For all of those waiting to see Olmert forced out of office, I suggest that you don’t hold your breath. Olmert is a product of his times and surroundings. His corruption is not a meteor that exploded here with no warning. It is more like the tip of a very slippery iceberg that reaches into the depths and cannot easily be removed or forgotten.
The corruption from which Israel suffers is based on its culture of “the rule of law.” The law should be nothing more than a tool, designed to keep the peace and define the limits of what is permissible and what is prohibited. The law is meant to reflect – not shape – a national culture. It is meant to direct our public lives according to the values dictated by our culture and traditions. In a normal situation, the law does not “rule.” What does rule is justice and morality. The law is designed to help society define its unique expression of justice and morality.
In Israel, justice and morality have disappeared from our national lives. In their stead, we have the “rule of law,” which is abused to justify every abomination and to make every outrage legitimate. This is a unique strain of fascism – an odious form of idol worship. The “rule of law” idol was implanted in the brains of the soldiers who carried out the expulsion from Gush Katif. Their natural Jewish morals were neutralized by “the rule of law” – which is to be held in higher esteem than any other value (obeying G-d’s commandments, for example).
And who is the prime minister of the state of “the rule of law”? A seasoned lawyer. A small-time criminal acts against the law; a mid-level criminal evades the law; while a big-time criminal commits his crime by means of the law. Our current prime minister is a middling, average criminal. Yet he may just manage to prove that he didn’t break the law, after all.
What if Olmert steps down nevertheless? Who is the right candidate to replace him? Is there anybody in the Kadimah party who is not corrupt? Tzipi Livni?
Tzipi Livni is a member of the big-time criminal party. In other words, she is a member of the party that commits its crimes by means of the law. I do not know that Livni has stolen any money, but she is guilty of far more serious robbery.
Livni was elected by the public to serve as a Knesset member in the Likud party and to expedite its policies. But to the cheers of the media, which took an active part in the vote heist arranged by Ariel Sharon, Livni took the electoral check that she had received from the voters and – instead of depositing it in the account to which it was sent – deposited it in the account of a different party. This successful political heist – more corrupt than a financial heist – has positioned Livni as the prime ministerial hopeful. So please don’t tell me that Livni is not corrupt. She may not have “broken the law,” but from an ethical standpoint her actions are reprehensible.
Be that as it may, Livni is not the problem. I do not think she understands that she is corrupt. Why should she? The Israeli public does not understand it either.
I do not think that Olmert will fall in the very near future. The corruption that the current Olmert scandal has begun to reveal is much broader and deeper than Olmert’s personal involvement. It will eventually encompass many more public personalities and organizations.
Israel’s loss of destiny has blocked its national life flow. A stench has been created, a stench of corruption, and it can no longer be ignored. True Jewish leadership with vision can drain the swamp of corruption and restore Israel to its national destiny and vitality.
Manhigut Yehudit’s Human Mosaic
One of the special things about Manhigut Yehudit is that it is striving for national – not sectoral – leadership. This makes our message relevant to a broad spectrum of people. Indeed, the human mosaic that makes up Manhigut Yehudit is proudly diverse. Our active members range from non-observant to ultra-Orthodox and just about everything in between. If the Jewish state is not led by G-d fearing leaders we will not have a state at all. Any Jew who understands this can find a place in Manhigut Yehudit.
So whether you said the Hallel prayers on Independence Day with a blessing, without a blessing or not at all, our main focus now is on gaining leadership of Israel – and saving our state.
To learn more about Moshe Feiglin and Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) or to order Moshe Feiglin’s newest book, “The War of Dreams,” visit www.jewishisrael.org.
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