By: Jacob Edelist, JEWISH PRESS
Two out of the four MKs of the right-wing, pro-settlement National Union, Michael Ben Ari and Aryeh Eldad may resign from their lame-duck seats and run on an independent list which would constitute the most right-wing party in the Knesset.
In an interview on Radio Kol Chai, MK Ben Ari explained: “I do not see myself as belonging to the National Religious bloc. I am National Religious, but I think the time has passed for Religious Zionism as a political sector.”
Ben Ari says he is “in full coordination with MK Aryeh Eldad. There is a plan to run together and unite with those who aligns with the ideological line” of maintaining Jewish ownership of the entire Land of Israel (Shleimut ha’aretz).
Ben Ari attacked his own current party and noted that in today’s reality “they know that the brand ‘Ben Ari’ is worth more than the two or three votes that each one of them would bring. Wherever I go, I take with me my 40-50 thousand votes. This is why they have to have me inside, but they want me at the tail end, so they throw me down to the 8th ot 9th spot? Why, am I their tail to wag with? My ideology is not good enough to be uttered on the leadership level of such a united list? Then my answer is an unequivocal no.”
“We will announce our independent run, and will provide the public with the details,” MK Ben Ari proclaimed, adding: “It Should be noted that my running separately will add to our power among audiences they have never reached.”
Ben Ari and right-wing activist Baruch Marzel are hoping to attract MK Aryeh Eldad to join them in their new, independent party. The National Union, with 4 MKs, is comprised of three separate parties, one of which does not have an MK.
Meanwhile, National Union chairman Yaakov “Ketzaleh” Katz has been trying to persuade—by some accounts, or strong arm—by others, his potential partners and their voters at the Jewish Home party, heir of the historic National Religious Party (NRP), to stay away in their primary vote from one of the candidates for party chairman, MK Zevulun Orlev.
In an interview Ketzale gave the magazine BeSheva (which is owned by his political base in the town of Beit El), the National Union chair said “Zevulun Orlev did not allow the uniting of our two parties for three years now, despite dozens of conversations we conducted with him. He prevented the move, and even when MK Orbach (current chair of Jewish Home) signed a partnership with us, he did so over Orlev’s objection. Science Minister Daniel Hershkowitz was ready for signing, as was Naftali Bennett, who has actually signed a joint document.”
MK Katz pointed out that virtually every National Religious voter favors a united list for the coming elections, but because of MK Orlev their wishes have been quashed.
“If we had been united since three years ago, today we could have been in the midst of a great movement forward, which would have been joined by a large group of voters.”
MK Orlev’s circle accused Katz of trying to influence the democratic process in Jewish Home, which is holding its primaries in November. Chairman of the census committee of Religious Zionist voters, Rabbi Danny Trooper, was also critical of MK Katz.
Rabbi Tropper told the website Srugim that “Ketzale is committing gross and improper interference in the affairs of another party, which is conducting a democratic process” that is already showing results in a bump to 5 projected seats in the polls published today and yesterday, “while the National Union, which refused to participate in the primaries for the leadership of Religious Zionism, has been weakened to the brink of barely getting past the two-seat threshold.”
@ Canadian Otter:
oy, otter, you are priceless!
🙂
@ the phoenix:
I had exactly that thought as I searched for that link. Why didn’t the idea take off the ground? ~~ Although I have no sociological, psychological, religious, historical or anthropological studies to back this up, let me humbly offer my own hypothesis: Because Jews talk too much! OMG! The discussions go on and on and on, examining minutiae, imagining all the possibilities, and, get this: trying to reach consensus LOL! when every Jew has at least half a dozen opposite opinions on exactly the same issue, they can’t even agree with themselves! The most they do is organize conferences to talk some more, which makes them feel good until next time when guilt and panic prompts them to organize another conference. Can you imagine running a business or a household this way? Oh, the roof is leaking! Shall we call a repairman? Which one should we call? Who will decide? How much are we ready to pay for it? Or shall we just use some pots and pans to catch the leak in the meantime? If we use pots, which ones should we use? We may need some for cooking. It’s the monsoon season in British Columbia, so several days later the house has completely flooded, but the family wearing wetsuits and flippers is still engaged in discussions around a floating table. You get the idea? 🙂
@ Canadian Otter:
dear otter,
thank you very much for the link you have provided.
