Another Sad Week With Little Bibi (audio post)

Another week of chillul Hashem (desecration of The Almighty's name), courtesy of our weakling Prime Minister. (A few days old, but nothing has changed since then.)

On Feiglinites: Part II

Say what you will, those Feiglinites sure are a sensitive bunch. My last post, "On Feiglinites", agitated some of the die-hards. Several posted their comments (always appreciated, even when we disagree), many more sent emails. Apparently, they weren't so happy with what I wrote about them. What was meant as satire (stereotyping them as asthmatic pencil-necked "nebs" and blind followers) bothered them. I'd like to apologize for the generalization, which I only meant in jest. Some of my best friends are asthmatic pencil-necked nebbish Feiglinites. (Sorry. I couldn't help myself.)

Allow me to be serious. In truth, I assume that most of Feiglin's supporters are intelligent people. Stop being so sensitive. My problem with Feiglin isn't personal. He's committed, he's G-d fearing, and he makes a lot of sense. True, being a "respectable" person, his platform neglects to mention the the halachic obligation to throw the Arabs out of the country. But his general platform is sound. My problem is that I disagree with his tactic of trying to rehabilitate the Likud Party. I don't see it working for him. I also think that it's dangerous.

I added a gadget at the bottom of my blog that posts reader's comments. Read some of them. It's like I've been saying. The same platitudes about Feiglin being the savior. The same talking points. I'm accused of "kvetching", "being irrelevant", and "sitting on the sidelines". For once, I'd like to hear a "Feiglinite" respond with a cogent defense of Manhigut Yehudit that addresses the following Likud transgressions:

• Sinai Give-Away: The Likud is a golden calf that isn't fit to be worshipped. Feiglin's premise is that the Likud can be saved. I contest this basic premise by stating that his image of the historical Likud is a myth. At the first opportunity they had to show the integrity of their ideology, the Likud party (under Menachem Begin, of all people) gave away the Sinai to the Egyptian animals.

• Likud & Intifada I: The Likud (along with Labor) failed to crush the first intifada.

• Likud Corruption: The Likud joined hands with Labor in 1988 to ban the Kach party. As Rabbi Kahane predicted, the rejection of Kach was a prelude to embracing Yasser Arafat, y'mach s'hmo v'zichro. Recently, the Likud allowed Bibi to strip Feiglin of a Knesset seat that he earned honestly. To my knowledge, there was no serious grassroots efforts from the "true Likudniks" within the party to fight this injustice. Social Rule #1: When they don't want you at the party, don't go to the party. The hell with them. Have your own party.

• Likud Treason: Likud was complicit in the Madrid Conference which led to Oslo. The Likud kept Oslo going when the treasonous "death treaty" was first signed. Bibi I promised to end it. Then he handed over Hebron to Arafat and his PLO vipers.

• Those who supported Feiglin, empowered the same Likud that expelled 1000 Jews from their homes in Gaza and handed it over to Hamas. What did we get? Kassam rockets. It won't be long before the entire middle and southern part of the country will be as vulnerable as S'derot. (While the North gets bombarded from Hezbollah/Lebanon.)

• Today the Likud continues this insanity under Bibi II, who as it turns out is even worse the second time around. While Bibi speaks of the creation of a Palestinian state and initiates an unprecedented freeze on building and development in the liberated areas, he still retains the support of his loyalists. I know they don't want to hear it, but Manhigut Yehudit has empowered Bibi to carry out his insane policies. All in the name of saving the Likud. The fact of the matter is that the core of the Likud is standing with Bibi as he drags the country to the edge of the cliff.

One reader, Shtuey, posted an excellent comment. One particular point sums up the problem in a nutshell. Shtuey noted the following:

"Bibi is preparing to give up the Golan, and divide Jerusalem. What is Feiglin going to do about this? He's talking about getting more people to join Likud. Is he not paying attention? No one is going to call for new elections. The Likud Central Committee is not going to change this freeze policy, nor is it going to elect a new leader of the party now. By the time there are new elections, the destruction of Israel will be fait accompli."

Here's one guy who gets it.

I present a challenge to any Manhigut Yehudit supporter who would like to explain to me why I am wrong. An intelligent discussion without the talking points and platitudes. I want to hear a logical defense of the movement, not bombastic assertions that Feiglin is going to be the next Prime Minister of Israel. Not references about his detractors (including myself) being "irrelevant."

Pretend that we're at a conference and you're trying to recruit new members. I presented my reservations to you about joining a party that I consider to be as dangerous as Meretz. The ball is now in your court. I'm waiting for a response.