sRepliesHTML = "";iReplies = 45;mReplies = iReplies;iDiv = 8622
AddReply(412842,"I just read your excellent column on Haaretz","Michelle","Vancouver","03/15/09","Dr Breiman, thank you for your excellent column \"Message to Obama\", and for directing it to the right audience. \n\nSome of the talkbacks are quite an illustration of the programming inflicted on the population.  Undoing that brainwashing is an arduous task, but well worth doing. \n\nThank you.\n\nhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1070812.html");
AddReply(410476,"svietka: Appearances are critical; I concede your point","Steve","","03/09/09","If the face of NU was 10 bearded men, I agree with you, this was a bad strategic error; not that I have anything Jews wearing beards.  It\'s just that NU was appealing to the larger public, both religious and secular.  Eldad would have been a good face for NU, you are right.  On the other hand, doesn\'t this speak to the shallowness of the Jewish voter?  For my part, I could care less what the candidate looks like, \"if\" I agree with his positions.  For me, the retention of precious Jewish land is critical!  That Lieberman demands Arab loyalty to the state is all well and good, only he would vote to forcibly remove you from your home in the territories and give your land to the Islamic enemy; in a heartbeat.  How can any self-respecting Jew vote for this man or for any candidate who will establish a Muslim-terror state in Israel\'s heartland as Lieberman pledges?  I don\'t understand it. ");
AddReply(410247,"Only Michelle has even PARTLY (only PARTLY) gotten the idea.","Dr. sk","USA","03/08/09","Dr. Breiman, has it occurred to you that the \"insanity\" is to continue to work within the Israeli political system as it is?  There are two complementary approaches.  You notice that the media are a potent force.  Yet, you do not suggest the obvious:  going after the media via non-violent direct action modeled on (for example) ACT UP/NY (Google it if you are not aware of it).  No purely within-system approach will EVER work in Israel.\n\nThe second approach is to create an alternative political system in Medinat Yehudah.  You can review Vienna Mike\'s Virtual Medinat Yehudah blog for details.\n\nAs I said, these are complementary approaches.  The first is absolutely doable by itself, however.\n\nI do not know what your formal training is in, but the idea of disrupting a political system at its weakest points should have been obvious to you.");
AddReply(410238,"to steve(part2)","svietka","eli, shomron","03/08/09","steve, again, most of us didn’t know about Lieberman’s signing of any document; if it wasn’t publicized “enough”-to most it doesn’t exist. He won so many seats not because of his stance on Jerusalem or territorial exchange-he won primarily for his loyalty demand. His adverts were BRILLIANT and I have no doubt he got many votes swayed in the very last days of elections. Liberman stuck to 1subject-round and about he spoke on other issues but mostly-knowing the Israeli crowd that has an attention span of a 5y old and memory of an Alzheimer patient-he talked over and over on 1subject only-israeli arabs. If you think back-what 1specific subject did Hatikva talk about, what was discussed continuesly, why did they become NU, if a kipa wearing jew was #1 on their list-why didn’t they join with “new”mafdal, what was their main difference from them etc?\nsee-all these questions r on the mind of average Israeli-and those questions were never answered-that’s why instead of getting 7-9 seats-they barely got 4. When there r no clear lines and no clear answers and no clear definitions and borders-you get 1muddled party that will be inefficient and by next elections forgotten and ignored.\n");
AddReply(410228,"to steve","svietka","","03/08/09","Steve, I admire your actual interest in the platform of a party to go and read it but unfortunately-ppl like you r almost non-existent.  Majority(I claim with huzpa) would never bother to read about the platform of any party-even less so of a small, new party. Again, sadly-just like in world politics-appearances are important. Even though majority of secular right-wingers DO NOT have a prob with religious-it is unnerving to vote for a party that consists of 10bearded men. \nPlz understand-I m not a radical feminist(just a regular-garden-variety one), neither am I a ferocious secular(just a regular-garden-variety one) but I m a bit of an odd ball who seriously screws up all the polls because I m a fanatical right wing settler. So I do understand both mentalities-settler folk vs telavivians. And a garden variety-leaning to the right-somewhat secular-not too interested in politics-this is what I heard on the news about some politician-female from telaviv wouldn’t go to a website to read a platform-she will take a look at the list, shake her head and make her decision on the spot-10bearded men is way too….everything. That’s why so many voted for Kadima-gender vote. Right or wrong-appearances matter. Same goes for garden variety leaning to the right secular men-they don’t want 10bearded men making decisions based on what the rav rulled(I know, I know-but they don’t) Again it is because of appearances-most don’t bother to know the differences between different religious candidates. To most, 10bearded men=shoving religious subjects down their throats and obeying what the rav has ruled.\nMoledet was small but unwavering-extreme but with a definite following. Hatikva should have been sort of an adjusted Moledet-a softer, gentler APPEARING party that is inviting to seculars. \nPS: very few know that arie eldad is far far from secular—but he APPEARS as one. \n");
