was asked that if he does become a minister, which government portfolio would he seek. His response was succinct and without hesitation – education, explaining he hopes to finally teach the children of Israel to complete the pasuk “Shema Yisrael,” which sadly so many are unfamiliar with.
Feiglin advocates teaching Jewish identity and Zionism in schools, planning to eradicate the teaching of the “Nakba” (The Tragedy) as the Arabs call Israel’s independence in 1948.
When asked how he can ensure Arab loyalty to the state, or an understanding of the Jewish right to live here, he explained that first and foremost, he hopes to inculcate these ideals into the Jewish children and then he will address the Arab loyalty. Feiglin stated that a result of the bankrupt Israeli education for the past 60 years, the Jewish school students are unaware of their right to the Jewish Homeland.
He also added that anyone who supported the “tragic expulsion” from Gaza is not considered worthy of his faction’s support, such a Dr. Yuval Shteinitz, who is a more hawkish member of the party, but unfortunately, did vote of the expulsion.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
Feiglin is a serious threat to Likud. The seats he brings in will be taken from other parties with similar views (particularly Bayit Yehudi, which is similar ideologically to Feiglin), thereby weakening a Likud coalition partner. In a system that used proportional representation, gaining strength at the expense of an ally is usually counter-productive.
However a signficant number of Likud voters (remember Likud was formed by a merger of the old General Zionists, Liberalim and Herut – not just Herut) will be alienated by Feiglin, and switch to Kadimah.
While Likud is projected based on (the usually dubious polls) to come out way ahead of Kadima, it is very close whether they will be able to form a right-religious government, or whether they will have to form a coalition with a left-wing party (Kadima or Labor). The problem is aggrevated since Yisrael Beiteinu (secular right) doesn’t get along with Shas, and having both in the same government could be a problem.
Thus, Feiglin’s presence in Likud could end up resulting in a government that is less sympathetic to his agenda, than if he and his supporters ran with a smaller party and ended up as a coalition partner with lots of clout.
The circus comes to town in the disquise of Israeli elections. Promises (that will be broken), mergers, coalition deals, behind the door agreements, ‘say one and do another’, are all part of the ISRAELI POLITICS.
TO #2. As anyone living in Israel in recent years will tell you there is absolutely no difference whatsoever between Netanyahus’ Likud and the left/extreme left parties. Once you accept that fact all your academic arguments against Feiglin become irrelevant.
#4 Maybe Rivlin, Begin, Shalom, Boggy together with Moshe Faiglin can make a wrinkle in the left wing agenda. (first destroy and rebuild the news stations then the justice system, then…)