Feiglin Nearing 35% Support in Likud Against Netanyahu

January 16, 2012...

The following article originally appeared in "World of Judaica News" on January 16, 2012. 

The Likud Primaries are a few weeks away [on January 31] and Moshe Feiglin is presenting Benjamin Netanyahu with a serious challenge for the Likud leadership

In two weeks, Prime Minister Netanyahu will be defending his title as Likud Party Chairman against challenger Moshe Feiglin. Polls show Netanyahu winning, but that may not be enough for Israel’s Prime Minister. A poll conducted by Israeli polling company Ma’agar Mochot has Mr. Feiglin polling at about 26% support among Likud members not affiliated with Feiglin’s Jewish Leadership faction. With Feiglin’s Jewish Leadership faction numbering about 9% of the overall Likud membership, this brings his total support to about 35% in the party, Netanyahu at 51%, and 14% undecided or unsure.

The question asked in the poll leading to these statistics was worded as follows. The poll surveyed Likud members who voted in the last two Likud primaries:  Do you agree or disagree with the point that it is important to vote for Moshe Feiglin in the upcoming primaries, even though it is clear that Benjamin Netanyahu will win, just so that the right wing inside Likud will gain strength?

26% either “agree” or “definitely agree” with that statement, while 14% are unsure or undecided.

According to the grassroots Likud website likudnik.co.il, Feiglin even has a chance of beating Netanyahu within the Likud Druze sector, which is known to be very right wing in its political leanings. Another grassroots site, likudshely.co.il, is reporting a widespread phenomenon of Netanyahu supporters refusing to turn out for him in protest, or even pledging to vote Feiglin in an act of defiance over Netanyahu’s refusal to legalize outposts in Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu’s refusal to support a bill requiring nominees to Israel’s Supreme Court to undergo confirmation hearings by the Knesset has also angered the party base, as have his attempts to secure former Labor Party leader Ehud Barak a slot on the upcoming Likud Knesset roster.

If Feiglin’s faction comes out on January 31st with a strong turnout in addition to these numbers, he has a fair chance of even reaching the 40% threshold [or higher] and seriously embarrassing [or defeating] Netanyahu. Whether Netanyahu can maintain his hegemony in the party if Feiglin wins such a large percentage of the Likud electorate remains to be seen.

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Moshe Feiglin is the president of Manhigut Yehudit and a candidate for Chairman of the Likud party. He led the Zo Artzeinu non-violent civil disobedience struggle against the Oslo Accords. Moshe graduated from Or Etzion yeshiva, served as a captain in an IDF combat unit, and is the author of the books Where There Are No Men and War of Dreams. Moshe and his family live in Karnei Shomron, Israel.

Disclaimer:  Donations to the Moshe Feiglin Campaign are not tax-deductible. Manhigut Yehudit neither endorses nor financially supports any candidate or political party.

The Moshe Feiglin Campaign website is www.mflikud.com

Moshe Feiglin is running for Chairman of the Likud party. He strives to 

Restore Jewish Values, Pride and Integrity to the State of Israel.

The Likud & the National Agenda - The Great Debate!

Sunday, 27 Tevet, 5772 / Jan. 22, '12

Where does the Likud stand on the Land of Israel? What is the significance of the upcoming primary elections? What is the best path to move the national agenda forward? These questions and more to be discussed and debated by a distinguished panel of Likud leaders:

* DANIEL TAUBER, Executive Director of Likud Anglos

* EMMANUEL NAVON, Candidate for the Likud Knesset list

* SHMUEL SACKETT, International Director of Manhigut Yehudit


This impressive panel will be moderated by GIL HOFFMAN, the chief political

correspondent and analyst for The Jerusalem Post.

 

THIS SUNDAY (27 Tevet / Jan 22)

8:15 – 10:15 PM



Bet Shemesh (Not Ramat Bet Shemesh)

Bet Knesset Netzach Menashe

Rechov Reuven 18, Givat Sharett (Bet Shemesh)

Near Rechov Rashi and Ma’apilei Egoz



Downstairs in the Frieda Lerner Simcha Hall

 

For more information please contact:

Debbie Buckman

(02) 991-8492

family@thebuckmans.com



No admission charge. Open to LIKUD MEMBERS ONLY.



