Thursday, November 02, 2006

Losers

By Jason Gold
I had the opportunity this sukkot to witness a unique phenomenon in Israel. It was something that I had heard about but did not quite believe. Yet here it was on display as clear as day. And it made me understand why the religious right in Israel is such a dysfunctional mess. Put simply, the religious right are losers. Losers in their own country.

Let's back up a little bit. Do I really think the religious right are losers? No, I respect, admire and study the torah-based literature they produce. I do not think they are losers. Yet, THEY think they are. THEY have conditioned themselves into believing that they are losers and that they are utterly incapabable of bringing any meaningful political change to Israel's pathetic form of government.

How does this manifest? It is manifest by the fact that the religious right would rather vote for any secular candidate rather than one that offers them faith-based (non-theocratic) leadership because they believe that any kippa-wearing candidate is necessarily a loser like them, even if this person has new ideas. It is manifest by the fact that the so-called religious parties, rather than lead the country, have become, special interest lobbyists for people who look like them, dress like them and speak like them. It is manifest by the fact that their votes in the Knesset allowed the disgrace of Gush Katif to happen by propping up a morally bankrupt, illegitimate government. It is manifest when the mayor of Jerusalem, a religious man, decides he is too politically impotent to lift a finger against the boosha (shame) of a gay parade in the world's holiest city. As a right-leaning secular Jew sitting on a plane next to me remarked, "We allow this after 2000 years? You datiim (religious) allow this? If we can't stop this, then we don't deserve Jerusalem. Maybe we should just lease the city to the Muslims. Then there won't be any gay parade." Tough to argue with.

So the religious leadership of the country has failed. Rather than bridge gaps with their secular brothers, they have allowed widening the gulf between them and secular Jew even more. They have brought shame, loathing and finger-pointing on themselves by the seculars as purveyors of those whose votes are for sale (rent?) for a little more funding. And yet despite all this, they continue to look for that messianic secular figure to lead them. Perhaps it is truely as Rav Kahane, HY"D, ZT"L, said. Perhaps because of how they look in the eyes of the goyim, they need a nice goyish looking leader to interact with the outside world so they can hunker down until Moshiach shows up.

Yet all is not lost. For when a high-ranking secular Likud official can openly state that he realizes no that he no longer trusts secular leadership for the land of Israel and that we need an acceptable faith-based candidate, perhaps the worm begins to turn. Perhaps the younger generation of religious zionist youth and chareidi youth will start to sound the clarion call against corruption, against business as usual, and against Gdlessness and moral bankruptcy. This was a hopeful sign that I saw in the old city over Chol HaMoed Sukkot as I gave out literature and interacted with these young people. They are hungry for authentic faith-based leadership. They are desperate to be proud Jews in their own land.

It is very simple. We are an am segulah. We need Manhig segula. I call on all Mafdalniks, Shasniks, Yahadutniks, (and even you Yisrael Beiteinuniks who were sold out so fast, it must have given you collective whiplash) to do what must be done. Join Manhigut Yehidut and help. The only way to do that is to join Likud. Hold your nose if you have to but join. Because if the best this country can do after the disgrace of Lebanon II is a government headed by Bibi with the same old players, then it really is a boosha and time to get the real estate lawyers working on that long-term lease for the Arabs.

15 comments:

Jason Gold-Editor said...

Agreed.

Robin Ticker said...

Great Post! I agree with all. I'm just still upset that Manhigut joined Likud. It's wonderful however to lobby the chareidim to join with you. What's with Benny Elon's party? Isn't he also faith based? Why not merge and then you won't need the Likud base. In any case keep on talking proud about the Torah and the fact that it is not religious fanaticism and extremism but actually a source of formulation of the modern day republic.

Jason Gold-Editor said...

Funny you should mention Benny. He was always a one-issue candidate/party (transfer). But look how fast he dumped his plan to join the pathetic MAfdal/National Union Merger. The only way these guys will merge is when Moshe as head of Likud, challenges them and their constituents to do it. If they don't do it then, they lose legitimacy in the eyes of thie base.

