Hamas War

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Bye, Bye, Bibi, Bye, Bye

I doesn't matter who officially initiates the retroactive "changes" in the Likud Knesset lists, the blame and responsibility fall entirely on Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu. Only someone who still believes in the Tooth Fairy thinks otherwise.

These requested changes are for one reason only, to knock Moshe Feiglin out of the Knesset. Bibi will lose big. Political tricks tend to backfire in the most ironic of ways. Arik Sharon pulled a trick like that. After he spent the Likud's money on a referendum, "To Disengage or Not To," promising that the Likud led government would "obey the will of the people," he promptly went against the results. Likud members voted against Disengagement, but that didn't stop Sharon. Bibi's doing the same thing. He's anti-democratic and foolish, too. Bibi is telling thousands of Israelis that he does not want our votes, and he won't get them now.

All this has nothing to do with the fact that I've always considered Moshe Feiglin's entry to Likud--how he promoted himself--problematic. When he joined the Likud he proclaimed that he was taking over and would be its leader someday. That's not how to do it, and that 's a reason he has many enemies among the veteran machers (big shots) and members. These problems have nothing to with the issue at hand.

Feiglin's votes were won fair and square, as the saying goes, and Bibi would be wise to accept that his party, the Likud, wants to return to its nationalist, patriotic roots. That means, right, not center.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why is not what Feiglin did kosher? Why can't you join any political party you want and run for leadership? What's the difference between Feiglin and Ehud Barak? Barak came from the army and took control of the party (and destroyed it frankly). It's politics, nothing has to be fair about joining a party that the media or other party members don't approve of.

Batya said...

Barak was "invited" in. Feiglin "invaded." You have to "work your way in," "charm" the veteran members or be some sort of bigshot whom they want. Feiglin entered the party saying the most obnoxious things, not like a wise politician.

goyisherebbe said...

Sorry, Batya, but you are wrong. A large political party is not a social club or shtiebel where you sit around having tea or schnaps and feeling good. You have fair, democratic elections and abide by them. You have principles and you keep to them. Feiglin is adhering to the original Herut ideology of the proud Jew in the land of Israel and respect for Jewish tradition without coercion. The religious members of Manhigut Yehudit have abandoned the desperate behavior of religious parties hanging onto their private fiefdoms. By doing so we can reinstate the Torah as the heritage of all Jews. Feiglin is a tremendous asset to the right in Israel because he is the only one who can be interviewed or appear on a television panel and not be made a fool of by the moderator. Bibi is deathly afraid of losing his position as leader of the Likud. The funny thing is, the more he resists Feiglin, the faster he will defeat himself and put Feiglin in the position of head of the party.

Batya said...

I'm trying to figure out what you're referring to as my being wrong. I think it's the "charming" business.

Politics is "social" in a massive way. In LIkud there's the "central committee" which chooses the committee which makes the rules. They're "pals" with each other. That's how it works. A good politician convinces people that he likes and cares about others, espcially in Israel. Feiglin just doesn't have it for the Likud persona. Bibi didn't have it in the beginning, but he learned how to project it. Begin had it.

It hasn't helped my opinion of Feiglin that the times I've seen him, when he was talking to the person next to me, he avoided all eye contact, snubbing me. Effie Eitam did the same. If you're not naturally curious about people and friendly, you're not cut out for politics. And don't tell me that he's a religious saint; I'm a voter.