Prof Paul Eidelberg makes the point that Israel needs A Distinctively Judaic National Goal. Then he lays out what Israel should do to achieve it.
He writes “Israel needs an entirely new system of governance, one that will:”
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(1) Enact a law that affirms Israel’s raison d’être as a Jewish Republic, one that rejects multicultural moral relativism.
(2) Enact, as a legal qualification for voting in Israeli elections, an oath of loyalty to Israel as a Jewish Republic.
(3) Enforce the 1952 Citizenship Law which empowers the Minister of Interior “to revoke the citizenship of any Israel national that commits an act of disloyalty to the State.” (The term “act” should be defined in such a way as to safeguard freedom of speech and press.)
(4) Enforce Basic Law: The Knesset, which prohibits any party that rejects Israel as a Jewish Republic.
(5) Consistent with the example of Japan, which restricts citizenship to children born of Japanese parents, amend the “grandfather clause” of the Law of Return to curtail the flow of immigrants into Israel whose parents are not Jewish if they have not converted. (The money saved should be used to strengthen the bond between Jewish and non-Jewish citizens already in Israel.)
(6) Require all public-supported schools, including those attended by non–Jews, to include Jewish studies in their curricula.
(7) Revise the parliamentary electoral laws to make Members of the Knesset individually accountable to the voters in geographic/constituency elections, and, in the process, replace the inept and corrupting system of multiparty cabinet government with a unitary Executive or Presidential system accompanied by candidate vetting including political experience, education, military service, and financial holdings.
(8) Change Basic Law: The Judiciary, by empowering the President, advised by a council learned in Jewish and secular law, to nominate Supreme Court judges, subject to confirmation by the Knesset in open public inquiry.
(9) Require the Supreme Court to abide by the Foundations of Law Act 1981, which was intended by the Knesset to make Jewish law “first among equals” vis-à-vis the various systems of jurisprudence used by the court.
The effect of which will advance our national goal.
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If these measures are carried out, the people of Israel would actually see their country making yearly progress toward the goal of an authentic Jewish Republic. A Constitution would follow as the culmination of a Judaic National Goal.
Notice that the achievement of this goal, unlike the pursuit of peace, does not depend on the vainly sought benevolence of other nations. In her quest for peace, Israel has been pursuing a mirage. Her political and intellectual leaders do not understand that it is not within the power of any nation or group of nations to give Israel peace. Israel must take its future into her own hands.
In the final analysis, to achieve genuine and abiding peace, Israel will have to recognize the purpose for which it was created some 3,300 years ago, and that is to sanctify the Name of the Creator. That is precisely what the Hebraic Republic of antiquity did, and that is why Christian Hebraists deemed the laws and institutions of this Republic as superior even to those recommended by Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero with whom these learned Hebraists were quite familiar. They extolled Jewish Exceptionalism.
Paul Eidelberg heads the Israel-America Renaissance Institute. He is a recognized expert on the American constitutiopn.
@ Linda Rivera:
You seem to know what is Jewish culture. I have no idea what it means, so if you know pls. explain.
My comment to drjb has been SPAMMED!!!!
That’s 2 comments on this thread alone.
@ drjb:
Poll: Attack on Bennett Strengthened his Party
Bayit Yehudi would receive 13 seats if elections were held today, according to a Panels poll.
The attacks on Naftali Bennett only served to enlarge and consolidate his party’s base of support, according to a Panels Politics poll for the Mako website.
The poll shows Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) gaining a one seat, compared to the previous Panels poll, and receiving 13 Knesset seats, whereas Likud remains stable at 36 seats.
The poll further shows Labor with 18, Shas with 10, Livni’s movement and Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid with 9 each, United Torah Judaism with 6, Meretz with 4, Otzma Leyisrael (Power to Israel) with 3 and Rabbi Haim Amsallem’s Am Shalem with 2.
The poll also checked how the Israeli public has reacted to Bennett’s pronouncements regarding refusal of orders to evict people from their homes. A plurality of 42% said they support Bennett’s in the argument with Likud. Among Likud voters, 45% support Netanyahu, whereas among Bayit Yehudi voters, 92% support Bennett.
The controversy around Bennett’s statements appears to have galvanized his base in his support. Of Bayit Yehudi voters, 54% said their appreciation for Bennett has only increased since the storm erupted, and 85% said they think Netanyahu made a mistake in attacking Bennett.
Likud voters, meanwhile, were almost evenly divided between those who said Netanyahu operated correctly (41%) and those who thought he made a mistake by attacking Bennett (38%).
