By Ted Belman
On Tuesday of this week I went to Tel Aviv to attend a political convention intended to give birth to a New political party called Zehut (Identity). Moshe Feiglin as expected was elected Chairman.
It was a raucous event, attended by close to 2000 fans and diehards. I crossed paths with Shmuel Sackett, Feiglin’s lieutenant, who organized the event. I have known him for years and occasionally correspond with him. I also met up with Yishai Fleisher who is competing for a seat in the party.
I then attended a VIP dinner and was lucky to sit opposite Moshe Feiglin himself. We chatted.
In Aug 2016 I posted The Feiglin Solution. I urge you to read it again.
A few weeks later I posted Feiglin’s Zehut Party is expecting over 12 seats in next election. Read it again to get a sense of what Zehut is about.
@ Edgar G.:Not a matter of power. Neither the U.S. nor the powers that be in Israel in the Knesset, the courts, the army, the intelligence services, or for that matter a significant part of the Jewish citizenry of Israel, would countenance “transfer.” That being said, transfer would be my first choice as well. At a minimum, Feiglin’s plan would forestall the giving away of the proverbial store. If the Arabs continue to terrorize, they can always be deported later.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
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Israel with U.S. backing ( or not opposing) has the power to push the local squatter Arabs to wherever they wish. They have no rights other than the normal human righst, they certainly have no property or residential rights.
The main drawback is the Israeli weak-willed besn-headed “leaders” who disgrace the words “Israeli leader”.
@ Edgar G.:
I agree in principle but is that realistically going to happen? his plan gives the least away except for the Zahut plan which is reliant upon unlikely events taking place in another country, most of whose population hates Israel so much, that they are willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces. Did you see that Israel has begun shipping natural gas to Jordan? The recent “Arab Spring” in Jordan was sparked by protests over high gas prices. But, do you think it will make a difference?
@ Sebastien Zorn:
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What makes you think I didn’t read the plan……? And Ted’s article is completely understood by me… There are different concepts of “long process” etc. I don’t care how long or short. Arabs have no business to be in Israel, they are invaders, and squatters, and gloat at every setback incurred by Israel, often at Israel’s own government or courts.. They have proven themselves as a People, to be like ticking bombs, exploding indiscriminately….day after day after day, and to have slaughtered thousands of innocent Jews, just trying to live and be happy…..They have surrounded Israel on all sides except one, and how the hell is that supposed to be an entitled-to, normal life.
There has never been in the history of the world, a nation-like Israel– which has had to suffer so much, and to continue in CIVILISED and modern times to suffer with no end in sight. I am normally a quiet ans peaceful person, but you may have noticed that I have been becoming more restive and aggressive over the past while. This is because there comes a time when one says, ENOUGH….. And then goes out to rectify whatever is assailing him.
If I had the power, that’s just what I’d do. I’ve written this before, I’d give the Gazans a week’s warning, -or two- to prepare to move out, to Sinai or wherever the hell they can, and then begin to carpet-bomb, sweeping slowly from the north to the south. Flatten the whole place then Jews can move in and build properly. Etc.etc You get the idea I know. I’d do the same in YESHA to every Arab village or town which is a reliably PROVEN cesspit of terrorism.
Of course the first thing the Arabs would think of would be to try to convince Israel that a peaceful village is a terrorist centre to get them to flatten it, for PR purposes so my very simple “remedy” is really not simple at all, due to the many pitfalls. But it can and should be done.
@ Aryeh:
*300* pages?!
No thanks.
For such a small country, the entire platform should fit on one side of a 3×5 card.
@ Edgar G.:
They won’t have the vote. It’s a good plan. Click on the link in Ted’s article.
It’s not a matter of like/dislike.
The man has a plan. Period.
Everyone else it’s a holding action or rehash of the same recycled Ashpa as before.
Go read and get educated.
Can we c Feiglin’s platform again?
The majority of Israelis will vote for a party that has a very accomplished leader in say the military, Knesset, or business.
Some of you like Feiglin’s platform fine. What has he accomplished that will make a large amount of Israelis vote for him? So far he has been a very bit player without any accomplishments. Sorry if that upsets those of you like him a lot.
@ Bear Klein:
The event took place on the same day as the release of the Tzuk Eitan report. Hard to compete with that.
@ Abolish_public_education:
Take a look at the platform, all 300+ pages of it. Do you think it’s ALL a lie, or just the small government part?
@ Bear Klein:
Actually, I am, and puring more money into it every day. Zehut’s stock is rising every day!@ Bear Klein:
Lestibournes Said:
And what was his reaction, as far as you could tell?
It wasn’t just “fans and diehards”. In addition to all the new people joining from all over the political map I can give as an example the Israi couple that sat next to me. The wife dragged her husband there to try to convince him to join.
Bear Klein Said:
The press is making the same mistake here that they made with Trump in the US. Not taking him seriously because they can’t get their minds out of an outdated paradigm. 12 seats? We’re going to do far better than that.
@ Bear Klein:
I certainly hope Zehut will take votes away from Bayit Yehudi. Bennett is just rewarmed Bibi.
@ drjb:
xxx
He’s so little known because he is very modest and mild; and only speaks-without when he has something to say-without fanfare.