on a first quick reading – sounds great!
reading a little more carefully, this was presented exactly five years ago…
so why is there STILL talk of giving this, giving that, give the golan, give jerusalem….
christ! is anybody awake?
@ yamit82:
regarding the punishment as per section B 97a & b
i did not know that death penalty (richly deserved in such a case) is in the israeli law.
to the best of my knowledge, it was never applied even when blatantly called for (mordechai vanunu,uri blau,anat kam)
am i mistaken?
@ the phoenix:
Spam Filter has just blocked another comment of mine. So I’ll be very brief. Just as the govt uses euphemisms (Peace = surrender, Gesture of Good Will = Pardon for terrorists) nationalists also need to create euphemisms that everyone can understand but that won’t land them in jail. One has to adjust strategies when dealing with an oppressive government.
I couldn’t agree more. But the words of Rabbi Kahane freak out many people. ~~ Former MK Benny Elon came out with a very humanitarian approach. http://www.hayozma.org/rewr-true/language-en_us/Index.aspx
The comment Spam Filter blocked hours ago reworded and abbreviated: First, thanks Yamit for your analysis.
It was disappointing that National Union did not make a real effort at increasing supporters during the past four years. They seemed content to stay as token nationalist MKs in the Knesset. They could have used galvanizing issues such as the Arab attacks on motorists, infiltrators, violation of Jewish rights and other matters that affect all Jewish Israelis, to lead an effective opposition. NU spoke out, but there was no real effort to organize the population or to garner more supporters. ~~ Other items I mentioned on my blocked talkback was Moshe Feiglin, who will once again run with Likud. Sigh…! ~~ A reminder that Avigdor Lieberman recently agreed with Ehud Barak’s support for a disengagement of all but the big settlements in Judea/Samaria! ~~ And the suggestion that a new sorting of politicians in right-left-center slots may be needed to clear up the present confusion.
@ yamit82:
THE WORD PEACE in the Arab-Israeli context is a euphemism for surrender. Since 2008 and until civil war broke out I’ve read the words “peace with Syria’ on countless news reports about tentative efforts to engage Syria in talks. Talks for WHAT, exactly? The only obvious answer was the surrender of Golan. So I would sit here in amazement and wonder, Where’s the outrage? But there wasn’t any. ~~ In a 2008 speech, Netanyahu made it official: Two states for two peoples. No outrage. ~~ During Olmert’s time as PM there was a leaked document listing everything the govt was offering the PA in exchange for “peace”. It included Jerusalem and an Arab land corridor to Gaza, splitting Israel in two. No outrage. So anyone can safely assume that the patient Israeli voters give govt their tacit approval to do whatever it deems appropriate in the name of “PEACE”. If voters don’t approve – then where is their expression of OUTRAGE? (PS: Sorry, no separate paragraphs, but I can feel Spam Filter watching & counting lines already.)
Relinquishing territory to Syria is a capital crime. Same law applies to Jerusalem. There is not a sane nation in the world that gives up the territory of its homeland.
Israel statute reads:
Section B: Treason
97 (a). A person who, with intent to violate the sovereignty of the state, commits an act that has the potential to violate the state’s sovereignty is liable to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
97 (b). A person who, with intent that any area be withdrawn from the sovereignty of the state or placed under the sovereignty of a foreign state, commits an act that has the potential to bring this about is liable to life imprisonment or the death penalty…
100. A person who commits an act revealing any one of the intentions listed in sections 97, 98 or 99 is liable to ten years imprisonment.
