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Authentic Jewish Leadership For Israel |
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Worth Reading "This is a rare opportunity to influence Israeli consciousness and to bring Manhigut Yehudit's message of Jewish identity and values onto every talk show and opinion column in the country. There are many sectors of society in Israel that are disgusted with current politics and would eagerly rally around the Jewish identity flag. If Moshe Feiglin does indeed enter the runoff, the public dialogue will at once revolve around the Jewish/Israeli identity question. His candidacy will redefine the Israeli political agenda." A Rare Opportunity Just one month ago, the Labor party was a political corpse that interested no one. Its leaders were beginning to wonder if they would even have the minimum votes needed for a Knesset seat. In internal elections for the top spot, a number of candidates competed for the votes of a few tens of thousands of unenthusiastic Labor party voters. Amir Peretz, at the head of a small, cohesive and well-organized group, triumphed. Before his victory, Amir Peretz was not a popular politician. Nobody thought of him as a national leader. But at the moment that he was elected to head the Labor party, all of that changed. The very fact that he was now leading one of the major parties in Israel accelerated his popularity and made him a media star. After Sharon's defection from the Likud, the party is now in the same state as the Labor party was just a month ago. It is an unattractive party divided by internal conflict that does not generate enthusiasm. Just as in Labor, there are a number of candidates for the position of party chairman and low voter turnout is anticipated. Clearly, a cohesive and well-organized group will not need many votes to get its candidate into the second round of voting. (To win in the first round, a candidate must get at least 40% of the vote). 127,000 Likud members have the right to vote in the upcoming primaries. Only 60 to 70 thousand of them are expected to actually vote. With five candidates now running, just 14,000 votes -- 20% of the total, could be enough to propel the candidate into the second round. There is surprising symmetry between the Likud today and the Labor party of one month ago. If Manhigut Yehudit's members will vote unanimously for Moshe Feiglin and will convince a small number of non-Manhigut Likudniks to do the same, Feiglin will have a real opportunity to enter the runoff -- instantly spiraling his public status and bringing Manhigut's agenda into the headlines. This is a rare opportunity to influence Israeli consciousness and to bring Manhigut Yehudit's message of Jewish identity and values onto every talk show and opinion column in the country. There are many sectors of society in Israel that are disgusted with current politics and would eagerly rally around the Jewish identity flag. If Moshe Feiglin does indeed enter the runoff, the public dialogue will at once revolve around the Jewish/Israeli identity question. His candidacy will redefine the Israeli political agenda. A backlash of Sharon voters will return to a reinvigorated Likud, the nationalist/religious camp will be electrified and a great new triumphant spirit will encompass the entire Orange public. This change can make Moshe victorious in the runoff, establishing the belief-based revolution on the political scene. It would make Jewish identity the focal point of the general elections and create a real chance for the national camp to win in the elections that now seem hopeless. There is no doubt that the above scenario can go off course at many intersections. But the dry numbers tell us that we have a chance to succeed. Many people argue that even if Moshe does win in the primaries, Likud voters will defect to other parties en masse. But it is impossible to judge a future situation with the parameters of the current situation. Nobody expected that Amir Peretz would breathe new life into the Labor party. The possibility that such an extreme demagogue would enthuse voters was not considered realistic before he was elected. After a person succeeds in attaining a position of power and becomes a player in the national league of Israeli politics, the public relates to him entirely differently and his positions become part of the accepted public debate. Even if Moshe Feiglin does not win in the runoff, the very fact that he is running will create a revolution. The key to victory is absolute dedication of Manhigut members to the campaign and a widespread effort to convince other Likud members that a vote for Moshe Feiglin is a vote for the authentic Likud. This is a rare opportunity that we cannot afford to miss!
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