Moshe Feiglin, JEWISH LEADERSHIP BLOG
“Defense Minister Ya’alon is technically correct when he says that the number of victims of each terror attack in this current intifada is less than in the previous intifada,” said Moshe Feiglin on Tuesday. “Thank G-d that until now, we are paying a ‘lower price’ for the short-sightedness and flaccidity of our leaders. But Ya’alon’s claim proves just how disconnected the government is from reality. If we dig beneath the surface, we will see that the current Arab uprising is the worst of all.”
“We are no longer looking at terror organizations somewhere over the border,” Feiglin explained.
“We are looking at a war declared against us by the Arabs who live in the Land of Israel, with growing partnership with the Arabs who live in the State of Israel. The Third Intifada is beginning to look more like a sporadic, personal civil war. The mentality that currently prevails among the government leaders does not have a way to control the violence. If it continues, its results will be much worse than those of its predecessors.”
Feiglin says that the root of the problem is Israel’s loss of confidence in the justice of its cause, lending it instead to the enemy. “Before we declared in Oslo that this is their Land – not ours –” , he pointed out, “I used to have my car repaired in a garage in the heart of Gaza. When we fled Gaza, we created the Islamic imam who is now calling from Gaza for all the Arabs in Israel to stab Jews and chase them out of Haifa and Jaffa. And they are happy to oblige.”
Feiglin has a plan to stop the violence. “The only way to restore calm is to restore our sense of justice,” he said. “To internalize that this is our Land. Exclusively. We must end the ‘Occupation’ and declare complete and exclusive sovereignty over all parts of the Land of Israel in our hands.”
Feiglin’s plan includes three options for the Arabs:
Declaration of loyalty to the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish Nation as a condition for permanent residency status.
Receipt of generous assistance to emigrate from Israel.
Entry into a long-term process of Hebrew studies and national service in order to submit a request for citizenship.
No sovereign entity other than the IDF or Israel Police will exist within Israel’s borders. Certainly not in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Any nationalistically motivated violence will be considered a declaration of war and dealt with accordingly – both for the terrorist and his local support system.
“Clearly,” Feiglin predicted, “Netanyahu, Ya’alon and Bennett will do the opposite. They will try to pacify the Arabs with surrender and further retreats. The attempt to sweep the glowing embers under the rug may create a false impression of calm, but will ensure a more severe outbreak of violence in a short time. Even worse, the sovereignty vacuum will clear the way for increasing international intervention in our Land.”
“Most probably, we will find ourselves in the midst of elections at some point along this process,” Feiglin concluded. “Let us create leadership that understands the Israeli reality and is capable of dealing with its challenges.”
Seven Responses to Terror
All of us can do something.
by Dr. Jacob L. Freedman
In discussing the horrific terrorist attacks in Israel, a patient asked me, “What can I do? What should I do? How do you respond to these tragedies?”
In truth, nothing can replace our dear brothers and sisters who have been tragically ripped away from their families. That being said, there are things that every single Jew can do to in response to the recent events. I’ve created a brief list of seven things to consider. Of course these are not the only proper responses but rather some thoughts and suggestions.
1. Be a better person. For every parent killed by Arab terror, we can be more dedicated children to our own parents. In memory of everyone who lost a child to terrorist attacks, we can be better parents and cherish the precious time we have with our children. In the memory of those we’ve lost, we can strive to be more empathic in our interactions with our friends and loved ones and to strengthen connections with our fellow Jews. Participating in the upcoming worldwide Shabbos Project on October 23rd and 24th is a perfect example of what we can do to be closer with the rest of Am Yisrael.
2. Be politically active. Global support for Israel’s war on terror is never guaranteed. Even in America, diplomatic aid is no longer a given when Israel seeks to defend its citizens. Contacting public officials about supporting Israel has a disproportionate effect on the government’s foreign policy positions by showing them that their voting constituency cares about this issue. Call your Congressmen, Senators, and Representatives now and tell them to aid Israel’s fight for survival. Additionally, biased media coverage of the unfolding events only serves to further inflame the situation. Organizations like Honest Reporting are dedicated to fighting media inaccuracies in the Middle East and programs like Hasbara Fellowships help train dedicated Pro-Israel advocates to wage necessary battles in the media to support the Jewish State.
