Arutz Sheva Israel National Radio -- Jan. 11, 1999 / Tevet 23, 5759
THE ELECTION PUT US ON HOLD
I am very happy about the upcoming elections. True, they messed
up our registration drive for a "Candidate of Faith,"
because instead of singing a solo, we find ourselves suddenly
joined on the electoral stage by a plethora of singers, such that
our delicate voice singing the truth can barely be heard. In fact,
it looks like we will have to let the coming elections pass us
by, and continue our driveoffaith afterwards. But, still and
all, I'm happy that Kleiner and friends toppled the government,
such that we are now facing new elections.
The reason for my happiness is very simple. Bibi was smack in
the middle of giving over the Land of Israel into the hands of
Arafat. He had already given over the northern section of Shomron
(Samaria), and was just about to surround
Beit El with the Palestinian Liberation Army making it something
along the lines of Netzarim in Gush Katif when all of a sudden
these new elections fell upon him, stopping this insanity, at
least for a few months. So the elections did accomplish something
positive.
WHERE HAS ALL THE PRESSURE GONE?
By the way, we can learn something very interesting from this.
Suddenly, all the pressure on Israel to give away territory has
stopped. The Americans aren't pressuring Bibi, neither is the
European Union, and even Arafat has adapted his various declarations
to Israel's election schedule. Strange, no? Why should the world
care about our elections? What happened all of a sudden there's
no one in Israel for them to tell, "Come on, let's go, out
of those occupied territories already"?
The answer is simple. No one really takes Oslo or Wye very seriously,
and no one really particularly cares for the fate of the Arabs
in Gaza, or for the 'legitimate rights' of the terrorists. The
world only cares about one thing: the Jews. The world wants to
see what we think, and then it will act accordingly. If, for instance,
we elect someone who says "Zo Artzeinu This is our land,
because this is the decision of the Master of the Universe; no
agreement that says otherwise is relevant, because it contradicts
what is clearly stated in the Bible, and we will fight anyone
who attempts to does not accept this," then, this
temporary respite from world pressure that we are enjoying during
this election campaign hiatus will become our permanent lot all
year round.
But if, on the other hand, we elect someone who admits that the
Arab claim to Eretz Yisrael is not totally unfounded someone
like Benny Begin, for example, who is proud of the Camp David
agreements, the 'original sin,' which created a Palestinian nation
out of nothing and recognized its "legitimate rights"
or, of course, Bibi Netanyahu, or Ehud Barak, or their clones
then the international community will realize that its pressure
upon us to make concessions is indicated. The world will say,
"Arafat's demands are just even you admit it."
In short, the static situation that we now face can teach us that
everything begins and ends with *us.* The world exerts pressure
on us only when we agree or maybe even want to be pressured.
We should then not have complaints against anyone except ourselves
even not to Arafat.
NEXT QUESTION
OK. So who should we vote for? This is a very difficult question.
We have to make two choices: one candidate for Prime Minister,
and one party list for the Knesset. For the Knesset, it's best
to vote for the party which will most effectively fight if it
can be called that for the Land, the People, and Jewish identity.
But for Prime Minister, as of now, there is simply no one for
whom to vote.
For all intents and purposes, the process started by the Jewish
Leadership movement has been pulled to a grinding halt by the
advancing of the elections. Everyone is now involved in much more
important issues: the infighting of the Likud, the infighting
in Labor, what will Limor [Livnat] do, on which horse will Yitzik
[Mordechai] bet, and similar crucial questions. Our voice is therefore
not heard amidst the cacophony. We'll apparently have to wait
until the storm blows over. Then, when the dust of this election
settles, and we return to the sad reality, we'll officially register
the Jewish Leadership movement, field a worthy candidate, and
continue from where we left off. This is how the situation appears
now, although there could always be developments that would change
things. In Israel, things change so fast that it's really impossible
to know for sure, but at this point, this appears to be the way
for us to go.
ET TU, BEGIN
All of the candidates that are presently running for Prime Minister
are committed, in the final analysis, to the Oslo process. Let
me say clearly: This includes even Benny Begin. On the day that
he announces that we must tear up the Oslo, Hevron, and Wye agreements,
and that they do not obligate him I will retract these words
of mine. But he will not say this, because all he knows how to
say today is the same things that Bibi said three years ago before
the last elections. Begin says, "We must keep our agreements,
but Arafat did not fulfill his part, and this is how we'll be
able to get out of it." Begin, the sworn legalist, can't
seem to say that this agreement is invalid because our contract
with Gd takes precedence. That's the way it is.
Unfortunately, we can predict fairly accurately what will happen
in the near future: Whichever candidate is elected will continue
with the withdrawals from Eretz Yisrael, and the security situation
in Tel Aviv will deteriorate in direct proportion. The other side's
appetite and brazenness will only increase, as will the despair
on our side. At some point, not far off, elections will again
be held, and the nation will have given up on the recycled, wornout
"solutions" of the usual candidates, and will be willing
to listen to something totally new. The members of the Jewish
Leadership movement, together with the thousands of registrants
who have signed up for our Candidate of Faith campaign, will,
at that time, be an excellent nucleus for the soughtfor alternative
at that difficult time.
Shalom, and Skolnick must be freed.
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Moshe Feiglin, a resident of Karnei Shomron, is one of
the founders of Zo Arzeinu and the Jewish Leadership movement.