AddReply(410196,"Blog to promote Jewish national rights","E.M.","USA","03/08/09","Due to a perspicacious posting on Arutz Sheva [and bolstered by post #32 above], I plan on putting together a pitch to monied individuals and lawyers to form a blog to promote Jewish rights to the Land of Israel non-stop, stemming from the San Remo Resolution. The chances of success are slim, but there is always hope as I have spent considerable time researching this subject, and I could hobble together a blog on my own. If anyone would like to send me moral backing for this proposal, I would include appropriate remarks in any pitch I make. [Also, I have a retired acquaintance in California (a righteous gentile) and if someone would promise to donate an old working computer to him that you no longer use, I would ask him if he would possibly work on the blog with me.] Here is a temporary e-mail to contact me on this effort: jewishblog@hushmail.me");
AddReply(410140,"svietka (part 2)","Steve","","03/08/09","You say Lieberman is unwavering in his stance-no double talk-fearless in his views ....\n\nWhile I will agree with you in part and I do admire his demand for loyalty by Arab citizens, I do not agree that Lieberman has been unwavering in his stance.  Lieberman has suggested dividing Jerusalem in the past.  He rightly quit the government because it was negotiating Jerusalem secretly.  Lieberman has said in the past, he believes in the transfer of populations, both Arab and Jew.  This is a backhanded way of saying he supports a Muslim-terror state in Israel.  Lieberman\'s Israel Beitenu signed a pledge right before the elections, to not be a party to establishing a Muslim state in Israel.  Netanyahu refused to sign.  Now after his party won a huge share of the vote, Lieberman reverses himself yet again, publicly pledging support of a Muslim-terror state in Israel.");
AddReply(410134,"svietka #37: Maybe you are right. (part 1)","Steve","","03/08/09","Maybe Eldad should have been #1.  I was reading the NU platform earlier:\n\n\"The State of Israel is the state of the Jewish people.A party will not be allowed to stand for election to the Knesset if its platform does not affirm that the State of Israel is the state of the Jewishpeople.It is necessary to ensure that the Jewish character of the State, which is rooted in the values of Jewish heritage, will be safeguarded by intensifying the study of the heritage of the Jewish people and its history.  At the same time the list/slate demands that religion be separated from party politics. No party shall have political patronage regarding religious values and its laws and any legislation in the field of religion will be determined without coercion of one sector by another, but rather by as wide a consensus as possible....\"\n\nWhy would secular Jews have a problem with this?");
AddReply(410100,"from a \"secular\" settlerchik\'s point","svietka","Eli, shomron","03/08/09","I voted for NU but not enthusiastically as I would have for Hatikva.\nBasically, since the agreement between NU and mafdal-there was no difference in who to vote for.\nThe min NU moved arie eldad to #2-u lost majority of seculars. Not because we r anti-religious but because there is already a party with a religious “head”.\nEven though I do believe that the party’s agenda is what should be of most importance-it is hard for an average-secular-rightwing-woman to disregard that the party she is voting for is ALL MEN with beards. To get votes you have to be very clear on your mission-yet to know how to turn wide audience into target audience. That takes $$$, strategy and time-neither 1of which Hatikva had. \nThat’s why so many (lite) rightwingers-semi-secular voted for Liberman: he is unwavering in his stance-no double talk-fearless in his views and speaking them out loud-no asskissing to the media.\nI still believe that if Eldad would have been #1-you would have gotten many more votes\n");
AddReply(410066,"One more item never talked about","Michelle","Vancouver","03/08/09","Another item I forgot to mention that is never, ever mentioned, is the need to lift the emigration blockade for Gazans.  \n\nIt\'s a mystery to me why Israel would want to keep all those people there, so close to your cities, when a majority of them would most likely prefer to leave for Europe or other places.  \n\nPro-emigration policies for all Arabs now living on Jewish land could be adopted right now.  Why isn\'t there a will to promote, finance and facilitate this?\n\nPS. And on my #35 talkback I should have also added Lieberman\'s Yisrael Beitenu\'s party to those Israelis should not have voted for.  Perhaps I sensed that at some point in the near future it will become irrelevant, as the \'talk tough but surrender anyway\' party that it really is.\n\nAnd thank you Dr Breiman for this opportunity to write to you and Hatikva.  \n");