Note: This is the ONLY event in the entire campaign geared towards English speakers.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

A Salute to Migron: By Moshe Feiglin

18 Tevet, 5772
Jan. 13, '12

Translated from the Makor Rishon newspaper

I do not like to give advice to people in times of distress. Every time that a settlement facing destruction begins to debate whether or not to take the "offer" (in other words, the extortion) or to cling to its principles and its place, I adopt our Sages' advice and do not judge others until I am in their place. It is easy to dish out militant advice to the residents of Migron (in the current case) but they will be paying the price and not me. So I remained silent. But when I saw their ad campaign last weekend; determined ads that emphasized that they have no intention of accepting the "cut and paste" compromise being proposed to them, I stood at attention and saluted these heroes from the bottom of my heart.
I read in the newspaper about all the pressure being applied on them from within. I read all the articles that called upon them to accept the compromise, the long lists of settlements that acted "logically" in the past, and the like.

So, residents of Migron, because you have already made your decision and publicized it, I allow myself to write this article about why you are so right.

I will begin from the bitter end. Your struggle is not for your home in Migron or in Giv'at Asaf. If you do not accept the compromise – and if Netanyahu, G-d forbid, does acquire the hegemony that he wants in the upcoming Likud primaries; and if the Likud MKs will no longer be able to stop him – then there is definitely a chance that the legislation to legalize the outposts will not pass and your homes may be destroyed, G-d forbid.

But you are not fighting for your homes; you are fighting for all the settlements. You are fighting for my home in Karnei Shomron and for the homes of all the dear people in the settlements who are now trying to convince you to evacuate and do not understand that they are the next in line.

It is true that in the history of the settlement movement there are a number of examples of relocation that actually worked. But all those examples are from different times, when the wind was at the back of the settlements and the general attitude was in favor of the pioneers. They are examples from the times when the Labor party established Gush Katif and Shimon Peres sent a generator to Ofra and the Likud established Yitzhar. Then, when the government wanted the settlements and the only issue was how to circumvent the Supreme Court, relocation was plausible.

But today, the wind is blowing in the totally opposite direction. Today, Israel is withdrawing into the Green Line. That is the strategic picture. They have already built the wall, the border and the international border crossings that we pass every day. The Prime Minister has already declared his endorsement of two states and he insists on keeping the settlements' favorite guy, Ehud Barak, in a position of power. When the wind is at your back, you can set out your sails and let it take you in the right direction. But when the wind is blowing against you, you have to crouch down and keep a firm hold on the ground.

We have a very good example; not from thirty years ago, but from the previous government. And here I must add with pain that the main force behind the current relocation proposal is the very same Zambish, whom we all remember from his actions during the Expulsion. This man still enjoys the ear of the Prime Minister or the General on the ground. He does not understand the new reality and without meaning to, is turning himself once again into a tool of destruction. When Olmert replaced Sharon, the new PM understood that expulsions erase the indiscretions of the past and bring the unrestrained support of the media and justice system. Olmert decided to outdo Sharon and dreamed up the "Convergence" plan that schemed to do to Ofra what the "Disengagement" did to Neveh Dekalim.

And what saved Ofra?

Amona.

After the bloody pictures from Amona, Olmert's popularity took a nosedive and he eventually lost his prime ministerial seat.

Netanyahu cannot allow those pictures to be played out again. If he will clearly understand that you are not going to willingly go, he will do all that he can to make sure that the legislation legalizing the outposts is passed.

By the way, there is no reason to wait for destruction. Until Jan. 31st, the day that the primaries for head of the Likud will be held, there is a political way to make Netanyahu run after you and authorize the new law. We need to enlist all of our energies, just like we did in the referendum on Gush Katif, to get people to get out and vote for the candidate running against Netanyahu for chairmanship of the party.

Netanyahu wants to achieve a complete hegemony in the Likud; a hegemony that will allow him to claim that he got an open check from the party members to carry out his plans for the future. (He spelled out those plans in Bar-Ilan and the US Congress). That is why every percentage point is so critical to him. That is why these elections are the only effective political weapon available for the settlements. If there were not primaries now in the Likud, Netanyahu would not have prevented Barak from destroying Ramat Gilad last month.