As for another poster above saying that new right wing parties only splinter the right to ineffectiveness (or something like that) I think he’s wrong. When election time comes, they unite (after much haggling-naturally, being Jews) to form government. The only problem with it is that with small parties, those that don’t make the minimum, are all lost votes, because of the antiquated, and poor system of Israel’s election process. The proper thing is that EVERY vote should be of value, and a specified number of votes needed for a seat. All votes over this amount should go to the next on the list….. and if a party doesn’t get enough for the minimum seats, their votes should go to the party or person next preferred by the voter. …the voter gets several picks….in other words.. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION..
@ Bear Klein:
I have followed Feiglin for years now and I like him. However, I’m still astonished by how little name recognition he has both in Israel and among Yordim in Toronto, where I live. After all these years, most people have no idea of who he is!!!! That’s a problem he better pay attention to if he hopes to even break the electoral threshold.
@ drjb:
There is not much coverage because Feiglin is not considered a serious player by most.
The polling to my knowledge is internal polling. The Knesset poll which publishes all the major polls to knowledge has no poll including Feiglin. No election is yet set so it does not matter a lot anyway. This is probably a very academic discussion anyway.
I just read “The Feiglin Solution”, and was unimpressed. I live in the US, so let me try to compare Israel’s situation with ours.
1. Both our countries have fairly conservative leaders, Trump and Netanyahu.
2.Of course, there are ultra-right voices in the US, just as there are in Israel (in places like Israpundit). In the US, these voices can only serve to underhandedly disrupt and undermine their own party. In Israel, they openly make the Right ineffective, by splitting it into numerous small parties. The difference is mainly because we have a presidential republic, and Israel has a parliamentary democracy. In either case, the only party that can EFFECTIVELY advance a conservative agenda is a Center-Right party, like the Trump wing of the Republicans.
3. We both have problems with a large minority (Arabs, Mexicans). In the US, this minority is half the size of Israel’s, proportionately; yet even that small minority had a significant effect in electing our president of the past eight years. They did this, by allying themselves with the Left. I think it would be delusional, to think that in an “Israeli democracy of its inhabitants”, the Arabs would not ally with the Left there, and control the government for the foreseeable future.
4. I do not expect a “one state without a wall” solution, such as proposed by Feiglin, will bring about a peaceful, harmonious situation in Israel. There has to be a separate entity for the Muslims, if the Jews are to hope to govern the Jewish-supermajority areas (the current state, plus Area C). This separate Muslim area obviously cannot be an independent country.
The only ones who can truly hope to bring about a long-term solution to the Muslim problem are the states of Israel, Egypt and Jordan — the states with the greatest stake in peace for the region. Those three countries, and those alone, can hope to hammer out a solution. Issues of territory, identity, sovereignty over the Mount, policing, etc. can only be worked out in this context. The time to begin that process, it seems, is now.
I like Feiglin and I like his platform. He means what he says and says what he means. BUT……. the ONLY thing I DON’T like about his plan is that he is prepared to give Arabs citizenship and vote, as well as allowing them to get IDF training. For me this is a complete NO=NO.
A “good” Arab “today” is often raving bloodthirsty repentant Islamist “tomorrow”, who had just listened to an Imam and realised that to be an true Muslim, he needed to go out and “kill a Jew”. How many times have we seen and heard this….Too many to count.
Other than this, I support him, and perhaps his own party members feel that the generic Arabs have committed far too many atrocities against innocent Jews that it would take 100 years of perfect behaviour to even begin to think about allowing them to live in the country of the Jews. .
Hi Ted,
thanks for the report but how come there’s hardly any coverage in the press???
This will be yet another Big Government party which, in characteristic, political conservative fashion, will use a less government sales pitch in order to sell itself.
Except for #4, you people are pathetic. Bear Klein, I have seen the poll results from Israel’s number one polling company. It actually said 14-15. But let’s assume 50%. I’ll take it. Problem with the polls you see is that they only poll based on current parties.
“Hurt” Bayit Yehudi? Seriously? Read #4 again. How’s this for irony? Bibi played Bennet like a violin on Amona by giving him the same ultimatum that Sharon gave Bibi at Gush Katif, i.e., if you want to save the settlement, resign and bring down the government. And just like his former boss, Naftali wet the bed, because in the end, his own self interest was more important than saving Amona. Or the houses in Ofra. So let’s give Moshe the benefit of the doubt instead of these people who couldn’t even get the Levy report ratified and instead settled for a useless agreement that will be challenged by both the AG and the Left (?oxymoron) as soon as they try to implement it.
Feiglin will hurt “the right”?
Bennett wants to give 40% of J&S to the PLO on a permanent basis. Likud, of course, supports the 2-state (final) solution, and so does Liberman.
If this is “the right”, we don’t need it.
Feiglin is the only one in any of these parties of pretenders who actually voted to end the Oslo Process. And that’s why Bibi kicked him out of Likud.
We need someone to stand up and say that the Land of Israel belongs to us. Feiglin is literally the only one who will say it, and the only one who has said it, and acted upon it.
I share your concerns.
We do not need another party. Taking away votes from Bayit Yehudi could cost them seats. So this party is not helpful but will hurt the right.
12 Seats?????? Hope you are not betting on that with your own money Ted.