Geula Cohen, Genuine Israeli Hero

Yesterday morning I woke up to the sad news that Geula Cohen, Jewish patriot, fighter for Israeli Independence and Jewish Rights in all of the Land of Israel had passed away. Age-wise few of her peers and brothers in arms are still alive, but she had no peer in terms of her accomplishments.

Geula Cohen was an old soldier who didn't fade away.

After Israel's victorious War for Independence, Geula became a journalist, Knesset Member, party leader of Techiya, but never a politician who mastered or treasured the art of compromise.  Geula Cohen was an idealist to the end. Ideals and principles were foremost for her.

We knew Geula personally. She had been a guest in our home and family occasions, and we also attended her joyous events. My husband worked for her for many years. She'd travel to Shiloh by bus before she had a car. As a Knesset Member, Geula Cohen took advantage of the perk that offered all MKs free public transportation.

For me, personally, the death of Geula Cohen is the death of an old aunt. Geula was a role model for women trying to make it in a man's world. She didn't play the Feminist card. Geula was a mother, grandmother and proud Jew.

I'll never forget hearing her at a pre-election "Parlour Meeting" in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem, promoting the Techiya Party. Someone asked if Techiya was a religious party.

"Religious party?" Geula repeated. "No, Techiya is a Jewish party."

Geula didn't like the labeling according to Jewish observance. Judaism for her was much larger than one's kitchen or Shabbat. She saw being Jewish as being part of a great People with its own Land and History.

At one point Geula and her son Tzachi Hanegbi both served in the Knesset, though representing different political parties. Geula was a Techiya MK, while Tzachi was with Likud. For the following election campaign Tzachi featured in a very unique Likud ad saying, as my memory serves me:

"People keep coming up to me saying they want to vote Techiya, because they love my mother. I also love my mother, but vote Likud."

I don't have the film of that, but I've included Geula's reaction to Prime Minster Menachem Begin's Camp David treaty with Egypt.

ברוך דיין האמת

Baruch Dayan Ha'emet

Blessed Be The True Judge

Politically "Homeless" Post Israeli Elections 2019

I've seen this term on the pages of a few facebook friends who, like me, had supported Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked's "The New Right" party. The New Right missed getting into the Knesset by a ridiculously small number of votes.

In response to those who suggest that we should "just return to the NRP/Jewish Home party," that's totally absurd and further proof that I've been orphaned yet again.

Why do they presume that I had a home in the Jewish Home?

I'm not of Bnai Akiva/NRP/Jewish Home. My Torah Judaism is a result of my years in NCSY, my Zionism is from Betar and it was coming to age during the 1967 Six Days War which drew me to live in Liberated Shiloh.

My Israeli political identification was more Yisrael Eldad than Menachem Begin, especially once Begin gave Egypt the Sinai and destroyed all of the Jewish communities that had been built there. As a result of the Camp David Accords, I aligned with the Techiya Party, but after about a decade, that, too failed to make the cut and enter the Knesset. Since then I find myself searching for a political party which I can trust ideologically.

One very important thing that keeps me from feeling "at home" in The Jewish Home is that I am ideologically opposed to parties based on religious observance. Here in the State of Israel we must look out for all Jews and citizens, what's best for the entire country, not just the "crocheted kippah" crowd.

The second recommended option for political affiliation is the Likud, but that, too isn't a good match for me. The Likud is too Centrist for my ideology, and I firmly believe that it is important that there be a strong Right party to pull the Likud Right.

The New Right was a good match for my requirements, and I like and respect some of the top people. I think there were two reasons they missed votes. One was in their control, and the other wasn't, though there's a connection.

1. Moshe Feiglin's mishmash/supermarket party with a conflicting/contradicting choice of ideologies, plus his past as a Right wing politician/wannabe attracted some voters who had been debating between him and New Right. Some of them refused to read the "fine print" of his platform and Knesset list; they voted for Feiglin.
2. I wasn't impressed by the campaign run by the New Right. I had been hoping that Caroline Glick would have been given free hand to produce and publicize a lot of Latma style campaign videos,which would have been more attractive and less strident. I have no doubt that the additional voters they would have attracted would easily have put the New Right into the Knesset.

Now I'm politically homeless, or more accurately orphaned. While my favorite politicians and political wannabes lick their wounds, recover, heal and plan for the future, I'll wait patiently. Really, there isn't much else for me to do. I won't be quiet. I'll blog and comment when I have something to say. That's what I do.

Gd willing Binyamin Netanyahu and his crew will build a ruling coalition that will pleasantly surprise me. Let's see if he really annexes all the yishuvim, which was his last minute campaign promise.

Gd willing next Knesset Elections results will be more to my liking.

Not enough people voted as I did, for נ The New Right
Knesset Elections 2019 Israeli Elections

2019, 5779 Israeli Elections, Party Time, Bennett-Shaked Shake Things Up

Tonight, Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked announced that they were breaking away from the NRP (National Religious Party) aka Jewish Home Party and establishing a new political party that would be to the Right of the political spectrum and open to all shades of religiosity. Bennett and Shaked are calling their party the "New Right."

In all honesty, I'm not surprised. I'm more surprised that they managed to stay in the rather staid NRP for five years. When Bennett told the old leadership, the ones who handle the money and property of the venerable old party, that the secular and female Ayelet Shaked was an indispensable part of his leadership package, I have no doubt that they were more shaken up than the British Royal Family when Harry made his relationship with Meghan Markle public.

Just under forty years ago, the Techiya Party was established by legendary Geula Cohen and Yuval Neeman. It was a straight-talking Right party, which I supported and mourn its demise. In the 1992 elections, it didn't receive enough votes to pass the minimum threshold and ceased to exist.

My guess is that the New Right is a 21st century version of Techiya, and from what Bennett and Shaked said at the press conference tonight, they would be happy adopting something I heard Geula Cohen say at a Parlour Meeting in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem.

Geula was asked:

"Is Techiya a religious party?"

Geula replied:

"Techiya isn't a religious party; it's a Jewish party."

I have never liked religion as a criteria for politics and government. We have to work together.

What do you think?