“Follow The Leader”

Musings #49
May 12, 2004

“Follow The Leader”

“Follow The Leader” was a game we played as kids, in the middle of the last century—boy does that make me sound old! But seriously, we did play the game, and generally the “leader” did ridiculous things to make following as difficult or funny as possible. Of course, it was just a game.

I wonder what game our politicians are playing. I don’t see any leaders out there, just politicians playing games, dangerous games. Since Arik Sharon announced that he’s withdrawing from Gush Katif and uprooting and destroying the Jewish communities, schools, business, homes, lives… whether Likud members support him or not, over a dozen Israelis have been murdered there.

The Israeli Prime Minister and his faithful follower, the Minister of Defense, have caused the terrorists to celebrate in the way the love the most—murdering more Jews. And like sharks, who have tasted human blood, they are uninhibited in their obvious delight. They proudly display their battle trophies on newscasts, the body parts of our soldiers.

The rest of the world finds this terrorism acceptable, just like they did sixty years ago, when the Nazis systematically murdered six million Jews and millions of others. Ok, I have no problem recognizing the fact that most of the world is anti-Semitic. As they say in Hebrew: “Uvdah!” It’s a fact. What I find totally unacceptable is that The State of Israel, the one Jewish country in the entire world, is doing nothing against it.

We have no leadership. Making decisions is not leadership. Getting elected is not leadership; it’s politics, deals, marketing. A true leader has vision, chazon. It’s a dream that’s always on the horizon, something to strive for.

The politicians in power, the media and the “left” are taking their lines from the “Judenrat,” the establishment Jews in Germany at the time of the Naxis. The Judenrat worked with the Nazis, choosing the Jews to be “sent” and explaining to the remaining Jews that it was really “better” if they all moved to the ghetto. Every time I hear that Israel is “too big” with Yesha, and we’d be better off without all (or even some) of it, I feel transported back in time.

These politicians and “opinion-makers” keep reminding us that we must keep the Americans, Europeans and UN happy. To be honest—who cares? They have no authority over us, and our safety and future are not important to them. Why should I try to please them? If these politicians and the media consider it so important to do what some foreigners want, then they are followers!

A country’s leaders, any country’s leaders, have one responsibility and that’s to make their country self-sufficient and independent. A country missing those two characteristics is dying. True national leaders consider the needs of their country first and build for the future, so the future will be better, meaning more self-sufficient and independent.

This is not just simple common sense. The parsha shavua of this Shabbat includes a very frightening section from Vayikra, Leviticus XXVI. It is a continuation of what G-d said to Moshe. First it reminds us that we shouldn’t worship idols, in any form or way. Then we are told that if we follow G-d’s commandments, we will have sufficient rains and prosperity and live in peace, not fear, and we will be successful. But if we don’t… G-d will send terror and famine…

It is clear what we must do. We should stop looking for others to follow. We will lead.

Batya Medad, Shiloh
Shilohmuse@yahoo.com
http://www.shilo.org.il