We must firmly cling to our Land, on the one hand, while uniting to empower the faith-based force in the Likud. This is what must be done now to save Migron and to ensure the continued growth of the settlements.

Feiglin: Lapid is a Person Who Says Nothing: An Interview in Ma'ariv

By Amichai Atalli
Ma'ariv/NRG 16 Tevet, 5772/ Jan. 11, '12

On January 31, the 130,000 members of the Likud will elect the chairman of their party and their representatives to the party's legislative body. PM Binyamin Netanyahu, who set the election date for the chairmanship of the party in a surprise move, was so successful with his surprise that except for Moshe Feiglin, there is no other candidate willing to run against him.

Moshe Feiglin, do you really think you have a chance to beat Netanyahu?
It is clear to me that I will ultimately win; not necessarily in the upcoming elections, but at some point in time, it will happen. I have already run for leadership of the Likud three times. The first time I won 3% of the vote, the second time 13% and the last time, 23%. True, this time the contest is much more difficult, for I am running against a ruling prime minister who has a lot more power. But ultimately, I believe that I will win, within the framework of my larger plan.
The Wright Brothers' first prototype crashed more than one hundred times before it finally took off. In retrospect, each crash was paving the path to the take-off. I don't see a race in which I do not get 51% as a crash. Every time that I run, my ideas filter into Israeli society. Today, there is already a very respectable circle of Likud members who understand my ideas – and that circle is growing and deepening.

And what are your ideas?
The State of Israel must solidify its Jewish – not religious – identity. By the way, I do not define myself as a religious person, but rather, as a Jew. Today, I see the State of Israel as a plane that is always trying to escape – so far successfully – anti-aircraft missiles that are being shot at it.
Netanyahu, the pilot in the cockpit, deserves a medal for this adept maneuvering between all the missiles. But there is just one small problem: the plane must also be flying somewhere. The destination of the plane is marked out on my map, but it is not in Netanyahu's cockpit.
In other words, my goal is to define a destiny and goal from which the State of Israel can draw the content and energies it needs for its existence. The fact that we are happy for every additional day that ends quietly and do not dare to dream of anything more than that is a huge problem. Today, in Cambridge University and others like it, they no longer believe in Israel's right to exist. So while official Israel recognizes the existence of a "Palestinian nation" the world no longer recognizes our existence.

What are your exact positions?
There are a number of central areas that I would like to focus on: Jewish education: Every student in Israel's educational system should be taught Judaism for one hour every day. Not religion or coercion, but enough so that the student should know the Tanach, history and the Jewish prayer book. He will not have to pray, but he should know where he came from.
Another point is family: The State of Israel effectively attacks the family unit. It no longer pays to be a married couple. Many couples divorce so that they can get more tax breaks. An additional point is community: I plan to strengthen the bond between family and community and also to strengthen the existing communities by introducing regional elections. Every American citizen can call his congressman when he needs help. Here, you have to be a member of the Likud Central Committee if you want to get something.

What do you think about the right wing Knesset members' attack on Israel's media?
I am for liberty and for a battle against all types of coercion. There should be free access to broadcasting that represents the entire public. If an Arab wants to broadcast from his town, let him do so. If somebody breaks the law, he can be jailed. But why does the state decide who can broadcast? I am talking about freedom of speech, freedom to broadcast and true freedom of expression.

What about economy?
We need Jewish economy; a free market without core shareholders. The base of the economy should be capitalism, but it must be tempered with faith and kindness. Capitalism that is not in a cultural envelope that modifies and restrains it fosters greed. Faith and kindness provide the restraint that it needs.

These ideas will give us legitimacy in Cambridge?
When you ask British intellectuals why they do not recognize the State of Israel, they say that they had expectations of the People of the Book; they wanted us to bring them a new culture. They say that our state is nothing more than an imitation of what already exists, but that it is always producing wars and conflict with the Arab world. As far as they are concerned, the experiment has failed and it would be best to close up shop. They anticipated a new message that would emerge from Zion, and in the meantime, all they have gotten from us is great disappointment.

