Yesterday the members of the Likud party (I used to be one but let my membership lapse) voted for their Knesset list, and I am very happy to see a lot of familiar names. (Jameel has the complete list here, with explanations.)
Most of the so called “Likud rebels” – those who fought against Arik Sharon’s disengagement plan – have earned spots on the list, most in the top twenty.
Moshe Feiglin won the 20th spot, and, unless there is a huge upset and the country decides to go for Kadima in a big way, he will enter the next Knesset. I personally do not like a lot of things he has said in the past, and went so far as to cancel my membership in Manhigut Yehudit. But I think that he, along with the other Knesset Members from the future Likud, will stop Bibi from caving in too much to the left. Maybe being a Knesset member will also smooth over some of his rough edges. (Whining about Bibi trying to play dirty tricks is juvenile. Israeli politics is not kindergarden!)
Now there is no excuse for the Dati Leumi voters to throw their votes away by casting them for the latest reincarnation of the Mafdal. The people who will be in power, no matter which deals are made with the smaller parties, are those who will be in the Likud.
Hey Mama,
You quit Manhigut Yehudit because Moshe has some “rough edges”? And the only one you mentioned is that he “whined” about Bibi’s dirty tricks.
You must have something better against Moshe besides what you mentioned, or else there would have been no reason for you to quit M.Y.
So, what is it?
Comment by Rob — December 9, 2008 @ 6:53 am
I really appreciate you (and Jameel and Carl in Jerusalem) teaching us a bit about the details of Israeli politics, especially how the Likud is formed so it may have a chance of regaining power.
Comment by Leora — December 9, 2008 @ 9:42 am
Rob – no, I didn’t quit MY because Moshe Feiglin has some rough edges. I quit after reading this response to what happened in Amona.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/STANDING_WITH_ISRAEL/message/19943
What happened in Amona was a tragedy, as was the disengagement. Praising the young people who were brutally beaten at Amona for their courage is one thing. Deriding the equally heroic residents of Gush Katif who left their homes WITHOUT RAISING A HAND TO THEIR FELLOW JEW was, in my opinion, completely uncalled for and showed very poor judgement. I sensed from this article that MY had crossed over a line into fanaticism. The whole tone of the article – “See, these are the REAL heroes – these guys who got beaten. Not those namby-pamby people from Nevel Dekalim who embarrassed us by leaving quietly” gave me serious pause.
Leora – I am flattered that you put me in the same category as Jameel and Carl!
Comment by westbankmama — December 9, 2008 @ 10:00 am
Well, I came close many times to letting my membership lapse, but we have a close family friend who just kept us in there. I have several problems with Moshe Feiglin, but currently I have more problems with what Bibi and the Likud leadership did to push him down in the ranking. It was just dirty politics that smacks of a Kadima-like mentality. At a time when we MUST pull Israel back from the brink of disaster caused by successive left-wing governments, at a time when we are finally within reach of electing a government that could care about the land and people, this move was very disappointing.
Overall, I’m thrilled with the rest of the vote – but I can’t stand the idea of politics as usual. The Likud has voted. It is incredibly arrogant of Bibi and the others to attempt to circumvent this. It may well lose him far more than he gained.
Comment by A Soldier's Mother — December 11, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
A Soldiers Mother – see my latest post on this topic.
Comment by westbankmama — December 12, 2008 @ 5:55 am