3. Grow spiritually. In the merit of the holy souls that have been taken from us, growing spiritually has always been an appropriate Jewish response. For example, to remember Na’ama Henkin, start lighting Shabbat candles every Friday night. To remember Rabbi Yeshayahu Krishevsky, start learning his beloved Hassidic texts with other members of the community. The Torah that they loved so dearly is yearning for new students to fill the void left after these and too many other holy souls were taken from this World.
4. Support Israel economically. Israel’s economy remains strong in part due to tourism which is negatively influenced by terrorism. Responding to terrorists by visiting our Holy Land not only supports our fellow Jews financially but also shows the terrorists that they cannot prevent people from coming to Israel. Likewise, international efforts to delegitimize Israel through Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) should be met with renewed efforts to support Israeli businesses. This is not connected to the fact that SodaStream makes a great seltzer machine and that everyone could eat a bit more Sabra Hummus…
5. Reach out to our brothers and sisters in Israel. Let them know that you care. Call your friend in Petach Tikvah and tell him how much you miss him. Email your family in Azure and let them know you are looking forward to spending Shabbat with them soon. These check-ins are tremendously appreciated by your fellow Jews living in Israel.
6. Give Tzedakah. Many non-profit organizations are dedicated to preventing terrorist attacks and many more are aimed at caring for survivors of these terrible events.
7. Be prepared. Preventing further terrorist attacks is the responsibility of everyone. By staying on the alert for suspicious behavior and knowing the right people to call in event of an emergency, communities both inside and outside of Israel can avoid disaster. Communities, synagogues, and day schools with an active security plan in place are less likely to be targeted by a terrorist threat.
Be safe, be well, stay strong, and pray for the protection of the Jewish people.
Thank you.
@ babushka:
To call the Palestinians vermin is an insult to the vermin.
The savages are the kind of poisonous manure that is not good even for fertilizer.
I love your analogies.
@ bernard ross:
Excactly right. Israel needs someone who are for the Jews.
The anti-Semites should be ignored. The more the Jews try to please them, the more they demand. Anti-Semites will always act the same and are going to feel the same no matter how much you take their critique into consideration.
It is their nature to be contrary and that, will never change.
Concentrate in doing well protecting the Jews and everything should be invested in improving their lives.
Mr. Feiglin would give the Arab inhabitants of Judea and Samaria a path to Israeli citizenship, which would allow them to relocate into Israel proper. Well, there is your right of return put boldly into effect. I do not trust the program the gov’t would settle on to consummate such a conversion to Judeophile from blood thirsty terrorist. Read the Quaranic Concept of War by Brigadier Malik.
Israel needs leaders who are for the Jews instead of the anti semites. There can be no democratic equation between the Jews and the anti semites. The collective of arab muslims is majority anti semitic and it matters not which side of the green line they are on. Denial and self delusion are a trait of foolish Jewish idealists. It is better to have safety for Jews than democracy for the anti semites….. if not then Israel has no reason to exist. As it stands now the religious and political leadership see the solution of safety for Jews in giving more to the anti semites. when they reverse that paradigm things will improve. Jews who think that democracy for anti semites is more important than safety for Jews should leave Israel and live elsewhere.
Feiglin is correct, in order to reverse the horrendous damage of Oslo and the left an entirely new leadership is required. this is the time for those willing to destroy the anti semites to come forward and speak to the people.
Yes, they do. Netanyahu is not stupid. He has calculated that self-interest dictates this passive approach. I pray that no more Jews are slaughtered by the Palestinian vermin, but if there are additional Jewish casualties due to Netanyahu’s indifference then may the next victim be someone he loves.
That assumes Netanyahu loves anyone other then himself. He is quite well protected and therefore physically immune from the consequences of his perfidy.
Feiglin gets it! He get is right on!
G-d exposed the Arab intention to Jews. Israel’s shepherds may lack for want of a vision but the contours of the post-Oslo Era is clear to all to see.
A Palestinian Arab state is not going to bring about peace but is a prescription for a bloody war.
The Arabs are waging a war to drive the Jews out and eliminate the Jewish State. They are confident of victory.
And they believe time is on their side.
Israel’s leaders don’t see there is a war going on and have elected to treat it as an isolated terrorism problem.
The whole country is in denial and the head and the heart are sick.
Unfortunately the Israeli leadership remains incapable of learning anything because they are secular and lack faith. This means that many more Jews will die unless there is a public revolt to expel the corrupt leadership.
A clear vision.
The steps mandated to the people to promote true leadership are clear just as well.