Anonymous said...

Look at todays post in INN regarding a Likud - MAfdal/National Union Merger. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=115268. Food for thought... I doubt it will happen. but its interesting to wonder why Eitam suddenly is interested in such a thing.

Jason Gold-Editor said...

WHy is he interested? Maybe he is trying to escape irrelevancy.

Anonymous said...

Heard you talk on A7 radio. Very nice! Manhigut Yehudit's plan sound great and I understand why you promote them.

BUT?

How serious are they?
Who has heard of Moshe Feiglin?
Do you really think we can get him to be PM?

Jason Gold-Editor said...

To anonymous:

They are quite serious. They have a plan that is long-range, unlike the 12 hour planning horizon of Israel's political intelligentzia. More and more people are getting Feiglin's message and realizing it's the only way. With help from people like you, he will be PM. Please see http://www.jewishisrael.org/hundred/hundred_01.htm.

Anonymous said...

"Perhaps the younger generation of religious zionist youth and chareidi youth will start to sound the clarion call against corruption, against business as usual, and against Gdlessness and moral bankruptcy."

Ben hillel we must remember that because of the fear of the torah that was given on sinai we have a state to talk about and if u dont fear the dead how can u be trusted to respect anything??

we all must break free of these groupings

we need everyones help in being better jews being more proud of being jewish and showing our non jewish friends why were proud of being jewish and it doesnt make a slight difference if ure right ure left ure openminded or not or the way ure father brought u up everyone is a peice of the puzzle!!

KEEP POSTING AND COMMENTING!

Anonymous said...

how do i nicely introduce my israeli friend to manhiguts website (update)? he knows abt them already want to show him the update (like a subscribing offer)
eli

Jason Gold-Editor said...

eli:

just have him go to www.jewishisrael.org or if he is more comfortable with the Hebrew site it is www.manhigut.org. He can sign up for the weekly in either language at the respective site and there is a ton of literature, articles etc.

Anonymous said...

Hello, everyone. I've been receiving Manhigut's updates for some time now, and saw Moshe in New York in September 2004.

My husband and I are coming to Israel next week - we arrive on Monday morning, and we are looking for apartments to rent for next year, when we make aliyah. My name above is who I want to be when we come home for good -- I plan to join the Likud and Manhigut then. (I'm not speaking for my husband, for now.)

This blog is a great idea, and I can't add to what you all have been saying. I look forward to helping when we finally arrive.

Please pass on my regards to Shmuel. I am Chava bat Nazira whom he has been praying for these past 3 years, and I am well.

Todah rabbah...

Anonymous said...

The tikun we need as am yisrael in eretz yisrael is not so simple. I grew up in America, rejecting the klippot of galut judaism whether reform or orthodox.

Instead I mainly connected to American Indians-- tribal nations who understand true self-esteem, who stand tall as warriors in their ancient passed-down oral traditions, who recognize in a very simple way the irreducibility of people-in-homeland. My spiritual path was devoted to studying their ways-- until a couple of them said to me and a friend: "You're Jewish? You guys actually WON your homeland back!!"

So I realized I needed to visit Israel.

The truth of us being here are not dependent on 'belief in Torah', whatever that means. Not everyone-- in fact, most of Am Yisrael-- doesn't have the kelim to hear these truths in a religious lashon. We need to articulate these simple, self-evident truths in ways that can be heard by all.

Aaron Amihud said...

Don't you think that just maybe there's something in the religious literature that is responsible for this subserviant nature that religious Jews have? The talmud is a document made in and made for the galut. I think it would go well for the religious public at large if they were to concentrate their studies on the tanach rather than the talmud.

Jason Gold-Editor said...

Matthew:

What do you think Moshe has been doing these last few years. Time to join Manhigut!!!

Jason Gold-Editor said...

Aaron:

True, the talmud Bavli was written in and for the galut but we have the Talmud Yerushalmi for eretz Yisrael. It's just a matter of getting that galut mentality out of the leadership posts and replacing them with proud, torah-loving Jews.