“Whoever removes land from the State of Israel’s sovereign territory is subject to the death penalty,”
Giving away the Golan Heights to Syria is treason, and the punishment for a person who commits treason under Israeli law is death. Negotiating to give away Israeli territory is worth ten years imprisonment to life.
@ Canadian Otter:
Israeli leasers lack any legal or ethical need to act according to the general will of the people they represent. That’s why every negative act historically of every government was done in secret behind closed doors and presented to the Israeli electorate and nation as a whole, as a Fait accompli or take it or leave it with no realistic method of leaving it.
Latest revelation that expresses my contention.
Report claims Netanyahu agreed to withdraw from Golan Heights
Yedioth Ahronoth cites US documents describing indirect talks between PM and Assad in 2010; PMO denies story
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed in principle to withdraw from the Golan Heights during indirect talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2010, according to US documents cited by Yedioth Ahronoth on Friday.
The pertinent documents were written by Special Coordinator for the Middle East Frederick Hoff, an assistant to the then-US Special Envoy for the Middle East George Mitchell.
The paper reported that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak opened secret negotiations with Assad over a full withdrawal from the Golan to the shores of the Sea of Galilee in exchange for a peace deal. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967.
Netanyahu had Israeli officials who were involved in the negotiations sign confidentiality agreements, according to Yedioth, in order to guard the secrecy of the talks, of which the rest of the Israeli government was apparently unaware. The negotiations reportedly ended in early 2011, with the outbreak of the popular uprising against the Assad regime.
The Prime Minister’s Office immediately denied the report on Friday, saying in a statement that Israel had never accepted the American initiative and that it was no longer relevant.
Netanyahu announced on Thursday that Israeli elections would be held on January 22, 2013, nine months ahead of schedule.
BB is a Liar with diploma. There is no reason to believe the story is untrue.
Where would Israel be today if he had succeeded?
Since the Golan was annexed to Israel the very fact that BB was negotiating too cede sovereign Israeli territory; he is a traitor under existing Israeli law and the penalty is death.
Canadian Otter Said:
dear otter,
i could not agree with you more. like you, i am outraged at the abomination that is enfolding in front of our very eyes. it is like seeing members of your own family colluding with the burglars and arsonists gathered outside of the family home, to help in the process of destruction and to impede any resistance…
to actually voice this OUTRAGE is considered hate speech. the one that has voiced it best was the late kahane. he really said what most everybody was thinking and then – poof! in 1988, the israeli government banned kach as “racist” and “undemocratic” under the terms of an ad hoc law …
i believe that this can not (and should not) go on for too much longer.
but in order to be able to
there must be a unity and an end to the exasperating pettiness (that is so devisive) of this nation of ours….
So here goes a shorter comment. I’m just wondering whether something is missing from the picture. You have “right wing” governments that invariably end up betraying their principles. Something must be making them do it. Who and what will remain unsaid for now. On the other hand you have an unhappy but UNORGANIZED and POLITICALLY SCATTERED population who wield little power in how their country is run. What’s missing from the picture is then a powerful and well organized population that can at least have a respectable chance of stopping treasonous policies enacted by their authorities.
Instead of placing the burden of responsibility at the top (waiting for a good leader or political party), why not turn everything around and put the responsibility on the people, so that they can empower themselves and then make a difference? Finding the right leader and the right political combination may take years. Calling on the population to put pressure on leaders to stop the gradual dismantling and surrender of Israel could be done in a few months. Provided someone – anyone – can ignite the necessary OUTRAGE, self-confidence, and dedication among the population. (Don’t shake your head. Everything starts with a dream.)
Spam Filter has blocked my comment.
Thanks Yamit for the analysis.
Just one small comment. I see the picture through the media and talkbacks, so I may be wrong, but during the past four years I got the impression that National Union was just not trying hard enough to attract more supporters. It’s as if it was happy with being the token nationalist group in the Knesset.