What is happening within the Likud?
I sense that Netanyahu feels very pressured. He is not fighting to win, because he assumes that he will. He is fighting very hard, though, for every percentage point of support, for the struggle, as far as he is concerned is for complete hegemony over the Likud. Netanyahu is creating great pressure and spending a lot of money to make the Likud a party ruled by one man. This will save him the trouble of maintaining a dialogue with the party's institutions. I do not know if Netanyahu really thinks that he will easily defeat me, because on the ground, he is investing a lot of effort in this race.

What type of efforts?
There is a feeling of fear in the Likud camp. It starts with the mayors and seeps through the heads of the Likud branches and down to the local activists. I keep hearing stories of people who are threatened that if they do not bring in high percentages of votes for Netanyahu, they will not be receiving the funds that they are slated to get. I do not have these means, but I am happy to say that there is a phenomenon that I have never seen before in the Likud: The Likud members who understand that if they want their party to remain intact, they must not give Netanyahu the hegemony that he wants.

What do you say about Yair Lapid and Noam Shalit entering politics?
Israeli society can be proud that Shelli Yechimovitz was elected to head the Labor party. I think that her worldview is very dangerous, but the fact that she was elected shows that the Israeli public wants leaders who are ideologically motivated; the kind of leaders who believe what they say. On the other hand, the high ratings that Yair Lapid is receiving in the polls are a low point for Israeli society. He is a person who has nothing to say and his popularity expresses society's preference for rating over substance.

And what about Shalit?
Noam Shalit has not given anything to Israeli society. But he has received - a lot! The release of 1,000 terrorists with blood on their hands is something that we have all given Noam Shalit, for we are all liable to pay the price, G-d forbid, for the Shalit deal. Noam Shalit did not give, he only received and his candidacy for the Knesset testifies to counter-values: He who succeeds in receiving more from society is the success story who can bring in votes. This is a disgrace for Shalit and for the Labor party and Shelli Yechimovitz, who took him into their party.

Jews Out!

Jews out!

Women in Green's reaction to last night's destruction in Mitzpe
Avihai-Kiryat Arba

At 2:30 in the middle of the night, with 0 degrees celcius outside,
some 20 children were dragged away from their beds together with their
parents and were told: "Jews-OUT!" Immediately thereafter the tractors
ran over and destroyed their homes.

The Mitzpe Avichai neighborhood was built on land that belongs to the
municipality of Kiryat Arba Hevron and was already destroyed ten
times. Every destruction brings about construction, especially in
Mitzpe Avihai, and thank G-d, the neighborhood has already eight
families and public buildings.

Once again the IDF used Arab workers to do the dirty work of expelling
Jews from their homes and, by the way, these Arabs stole jewelry and
work utensils from the expelled Jews.

Women in Green call upon all to donate funds in order to rebuild the
neighborhood. We also call upon the Prime Minister to stop hiding
behind Ehud Barak and finally start building the Land of Israel
proudly. This is the one and only answer to Yair Lapid and Sheli
Yachimovitz.

The government of Israel has to stop the game of jumping once to the
right and once to the left. It does not help at all. Only with a clear
policy of applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, the
building of thousands of homes, and the spreading of the population
from the shore to the mountains, will deterrence be built. Only this
way will our country be built.

To donate, please call Miriam 052-4295557

Yehudit Katsover 050-7161818 Nadia Matar 050-5500834
http://www.womeningreen.org

==============================

===============
Women For Israel's Tomorrow  (Women in Green)
POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org

Who Are We?

Simply Jews
We are simply Jews, with no added definitions. We do not call ourselves Orthodox, Conservative or Reform - neither "right-wing" nor "left-wing." Like the overwhelming majority of Jews, we believe in G-d, Who has brought us back to our Jewish home; the Holy Land of Israel. In Israel, the natural predisposition of the Jewish People to illuminate the world with God's light is brought to perfection, enabling us to perform our task in the most consummate way.

Our aim is to create a genuinely Jewish consciousness in the Land of Israel, motivated by the awareness that our faith and our country are intrinsically woven together. An Israeli society predicated on Jewish faith - the Torah - is an ethical and loving society whose ultimate goal is to illuminate the entire world with God's benevolence.