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If nothing major occurs and it certainly might, I can see Bayit Yehudi with 15-16 mandates and Eldad 4-5 and let’s not forget Amsalem’s rump party.2 mandates. It’s the young people under age 35 that is becoming the major force in determining the outcomes along with the understanding that The Likud and BB will be the largest party and be the one to form the next government. That frees up many to opt to vote for smaller parties to the right of Liked-Betaenu. Something interesting seems to be transpiring within the Israeli electorate which bodes well for Israel and bad for the Likud even though they stand to win a plurality. The 35 and under generation is starting to assert themselves and they have no intrinsic loyalty to the Likud who is devoid of any ideology and vision for Israel and the Israeli people other than being the party in power.
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BB will try to form his next coalition without Shas and Bayit Yehudi if he can and bring in Labor Livni and Lapid in their stead. He will keep
Degel Ha Torah. This is his strategy. He fears the ideological right more than the left because he can buy them. BB will bring in his own people for Key positions like Meridor even Begin
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All of the Candidates with safe slots on the Likud list were in the current Knesset except Feiglin and one other whose name I forget and they did nothing to prevent BB from an almost total building freeze including Jerusalem from the first day of Likuds forming the current government and even before the 10 month freeze he agreed to. Where was Feiglin and his group. Did they mitigate and force BB to rescind his edict? How many Jewish homes has BB destroyed and Jews thrown out of their homes by BB? Did Feiglim stop BB from destroying a single dwelling? Almost 4 years of BB has shown that he has no real opposition from within the Likud and Feiglin has lost every time he tried to mount an oppositional stand to BB even and here especially in the central committee. I have been waiting 14 years for Feiglin to prove he is a real leadr and right about the path he choose. So far Zip. I don’t have to enumerate the sins of the Likud and Leaders from Sharon to Olmert to BB. Show me what Feiglin has accomplished. Did he leave the Likud in protest of the Bar Ilan speech recognizing a Pali State? Did he leave the Likud in protest? Did he organize and lead internal likud opposition to BB’s anti Zionist and anti Jewish policies?
I agree that (NRP) Bayit Yehudi behaved like all NRP in the past and little different than all other constituent parties in all coalitions but I have to believe till shown otherwise that Bennett will be different given the opportunity. Even if Bayit Yehudi is kept out of the coalition it may be a good thing. Till now BB has not had an ideological opposition strong enough to deter him. A large united ideological fighting party and or group of parties in opposition might have more influence than sitting with little power as a minority constituent inside. BB will not allow himself to be put in a position of being seriously threatened by any single party and certainly not from within. He is a snake but not stupid.
NB; Many Haredi youth over 18 are gravitating to Bennett and Eldad. How many??? Remains to be seen But a coalition of Bayit Yehudi, Eldad and Amsalem could become the 2nd largest party in Israel. If Feiglin would join they have the potential of challenging the Likud which is preferable IMO to what Feiglin is trying to do and failing. A vote for Feiglin is a vote for the Likud and as things stand a vote for BB.
A Distinctively Judaic National Goal. YES!
European and British ruling elites adore their so-called multiculturalism. It is ALL a DECEPTION. Only ONE culture is aggressively promoted by freedom-hater ruling elites in Europe and Britain: ISLAM.
Be forever proud to be Jewish! Promote one culture only: the beautiful Jewish culture!
When people visit the famous Holy Land, they want to absorb, experience and enjoy one culture only: the beautiful Jewish culture!
I expressed the same ideas in this Declaration years ago: http://www.resonoelusono.com/DeclarationForIsrael.htm
shachalnur Said:
Boo!
Paul Eidelberg “is a recognized expert on the American Constitution”,so says the last sentence .
What part of the American Constitution did he actually read?
Scary piece.
This is one time I find myself disagreeing with Yamit!!!!
Feiglin is right, again! Hershkovitz, et al were enablers of Bibi’s bad policies. They cared more about their seats in Knesset than about their political views. They are useless.
I wish Bennett lots of success, I like him a lot. If he can muster 15 seats, then he’ll be a force, but I highly doubt he can. He needs to incorporate Eldad’s party or he won’t get that critical mass. And I still can’t understand why he can’t. And if he ends up getting 9 seats, watch Bibi marginalize him and turn him and his party to a big fat zero. Again Feiglin will be left to battle Bibi from within, while all the other losers criticize him from outside and at the end support Bibi with their shameless silence.
I pray that the day comes when Israel has a kippah wearing PM, but it will have to come from Likud. Bayt Yehudi is too sectarian and will never be accepted as a leading party by most Israelis. Most BY members can’t accept the fact that one of their women hopefuls is masorati and not fully religious!!!!!!! They have no clue!
Nothing is going to change in Israel next year.
That’s the cynic in me. The rest is up to the Jewish people and G-d!
My reply to Shy has been blocked by spam filter
@ Shy Guy:
Well I am embarrassed to have to have such a conversation with you on this subject. In the beginning I supported Feiglin and the concept of usurping the Likud from within. I realized after a few years tht the concept might be a valid one but Feiglin was not the one to pull it off.