There have been so many issues where they could have been passionately at the forefront (the Freeze, infiltrators, violation of Jewish rights, Arab attacks on motorists, etc.), protesting, educating the public, and ORGANIZING them against government policies. They have spoken out but they stop shy of organizing anything that can make a difference and change history. What a waste of time and opportunity. I wonder what the reason for such a low profile performance might be. Even Aryeh Eldad’s Hatikva party could have gone on its own to organize the nationalist opposition. But it didn’t. Very disappointing.
~~~~~~~~
One name that does not come up is that of Moshe Feiglin. Although not an MK, he still wields some influence (I think?) if only from the fact that he helps to bring in the right wing vote to Likud. He recently confirmed he will continue to run with Likud. SIGH! …..What can one say…?
Avigdor Lieberman recently expressed agreement with Ehud Barak’s support for a disengagement from all Judea/Samaria except the big settlements.
A political rearrangement by sorting the left from the center from the right is the very least Israel needs to save itself from “right-wing Likud”. Will it happen on time? This new development in the nationalist front is absolutely fascinating.
on November 24, 2011, Haaretz named the top 10 pro-settlement Knesset members they claimed that was a secret memo from Mattot Arim
1. Uri Ariel (National Union, 46)
2. Zeev Elkin (Likud, 34)
3. Yariv Levin (Likud, 27)
4. Aryeh Eldad (National Union, 24)
5. Moshe Ya’alon (Likud, 18)
6. Danny Danon (Likud, 15)
7. Moshe Kahlon (Likud 14)
8. Michael Ben-Ari (National Union, 13)
9. Benny Begin (Likud, 13)
10. Tzipi Hotovely (Likud, 13)
Note: Avigdor Lieberman is ranked low on the entire list.
The only MK’s I would include in my list are Eldad,Ben Ari, Uri Ariel and Zeev Elkin. All the rest are included solely due to pro settlement legislation they have submitted or has helped to pass.
Except for a brief period the NRP has always been a centrist political party concerning itself mostly with preserving their affiliated education institutions and government jobs for their constituencies. The only time they broke out of their narrow religious constituency was in the early days of Oslo when they got I think 11 mandates due to non religious Israelis voting for their party based on Jewish Zionist values and their aggressive appeal to the Land Of Israel stalwarts. The non-religious nationalist Jews gave them between 3-4 mandates or seats in the Knesset. From that peak it was a steady slide into oblivion.
Orlev is and always has been a political snake. One possessed with a malignant ego, who would rather see Israel destroyed if he can’t be at or near the top politically. Much like Peres with a Kippa.
I used to like “Ketzaleh” Katz until he sold out to Christian evangelical money. He in my opinion is no longer to be trusted and Ben Ari and Eldad are correct to distance themselves from anything related to “Ketzaleh” Katz.
As long as the Likud is in power the right- both secular and religious will be disunited with little chance of forming a unified block. This is why I no longer fear the left from gaining power. The right under the Likud has given up more than the left. Peres built more settlements than Begin and destroyed zero. BB gave up more than Rabin and Bark and Sharon gave up more than BB and Olmert. Begin the greatest of traitors gave up the Sinai and set the principle of Land for Peace in granite. Without Madrid conference of Shamir and begins capitulation of Sinai there could never have been an Oslo Wye Plantation agreements or Road Map.
It was our most right wing governments who gave away the most of the Land of Israel to our enemies and not the Left.
A party led by non religious nationalists but including nationalist religious members at the top is the only sane party to vote for even if they only garner a small number of mandates. Such a party must be built and offer the public a real alternative to what all the others have and are today. Immediate goal is to have a large enough number of mandates that no block can form a government without them. Whether it takes 1-2 or more election cycles who can predict. A centrist Likud supermarket party attracting everyone with ambition or a hunger for perks, Jobs and handouts is not a party that can be relied upon to protect the Land and the people.