Manhigut Yehudit in the News

Arutz 7: Shvat 17 5766 (Feb 15, 06)

Moshe Feiglin Defends Decision to Stay in Likud
By Ezra HaLevi, Arutz 7

Manhigut Yehudit (‘Jewish Leadership’) founder Moshe Feiglin spoke with Arutz-7 about the faction's future in the Likud party after the resignation of co-founder Motti Karpel (pictured above).

Feiglin, speaking with Israel National Radio's Yishai Fleisher and Alex Traiman, explained the Jewish Leadership faction's decision to remain in the Likud. They have decided to stay despite recent efforts by party chairman Binyamin Netanyahu to have Feiglin barred from holding official positions in the party, and the poor showing of the faction's candidate in the recent primaries.

"First of all," said Feiglin, “it is important to realize that the disagreement within Manhigut was not the usual issue that fragments political movements -- one of power or slot on a party list -- our disagreement is completely what is called a 'disagreement for the sake of Heaven.' Moti thought we should leave Likud, and that I should instead run for the Knesset with one of the promising offers that would put me in the next Knesset."

Karpel told Arutz-7 that he did not wish to speak on the record about his resignation, but stressed that the issue was a tactical one and not one that would prevent future cooperation with the movement.

Karpel was editor of Manhigut Yehudit's bi-weekly Hebrew newspaper and authored the books "The Belief-Based Revolution" and "On the Time Axis," considered the authoritative books on the ideology of the movement.

Feiglin said the idea being advanced by Karpel was for the faction to leave the Likud and join the Hazit (Jewish National Front) party, currently headed by Hevron activist Baruch Marzel. "The plan was to get three of four seats in the Knesset and continue from there," Feiglin said. "In my opinion, entering the Knesset would not give us more publicity than we received during the Likud primaries, but going with Marzel would give us the colors of another right-wing sectarian party, which is the opposite of what Manhigut Yehudit is all about. My opinion is still that we could not have gotten as far as we have through any other party."

The Manhigut chairman brings proof of the ineffectual nature of simply getting to the Knesset by pointing to former NRP chairman Effie Eitam. "When our dear friend Effie Eitam left the army, there were great expectations from him," Feiglin said. "He was deciding whether to go to NRP or National Union -- I told him that he should come to Likud but he chose the NRP and was highly successful within that party -- rising to head the party and sitting in the cabinet. The question is where has he gotten us today?"

"Our voice so far has been stronger using the Likud microphone than the combined voices of many Knesset members," Feiglin added, asking: "Who gave Sharon more difficulties ahead of the Disengagement - the members of the Likud and its Central Committee or the MKs who fought against him in the Knesset? For us to now jump toward three of four seats in the Knesset that will lead us to nowhere, I thought was a mistake. Motti thought differently and we thought it through with many activists and the decision was to stay with the Likud."

Feiglin dismisses the assertion that there has been a split in the faction. "Look, Motti will always remain a very good friend and I am sure you will see us working together in the future, because, as I said before, it was a complete argument for the sake of Heaven."

"I am not saying I am always right," Feiglin concluded. "The Likud may disappear on us. I don't see the Likud as something holy. If that happens we will have to rethink -- maybe we would create a new Likud."