The Modern State of Israel in Crisis
The Zionist movement, which founded the modern State of Israel, was a product of the millennia of longing for return to the Land of Israel. However, it was also a product of the times in which it was born. Basing itself on secular 19th century Western values, Zionism came to fill the need for a safe haven for the Jews of the world. Miraculously, the Zionist movement succeeded in building the complete infrastructure of a modern state - replete with a strong army, high tech, immigration absorption etc. out of the wilderness.
In its essence, though, the secular Zionism on which Israel was built negates holiness. In doing so, it has stripped itself of the tools necessary to reflect the Jewish nature of Israel and its ultimate holy purpose.

We are now witnessing a complete unraveling of the fabric of Israeli society. The very Zionist ideology that built the modern state of Israel has now turned against itself as it seeks to counter its Biblical roots and Divine purpose. This self-destructive bent is the ultimate conclusion of the secular ideology upon which Zionism is based.

The Essential Question: Is Israel a State of Jews - or a Jewish State?
Until now Israel has been a state of the Jews. It is vital to our future to transform Israel into a Jewish state. Israel's elected officials must lead the country with policies based exclusively on Jewish identity, values and ethics.

An Alternative
In 1994, Moshe Feiglin began the Zo Artzeinu ("This is Our Land") protest movement that opposed the self-destructive Oslo Accords with a massive civil disobedience campaign.
It became clear, though, that it was not enough to protest; we had to offer a fundamental alternative - a new strategic objective - in place of the process of collapse that gave rise to the Oslo Accords. Such an alternative would need to be based on both an alternative ideology that would inspire the nation and possess the means for implementation.

Faith-Based Leadership
There is only one way to truly imbue the State of Israel with the meaning it deserves and needs: to promote an alternative leadership for the State of Israel that is based on Jewish belief. Only leadership motivated by an authentically Jewish vision will be capable of meeting all the challenges currently facing the State of Israel and the Jewish People. Only leadership of this kind will be capable of reinvigorating the State of Israel and the Jewish People and leading it towards the realization of the vision of the prophets.
 
Leadership of the Likud
In 1998, Manhigut Yehudit (The Jewish Leadership Movement) was established as the successor to Zo Artzeinu. Our aim is to register thousands of believing members in the Likud - the ruling party of the National Camp - and to elect a party leader who will be motivated by Jewish ideals and values. As the Likud's candidate for Prime Minister, this candidate would be the natural leader of the national camp and would be elected as the Prime Minister of the State of Israel.

What began as a dream has become a reality. Already today, Manhigut Yehudit (The Jewish Leadership Movement) has the largest bloc inside the Likud's Central Committee. In a very short time we became known as the group that "does not come with a price tag." Our weapon is our ideology and tens of thousands of supporters have already joined our ranks. Many Israelis throughout the political spectrum believe that we are the future of Israel's political life and the path we have chosen is correct and viable.

Our Future
With firm faith in the God of Israel, Manhigut Yehudit (The Jewish Leadership Movement) is confident that our future is bright. Indeed the totality of our strategic goals could be summed up in a single phrase from the traditional Aleynu prayer recited daily:

To perfect the world in the kingdom of the Almighty

Moshe Feiglin's Speech at this Week's Jerusalem Campaign Rally

Thank you, each and every one of you. Thank you for choosing to be part of the faith-based revolution. Thank you very much.

We are all servants of G-d. Not for honor and not for fame – there is nothing but Him.

The Minister of Education told me that schools in North Tel Aviv are requesting to visit the Cave of Machpelah. Would you have believed that two or three years ago?

Israel thirsts for meaning. Israel thirsts for the Judaism of liberty. Slowly but surely, a new consciousness is being created here; Jewish consciousness. A wondrous energy of life and hope is awakening the Nation of Israel as it begins to fulfill its destiny. It could be that this year we will be in a new stage of Jewish history; the stage in which most of the Jewish People are in their Land. We may reach that point for the first time since the First Temple. The only question that remains is when will this wonderful Jewish revolution dovetail with Jewish leadership; leadership that is aware of and committed to Jewish destiny; leadership that will assemble all these desires and give them direction and significance. That is our task – all of us. Nobody will do it instead of us.

That is why I have decided to announce my candidacy for chairmanship of the Likud and leadership of the State of Israel.

The Likud under my leadership will, with G-d's help, consolidate Israel around its Jewish identity and values.

