Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu might have thought that his only opponent in the January 31 Likud primary would be party activist Moshe Feiglin.
But a new foe surfaced Sunday.
A group of Likud activists who have registered thousands of members eligible to vote in the race called on Sunday for a boycott of the primary to protest Netanyahu’s policies. The group intends to start a campaign on Monday with advertisements urging a boycott that could call the election’s legitimacy into question.
The slogan of the campaign will be: “This time vote from your couch.”
“Netanyahu is cynically trying to use these elections for political thievery,” said Natan Engelsman, one of the heads of the Likud’s Judea and Samaria branch, who initiated the boycott. “He purposely advanced the race so another candidate couldn’t run. If less than 50 percent of the members vote, the election won’t be regarded as legitimate, and there will have to be another election for head of the party.”
The activists cite Netanyahu’s support for a Palestinian state, his failure to build enough in Judea and Samaria and his opposition to legalizing the Migron outpost in its current location as reasons to not vote for him.
“We call upon Likud members who are interested in a lively, democratic party to skip this race,” Engelsman said. “Netanyahu will get elected in any case, but we hope to at least get a message across to him and influence his future policies.”
While most of the campaign targets Netanyahu, the activists also urge Likud members not to vote for Feiglin, who they call an “irrelevant” candidate whose repeated hopeless runs for Likud leader have weakened the national camp in the party.
“There is no point in voting for Feiglin, who will always be seen as a foreign influence on the party and will never be accepted,” one of the organizers of the campaign said.
Feiglin responded that the boycott was pointless because Netanyahu would recognize the result no matter what it is. He said he did not know whether the boycott would harm or help his candidacy.
“We have a party chairman who called for the formation of a Palestinian state and no one other than me decided to run against him and represent the other side,” Feiglin said. “By running, I saved the Likud’s self-respect. I don’t understand why they don’t want to support a candidate who opposes a Palestinian state and represents the true interests of Likud.”
In response to the boycott, Netanyahu’s campaign chief, Modi’in Mayor Haim Bibas, said that the primary will take place on January 31, as planned, and that 130,000 Likud members from all over the country and from all population groups will participate in democratic elections that will reflect the Likud’s values.
“Whoever chooses to vote,” Bibas said, “will impact not only the Likud’s identity but on the future of the country.”
“Chicken”.
They’re Not Laughing Anymore – An Interview with Moshe Feiglin (Part 1)
Part 2
I took the trouble to read Feiglin’s book and understand his philosophy. I read his weekly message which relates Israel’s current problems to a passage in the Torah. Feiglin has the ability to clarify our situation in biblical terms and he is able to attract those from both religious and secular backgrounds.
His influence within Likud seems to be increasing and in the last election he was entitled to a seat in the knesset for being number 20 on the list. But BB, in his arrogance, illegally pushed Feiglin down to number 36 to cheat him of a Knesset seat.
Let us also recall the opposition to Moses in his time, and the vehement opposition to Herzl by both the secular and the religious establishments. And the bitter opposition to Zev Jabotinsky for urging European Jewry to escape to Jewish Palestine before it was too late.
Let us never confuse the majority with the truth or with being right. Judaism itself represents a tiny minority with an unpopular message against idolatry in all its forms.
Which name?
Reason is mostly no recognized leadership. No organization. Residents J&S are mostly town dwelling non observant or haredim and are divided ideologically. Then there are those living inside the fence who consider themselves safe and those outside the fence who know they will be removed sooner or later. As long as most of the rabbis and council heads are paid by the government they will not risk their personal livelihoods by openly opposing the government. The outpost movement is stupid and a waste of time and energy. The government loves it because they are controlled and distracts from larger more vital issues. The government uses the outposts and the youth who erect them as a tool if not weapon to besmirch the whole settlement enterprise.
There is a large support potential of secular nationalists who are also leaderless and politically unorganized to lead the way but who can galvanize them into an organized political movement?
Techiya party came as close to the ideal of what is needed today but personal conflicts at the top brought them down.
Motzee shem rah.
The Likud will never accept Feiglin. In 14 years of trying he has not increased his strength in the Likud substantially. At every turn BB outmaneuvers him and renders him essentially toothless and harmless. The MK’s who seek his support before elections say what Feiglin wants to hear to get his factions support then ignore Likud principles in favor of BB and Likud leadership. If Feiglin’s faction can’t control the likud central committee-and they haven’t till now I still don’t see how he can justify staying in the Likud. As long as BB is feared more than Feiglin and his faction nothing will change.
Those unnamed activists instead of joining with Feiglin ignore him. That speaks volumes that Feiglin is wasting his time and effort from within the Likud.
The likud is not a right wing party and with BB leading I would call them as left as Meretz, I see no essential difference between the Likud’s policies and any of the leftist parties. When Feiglin led Zo Artzenu, he had impact but is too chicken to return to such tactics as the estblishment would see that he is barred from any political office. His criticism of BB and his 7 dwarfs is muted and they do not get attacked openly by Feiglin for fear of alienating loyal BB and Likud loyalists.
I would rather see Labor and Meretz in power than the current BB led Likud.
Stupid Jews. WAKE UP!!!
Hey J&S jackasses, why don’t you just take out your guns and shoot yourselves in the head. It couldn’t hurt.
Looks like Bibi doesn’t fear Feiglin and Feiglin actually gives him cover so that he doesn’t run unopposed in blatant Politburo style. Bibi only is craven towards the Israeli Left and by extension Obama and company.