T. Belman. Many secular people are afraid of Moshe Feiglin. Judging from his positions over the last 2 years I would say that there is nothing to be afraid of. I agree with almost all the positions he took. Well done, Moshe.
Elections are the time to give the public who sent me to the Knesset a comprehensive report on my work there. Israel’s citizens are the sovereign and they deserve to know what their elected representatives have done with their trust.
My most important achievement in the Knesset to date is the new perception that I have brought to politics and the public discourse: Liberty and identity are not mutually exclusive, as many claim. On the contrary: It is only through our identity that we will merit liberty and live meaningful national and personal lives. Conversely, only true liberty will allow us to genuinely connect to our Jewish identity.
The understanding that liberty is the foundation of Jewish existence has motivated me to advance significant bills in the Knesset and to always vote my conscience (even when that goes against the coalition vote). I will always vote in favor of personal liberty and Jewish identity in Israel. The following is my Knesset voting record:
- Against the extension of Israel’s State of Emergency, in effect since 1948, for the 66th
- Against administrative detention
- Against forced feeding of hunger striking prisoners
- Against the biometric law
- Against extra taxation of married couples in a shared business (an amendment that I proposed and was passed into law)
- In favor of equal divorce
- A bill to prevent accidents by placing a measure of responsibility on drivers
- In favor of graded transfer of national land to Israel’s citizens
- In favor of a truly open market (not transfer of national assets to controlling interests) and against populist nationalization of the market
- Fearless war on corruption (I removed my Knesset immunity in face of the Sarel Company threats against me at huge personal financial risk)
- Against harnessing civil institutions (universities) to the pursuit of draft evaders
- Against increasing authority to arrest people without trial
- In favor of the One Chief Rabbi Bill, which I proposed
- In favor of the conversion reform
- In favor of civil union as a personal solution (as long as it does not threaten the ethical standing of the traditional family)
- In favor of the Medical Marijuana Bill, which I proposed
- Against organ harvesting in China (a caucus that I initiated)
- In favor of a professional volunteer army (a caucus that I initiated)
- Against budget-based pensions over 15,000 NIS per month, funded by the public
- In favor of preserving family values (Liberty and identity are contingent on family and community)
- Intense efforts to free our brother, Jonathan Pollard
- And more…
In addition to my struggle for personal liberty in Israel and preservation of our Jewish identity and family values, I continued my fervent struggle for loyalty to the Land of Israel. I began this struggle years ago, with the advent of the Oslo Accords. It was then that I established the Zo Artzeinu movement to fight against the Oslo Accords, and later Manhigut Yehudit. These two organizations engendered three major breakthroughs in Israeli mentality, settlement and politics:
- Zo Artzeinu’s Mivtza Machpil plan broke through the fences around the settlements and their accompanying siege mentality, eventually giving rise to today’s outpost phenomenon.
- Manhigut Yehudit’s major registration drive for the Likud transformed the belief-based public into an important and sought-after political ally.
- Inside the Likud, the faith-based public began to dream of leading the nation
- The new reality forced the old NRP to adopt the language and ideas created by Manhigut Yehudit, making the faith-based public politically relevant.
I did not deviate from my principles and with G-d’s help, did not bow to political pressure. Sometimes I even voted alone against the coalition, preserving my absolute loyalty to our Land. For example, I voted:
- Against giving the Negev to the Bedouin (called the Prawer Committee decisions)
- In favor of the bill that makes any negotiations on Jerusalem contingent on the signatures of 80 MKs.
- Against the bill that evokes moral equivalence between traditional families and homosexual couples
- Against the state budget (!) in an attempt to repeal the government decision to free terrorists from Israeli prisons.
- In favor of the bill to free Jewish prisoners along with Arab terrorists
My attendance record in the Knesset committees and plenum are among the highest and among other achievements I:
- Successfully prevented the planned confiscation of personal firearms (mostly from the residents of Judea and Samaria) by means of mandatory psychological examinations – a most basic civil liberties issue.
- Reigned in the verbal violence of the Arab MKs and when necessary, fearlessly showed them the exit from the Knesset plenum
- Triumphed against all the powers-that-be that attempted to blur the rappelling terror attack that murdered Netanel Arami, may G-d avenge his blood.
- Consistently charted out the proper course for dealing with Gaza throughout the Defensive Shield Operation
- Breached the borders of leftist political correctness by declaring at every opportunity that there is no Palestinian nation and that this is our Land.
