Channels

Moshe Feiglin
Photo: Gur Dotan
Naftali Bennet
Photo: Yaron Brener

Feiglin: Accept disobedience or forgive Eichmann

Commenting on Bennett's remarks Likud's Moshe Feiglin says, 'We must reserve a place of honor for conscientious disobedience'

In the wake of the uproar caused by Habayit Hayehudi chairman Naftali Bennett's  comments regarding disobedience in evacuating Jewish settlements, the far right benchmark in the Likud-Beiteinu, Moshe Feiglin, managed to push the envelope a little further and cause an uproar of his own.

 

Feiglin compared failure to refuse orders to Nazi actions, saying that those who object to conscientious disobedience must ask forgiveness from Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann whose remains were thrown into the sea after Israel judged and executed him for his role in the Holocaust.

 

Related Stories

  

Feiglin made his comments during a radio interview given Monday to the Interdisciplinary Center's (IDC) radio station. When asked about Bennett's comments regarding refusal to evacuate Jewish settlements, Feiglin said: "A country which sanctifies liberty must reserve a place of honor for conscientious disobedience.

 

"If we refuse to do so, then we must all request Eichmann's forgiveness for executing him and throwing his ashes into the sea, as this is exactly what he claimed: 'I followed orders'."

 

Feiglin later clarified his comments regarding Eichmann, saying: "The comparison I made was not intended to compare anyone with anyone else, but rather a comparison regarding the underlying principle. The principle is that a person must be able to draw a moral line for himself, and that any general statement about the requirement to follow any orders at anytime is fascist.

 

"Specifically in a Jewish country, such an inclusive statement has no place and I regard it with the utmost severity. A citizen's ability to disobey and take a moral stand is the only thing that blocks tyranny and halts the moral degradation of society to the lowest possible levels."

 

Feiglin further noted: "I use the term conscientious disobedience, and not refusal to obey an order, because I am not in favor of disobeying orders. I am for taking into account a person's moral compass. No one wants to disobey an order for anarchy's sake, or for disobedience's sake. Everyone understands there must be a limit to obedience."

  

Likud, Habayit Hayehudi tensions 

Over the past few days the Habayit Hayehudi party has been trying to downplay the importance of Bennett's comments, and have cited Feilgin's comments as proof of the fact that similar sentiments can be found in the Likud as well.

 

In response the Likud said: "If this is their weapon, then they are in trouble. Everyone in the Likud knows Feiglin is a radical minority in the party, who is not part of the party's leadership, which objects to his ways.

 

"In the Habayit Hayehudi on the other hand, the comments came from its chairman, the person charged with leading the party. It is a shame he choose not to apologize".

 

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.25.12, 11:31
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment