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Feiglin: Leadership denying Judaism
Right-wing activist running in Likud elections says financial success not enough to sustain country, claims leadership lost faith
In an interview with Ynet, Feiglin said he was running for the position because he wanted to bring the “spirit” back to Israel.
“My main message is that without spirit, all of the material success we’ve supposedly achieved means nothing,” he said.
“The most difficult problem lies in the fact that citizens of Israel do not believe in the future of their country, with all its financial success. It’s proven in the polls, and it’s a terrible thing.
“That’s why we need to get the spirit back. That’s what I want, that’s why I’m running, and I believe I will succeed.”
Do you believe a higher power will give you the victory?
No, no. I’m neither a wise man, nor a prophet. I’m not trying to convince anyone to change the way they live. The leadership of this country has lost faith in the righteous path and in God.
The basic beliefs that kept this nation going for hundreds of years must be brought back. The people of Zion deserve a leadership with faith. Only that type of leadership will get us out of this mess.
These days, the leadership lacks faith. Take (President Shimon) Peres for example. He says, ‘I hate history. Everything begins with me, and behind me all is white, clean.’ Our leadership has reached the point of denying Judaism and faith.
Do you claim the same about Netanyahu?
I don’t want to talk about what he’s not, but about what I am. Enough looking at slogans on the side of buses. Netanyahu’s slogan is ‘Israel decides to succeed’. My slogan is ‘Because it has G-d’.
Bibi’s slogan is business, high-tech and such. I’m all for it, but my slogan comes from a very different direction. That says it all. Material success can be achieved anywhere in the world.
Can you elaborate on your plans, your solutions?
The minute you go to war without believing you are the righteous party, that this land is yours, that the moral of the war is right, and the Jewish moral is deserving – the entire war will look different. In fact, there wouldn’t even be a need for war.
Nowadays, Israel understands and enables everything going on in Gaza. The electricity that enables the manufacture of Qassams is Israeli electricity. The fuel is from Israel too, and so are the rest of the supplies.
Because of a fear of what the world would say, the situation is what it is. We’re also releasing murderers for fear of the world. Our sons will risk their lives and get killed, in order to catch the same terrorists. Why release them? Was there international pressure? There wasn’t.
What’s going on here is that our leadership feels the Jewish existence in Israel is temporary, and the Arab existence is the permanent one. That’s what needs to be changed.
Do you think Yigal Amir (Yitzhak Rabin’s killer) should be released from prison?
He should pay for what he did just like any other criminal, but no more. Assuming he committed the murder, he must pay the price just like any other murderer in Israel – no more and no less – I think (the punishment) is 20 years in jail. But there are many unanswered questions regarding Rabin’s murder.
Are you in favor of insubordination in the IDF?
Sometimes yes, but usually no. It is clear that when you speak of a free country, insubordination should be allowed. That is what those who committed the atrocities in the dark regimes such as Hitler’s claimed – that they were only following orders. I am not making any comparisons, God forbid, but refusing orders is permitted.
You frequently criticize the Supreme Court. Why?
The court’s judges were not elected by anyone. The norm in Israel is totalitarian in nature. I want a free country. I want the judges to be elected like in America, by representatives of the public. There is a totalitarian regime of judges here who elect themselves. They clone themselves like Dolly the sheep.
Imagine that they would have to appear before the Knesset prior to their appointment.
If Dorit Beinish would be asked whether she was in favor of releasing terrorists with ‘blood on their hands’, and she would say that she was –do you think she would be Supreme Court president today? A fundamental change must be made within the judicial system.