- Placed the true diplomatic answer to the two-state-solution on the Knesset table: One state for one Nation in one Land. Explained the true demographic and geopolitical facts.
- Above and beyond everything else – I fearlessly and persistently fought to restore and preserve Israeli sovereignty on the Temple Mount. Threats to my life from radical Islamic quarters and the requisite bodyguard and guards watching over my home will not intimidate me.
With your support, I hope to continue to promote all these issues and to advance our struggle for liberty, identity and meaning in Israel in the next Knesset.
I read the book The War of Dreams by Moshe Feiglin, published in 2006. It is 607 pages and is a comprehensive record of his thinking on just about every issue. I hope that those who are quick to rush to judgment would first take the time to inform themselves. I trust Moshe Feiglin to make the right choices for Israel and not compromise on principles as do so many in the government. Ultimately it is the Israel public that must assume its full share of responsibility to become informed and to act as responsible Jews.
@ Justin:
Israel is built on a citizens army of the Israeli people. This is part of the core culture. Very different than the USA or France. No one will protect Israel accept Israelis and Israel unlike some of the USA others allies have never asked anyone to spill blood for it.
You think Arab terrorists (in this case Palestinian ones) would not attack them? Regan sent the Marines to Lebanon how many died (~225)? The USA did state building Iraq and how many died?
@ ArnoldHarris:
What’s not to like about Feiglin? He says what he means and means what he says. He loves freedom and hates statism. To me he is like an Israeli Rand Paul, only better.
@ Bear Klein:
I’ve always wondered why Israel doesn’t consider building a mercenary peacekeeping force, regardless of abolishing the draft, therefore reducing likelihood of conflict between Jewish IDF and Palestinian terrorists. There are a lot of veterans in the USA who are up to the task.
@ ArnoldHarris:..Of course, I could be quite wrong… about all this.
Or you could be correct. You certainly were with Shurat HaDin. I subsequently attended a lecture presentation of founder Nitzana Darshan Leitner. I had an opportunity to speak with her afterwards and she explained why she does not wish to have an GOI budget. I can explain later with more information, if you are interested. I passed along other comments; compliments I read here. She said, “…Thank you…”.
@ woolymammoth:
WM, I truly hope Feiglin shall indeed have his day. But wishes as often as not sink into the ocean of the unrequited, with hardly a splash to mark their passing.
Of course, I could be quite wrong about all this. Much about the dynamics of Israeli party politics are not something I have spent much of my time observing. But presently, Netanyahu seems to have HaLikud in his firm grasp. In any case, I think Bennett, if anyone, appears to be the man who will succeed Netanyahu on the right, and perhaps as prime minister of Israel as well. Probably not in the March 2015 election, however.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
@ ArnoldHarris: I always found MK Feglin an interesting Israeli public figure; but I could never quite grasp where he stood on things or what exactly made Netanyahu reliably; always attempting to shut him up and out. So is Feiglin best described in Likud politics as: The Anti-Bibi? I have often thought so.
His positions on social issues tends to put him at odds with “leftists” and Bibi. Hence explains the frustration felt by Likudniks for Netanyahu, his speeches give clear impression he is firmly on the right and his actual performance places him as a left leaning centrist, with a list of lame excuses, some implicit and some explicit. The implied ones are similat to : obama forced me to release dozens of terrorist murderers otherwise I would have been forced to do something even worse like freeze construction in Jerusalem and The Shomron. Those who wanted to believe him were left scratching their heads when he froze construction as well, usually within 30 days.
Feiglin’s positions on the myth of the “palestinian people” and dealing with the neighbors has been courageous and spot on correct.
I like Feiglin. I wish to thank him for his service to Israel and hope he will to continue to serve the nation as an MK in a leqadership role.
“to long survive the rough-and-tumble politics of Israeli Knesset coalition building…”
Arnold please correct me if I am wrong, but Moshe Feiglin is a veteran and clear survivor of Israeli politics in the spirit of the longest running leader of the opposition Menachem Begin.
prediction: MK Feiglin will have his day in the sun.
Moshe Feiglin seems a little too decent and possibly naïve as well, to long survive the rough-and-tumble politics of Israeli Knesset coalition building — and possibly more significant — mataintaining coalitions once thought solidified.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Thanks for this post from (easily) my favorite Israeli politician. Libertarian, pragmatist, and decent.
@ Bear Klein:
I read that too quickly. I think you are right.
This position if ever passes would endanger Israel and change the culture. This half baked position to make the position of the Haredi tenable, who are against draft is wrong and short-sighted.