The Leader is...

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote what I thought are the qualities of a good national leader. I asked for additional suggestions.

There was some response including names. It's interesting that the main anti-Disengagement Likud MK wasn't mentioned. That's Uzi Landau, and he has enough financial backing to have hired a staff. He seems like a nice man, but he seems too nice for the dirt he'll have to wade through. That's the problem with the Likud, the nice ones are too nice, and the rest aren't reliable.

Too many people in the Likud want the respect of the country's elite. That need/sensitivity/vulnerability seriously reduces their leadership potential. And the others imitate the worst of the crooked business and political practices of the left.

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see or hear of Uzi Landau being out in the "fields" with the people of Gush Katif and the Northern Shomron. And I'm not talking about "photo-ops;" I'm talking about being 100% part of the struggle.

Some Mafdal, National Religious Party, MK's were out with the people, but just by being part of a religious party they have taken themselves out of the running for a position in national leadership. I don't support the religious parties in principle. I don't think that religious education should be a political issue as if only NRP members' kids go to those schools. And I don't like that they set themselves up, by definition as being for the religious and not for the entire Nation.

So if I don't see anyone from the Likud, nor from the religious parties, where does that leave us? I support political parties that as Geula Cohen once described "T'chiya," are Jewish parties. So which parties represent the entire nation?

And why am I writing about political parties? I'm writing about political parties because in the Israeli political system, Prime Ministers aren't elected. That's right. Everytime someone has said that Sharon could do what he wants, because he was elected Prime Minister, they're not telling the truth. The Likud was given the mandate to appoint a Prime Minister, because it had the largest amount of Knesset members. Lists are elected, not individuals.

It should be a political party that supports, embraces and consists of all sorts of Jews, religious, less so etc. Its leaders should be leaders, doing, not just talking and lecturing all over the world.

I see only one party that fits the bill. It's the Ichud Le'umi. The strong patriotic members of other parties should join it before the next elections. There have been various news items that say that some of the NRP members are joining it. We'll see.

MK Dr. Arye Eldad, MD, may not have had been number one on their last list for the Knesset, but he has been the number one leader during this whole sorry Disengagement affair. I support him. If he wants my help, I'm willing.