He is not the one to pull it off!!! there I said it again.
I have long aid that in principle that were Feiglin to have gained enough religious supporters to get control of the Likud then most of the secular would have run for the hills to another party. One that exists or one to be created as a replacement (Likud Bet) for the old Likud before Feiglin. that would leave Feiglin and his Likud about where the Bayit Yehudi was in the current election. He would have gained the Likud Logo but not the Likud rank and file and would have inherited the millions of shekels of debt left by the old Likud.
Feiglin has had many opportunities to oppose BB and his policies publicly outside of his internal forums and he hasn’t . I didn’t see him leading the charge against the demolishing of settler homes or support for those illegally arrested and jailed. Looks like he was playing it safe and doing nothing that might antagonize BB and Likud supporters, and fear of being arrested and barred from politics seems to have muzzeled him to no more than a political manipulator. 14 years and then he needed Katz and IA support to get on the list in a safe slot?
I think Bennett is showing the way, and if he succeeds then Feiglin is finished in politics. A leader with few followers after so long and so much expended is pathetic. That said you are correct about Bayit Yehudi (NRP) that I always opposed, before the new leadership.
I applaud results and do up to a point respect Feiglins efforts till a few years ago but a wise man know when to quit and cut his losses and take a different path. Feiglin ay be smart but not very wise, Religious and nationalist Jews need to unite and in my opinion Feiglis is divisive.
I do agree with Orbach in that attacking the Bayit Yehudi Feiglin has made a tactical if not strategic error, even if it is self serving. You don’t attack your ideological allies when the only one who gains is the very same group of politicians you want eliminated and replaced as a result. Sounds a lot like bitter grapes to me and probably a lot of others in the nationalist camp.
@ Shy Guy:
Well I am embarrassed to have to have such a conversation with you on this subject. In the beginning I supported Feiglin and the concept of usurping the Likud from within. I realized after a few years tht the concept might be a valid one but Feiglin was not the one to pull it off.
He is not the one to pull it off!!! there I said it again.
I have long aid that in principle that were Feiglin to have gained enough religious supporters to get control of the Likud then most of the secular would have run for the hills to another party. One that exists or one to be created as a replacement (Likud Bet) for the old Likud before Feiglin. that would leave Feiglin and his Likud about where the Bayit Yehudi was in the current election. He would have gained the Likud Logo but not the Likud rank and file and would have inherited the millions of shekels of debt left by the old Likud.
Feiglin has had many opportunities to oppose BB and his policies publicly outside of his internal forums and he hasn’t . I didn’t see him leading the charge against the demolishing of settler homes or support for those illegally arrested and jailed. Looks like he was playing it safe and doing nothing that might antagonize BB and Likud supporters, and fear of being arrested and barred from politics seems to have muzzeled him to no more than a political manipulator. 14 years and then he needed Katz and IA support to get on the list in a safe slot?
I think Bennett is showing the way, and if he succeeds then Feiglin is finished in politics. A leader with few followers after so long and so much expended is pathetic. That said you are correct about Bayit Yehudi (NRP) that I always opposed, before the new leadership.
I applaud results and do up to a point respect Feiglins efforts till a few years ago but a wise man know when to quit and cut his losses and take a different path. Feiglin ay be smart but not very wise, Religious and nationalist Jews need to unite and in my opinion Feiglis is divisive.
I do agree with Orbach in that attacking the Bayit Yehudi Feiglin has made a tactical if not strategic error, even if it is self serving. You don’t attack your ideological allies when the only one who gains is the very same group of politicians you want eliminated and replaced as a result. Sounds a lot like bitter grapes to me and probably a lot of others in the nationalist camp.
What is Feiglin’s position (#) on the Likud list?
I wonder if BB will get the support of all the parties to the right to form a new government?
Then we’re all buried, if you and everyone else agrees with Orbach’s nonsense.
The
“force”farce of religious Zionism is that it will garner 12-15 seats – and then what? Bibi will either enter a coalition where everyone will compromise and damage will be more limited, or Netanyahu will form a coalition with the left, as he already did and life will be worse than it was until now. In either scenario, nothing is being done to remove Netanyahu from the Likud itself. He will continue to reign without any serious threat to him whatsoever.As for Orbach’s yammering about Manhigut becoming “servants of their secular masters”, that’s precisely what he and Hershkowitz were in their endless stances of capitulation to Netanyahu during the outgoing Knesset term. Do you honestly believe what and whom you are quoting? You should be embarrassed!
@ Shy Guy:
I agree but it won’t be Feiglin!! His comments here has buried him as far as any long term ambitions are concerned.
In order to carry out these Jewish national goals, you need Jewish Leadership.
In the meantime, Israel is spinning its wheels on an uphill incline.