The Likud under my leadership will, with G-d's help, restore the State of Israel to the Nation of Israel. Our state must be a Jewish state in its essence, not only in slogans. It must be a Jewish state in its society. It must be a Jewish state in its security. It must be a Jewish state in its economy and it must be a Jewish state in its justice system. Society, security, economy and justice.

Society in a Jewish state means first of all genuine Jewish education for every child in Israel. Society in a Jewish state means fortifying the status of the family with tax breaks, by enabling mothers to raise their children at home, by allocating a piece of the Land of Israel for free to every Jewish family. Society in a Jewish state means genuine liberty for every Israeli citizen, free and representative media, full human rights for all and political rights only for those who are faithful to the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish Nation.

He who believes does not fear a Jewish society.

Security in a Jewish state means, first of all, clear borders; the basic understanding that this is our Land by virtue of G-d's promise. Security in a Jewish state means declaration of sovereignty over all parts of the Land of Israel that is in our hands and that, by the way, word for word, is in the Likud constitution. Security in a Jewish state means fostering the emigration of all those who are not loyal to Israel as the state of the Jewish nation. Security in a Jewish state means restoring the concept of victory to the IDF. Today this concept has been neutered. It has disappeared from the IDF lexicon. Nobody talks about victory. Restoration of the concept of victory means the elimination of leadership – any leadership – that initiates a conflict with us; that should be noted by the Iranian leadership. Security in a Jewish state means power of deterrence; an offensive approach as a guarantee of peace. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, only someone who believes can bring security. Because he who believes is not afraid.

Jewish economy means first and foremost – liberty: A truly free economy - within the Jewish framework of faith and kindness. Only our Jewish culture has the proper balance that allows a truly free economy – capitalism – without sliding into the jungle that everyone fears. In other words, a free economy within the cultural framework of Jewish faith and kindness. Jewish economy means allocating welfare funds to the community. Only the community can really take care of those in need. Jewish economy means affordable housing for every Jew; first and foremost by allocation of the land to the public.

Justice in the Jewish state means first of all judges from the People and not from the UN. (ed: This is a play on words in Hebrew: am and oom). Justice in the Jewish state means completion of the legislation that would require public hearings for Supreme Court judges. Justice in the Jewish state means a constitution that preserves Israel's Jewish character and a Constitutional Court, elected by the public once in a decade, that will be the ultimate authority on national issues. Justice in the Jewish state means separating the role of the Attorney General from the role of State's Attorney. Justice in the Jewish state means gradual adoption of the Jewish law system.

Ladies and gentlemen, he who believes is not afraid to bring the Nation judges and a justice system that is from the people and not from the UN.

He who believes is not afraid to appoint a defense minister from the Likud!

He who believes is not afraid to build in the entire Land of Israel!

He who believes is not afraid of Jewish education and the Jewish family!

He who believes is not afraid and does not send soldiers to the Marmara with toy guns, humiliating the IDF.

He who believes is not afraid to return the infiltrators to their own countries. Just in the past month 3,000 of them infiltrated into Israel.

He who believes is not afraid to demand of Obama from every platform to free now, immediately, our brother Jonathan Pollard. I did not intend to talk about Jonathan Pollard; I have another few "I believes" here – but I see that the point about Jonathan Pollard evoked a standing ovation from you. I had the merit to visit our brother, my brother, Jonathan Pollard five or six times. Each time we engaged in long discussions. At a certain point I said to him, "You understand that for you to get out of prison, I have to be prime minister." No, it's not funny. And I asked him to do one thing: to pray.

He who believes is not afraid: Not of the High Court, not of the media and not of the Left – only of G –d.

He who believes is not afraid of our destiny.

He who believes is not afraid to return the Nation of Israel to the place that G-d chose; we will ascend to the Temple Mount to pray, to bring the Pesach offering, to make a pilgrimage three times a year.

He who believes in G-d, ladies and gentlemen is not afraid to proclaim, "This is our Land and it is ours forever."

Thank you all. We have one short month to work hard; G-d will do His part and with His help, we will succeed!

Video Link:

http://www.mflikud.com/eng_contents/video/video121.html

Moshe Feiglin Money Storm

Moshe Feiglin for Prime Minister, for a Jewish State!