Feiglin Balagan

balagan is the Hebrew word for mess, anarchy, foul-up

The ragged remnants of the Likud are a total balagan over Moshe Feiglin.

First of all, Bibi Netanyahu and supporters want to disenfranchise those who voted for Feiglin in the recent leadership elections. His faction has been preparing a rule for the Likud which would make it illegal for Feiglin to run. Last night I caught veteran MK Michael Eitan on the news claiming that such a rule is the most moral thing there could be, and he had been working on the draft of this law for months. Of course he had been silent about morals when the Sharon mafioso, Tzachi Hanegbi and gang were still in the Likud.

Not all of the Likud agrees with them. Likud MK Michael Ratzon attacked newly elected party leader Benjamin Netanyahu late Wednesday over his plan to change the Likud charter in an effort to exclude far-right activist Moshe Feiglin from running for a place on the party's Knesset list next month. And obviously, thousands of dues paying members will cancel their membership and swear off voting for the Likud.

Feiglin and supporters claim that he actually doesn't mind if he's not personally on the list, since the only number he wants is number one. OK, that's not too bright, IMHO. Becoming "numero uno" in a party is a long process, requiring developing experience and loyalties in all levels of the hierarchy. You have to do your "staj," internship. At this point, Feiglin's supporters are far from the highest echelons of the Likud. And he doesn't have the right "family background" to jump start the process. Neither did he reach sufficient heights in the army, the other way of skipping steps.

So now, we're observing the knives once aimed only at the back. Things are more public, one of the reasons that Bibi has made a deal with Feiglin.

You may agree, or not, of course, but the Likud, even shorn of Sharon, Olmert and gang, still isn't a party I would vote for.