AddReply(409912,"Part 5","Michelle","Vancouver","03/07/09","One of the main roles for Hatikva/National Union should be to educate and lead the public.  \n\nThere is no explanation other than collective insanity to explain why so many Jews voted for Kadima, Likud, and Labor, or why expulsions of Jews were allowed to happen in a supposedly Jewish country.  \n\nPlease, Dr Breiman, you need to change Jews’ mindset before you can get their votes.  Simple explanations won’t suffice.  \n\nIsraelis have been seriously brainwashed by a leftist, pro-Arab education and media.  You’ll have to use patient repetition.  You’ll have to use modern media.  You’ll have to educate and perform some kind of mass psychological therapy if you are to win the next election.\n\nAnd reach out to the young and nurture future leaders. That\'ll be your insurance.\n");
AddReply(409911,"Part 4","Michelle","Vancouver","03/07/09","ISSUE 6\nWhy isn’t the expectation of a land corridor between Judea and Gaza for the “viability” of the State of Palestine ever mentioned?  Are most Jews even aware of this demand?  \n\nWould you please write about the devastating consequences that this division of the country in two would bring?\n\nISSUE 7  \nSeveral generations of Jews and non-Jews have grown in ignorance of the true history of Modern Israel.  \n\nWould you please, Dr. Breiman, help organize regular forums to discuss all the above issues and inform Israelis themselves of how they are being swindled of their land and heritage?  \n\nSome well meaning people believe that Israel is occupying the territories, and that the Arabs occupying Jewish land are a separate people who deserve their own state.  Or Jews see Arabs in Yesha as a demographic threat.  They must learn that there are feasible alternatives to partition.");
AddReply(409907,"Part 3","Michelle","Vancouver","03/07/09","ISSUE 4\n\nWould you please analyze what would the consequences be if a government with self-respect, courage, and true love for the country were to irreversibly annex Judea, Samaria and Gaza (I understand that Golan was already annexed). \n\nI mean other than international outcry, boycotts, UN resolutions, and such.  What’s there to lose?  Israel is already being demonized.  A new intifada could be used as a means for mass relocation of Arabs.  \n\nISSUE 5\n\nUNRWA.  Why has Israel accepted the refugee double standard, the redefinition of refugee for Arabs from Israel only (2 year residents), and the utterly corrupt nature of this organization?  \n\nWhy didn\'t Israel demand that Arab refugees be treated like other world refugees, knowing that this permanent refugee status for the Arabs would be used as a weapon against the Jews? \n\nWhy isn\'t this talked about more often?\n");
AddReply(409904,"(Part 2)","Michelle","Vancouver ","03/07/09","ISSUE #3\nHow and why did the collective amnesia regarding the true legal borders of Modern Israel take place? \n\nWhy is it that neither media nor government ever mentions the 1922 League of Nations determination of Israel’s borders? Why is it that the UN resolution of 1947 partitioning Israel is not regarded as the recommendation it really was, without legal power to overturn the Mandate?\n\nWhy is it that every time the spineless Israeli leaders compromise and retreat (without consulting the electorate), that is considered the starting point for the next set of negotiations – with complete disregard for the legal basis of the 1922 League of Nations borders?\n\nCould you please address the illegality of the redrawing of Israel’s borders as being currently imposed by foreign powers that have no moral credibility due to their historical neglect of Jews in distress (WW2, Israeli wars)? ");
AddReply(409902,"Dear Dr. Breiman (part 1)","Michelle","Vancouver","03/07/09","There’s a desperate need to intensify a discussion on the following topics, and I would like to ask you to please address them in future columns, while at the same time helping the National Union bring urgent attention to them among citizens.\n\nISSUE #1\n\nHow can Israel call itself a sovereign and democratic country when it’s taking orders from foreign powers?  \n\nAt this point the US is shamelessly micromanaging Israel, and Israel’s government and political leaders such as Netanyahu don’t show a speck of dignity when they unquestioningly accept the normalcy of this master-slave relationship.\n\nISSUE #2\n\nAn analysis of what it would take to loosen the tight grip of US control of Israel, and what would be the worst consequences of Israel’s declaration of political independence from the US, including the path to military self-reliance.\n\n");
AddReply(409886,"the right learned nothing and failed to unite","former oleh","","03/07/09","as importantly, the right learned nothing and failed to communicate - the fact is , you people are as stupid as the day is long (i mean israelis in general) - there is no help for you because you\'re unable to plan and think.  Like two-year olds you\'re unable to negotiate and compromise.  It\'s disgusting.");
AddReply(409665,"to #24  Ishould have said take back not over","i c truly","jerusalem","03/06/09","The Likud and its voters areright with us . Its their leadership that has veered left . We need to take back the Likud and achieve leaders who will faithfully mirror the will of their voters  That is REAL democracy");
AddReply(409635,"Dr. Breiman?","mkf","jerusalem","03/06/09","It seems a lot of people interpreted your article differently than I did. I didn\'t think you advocated splitting from Ichud Leumi and going back to separate parties.I took your words to mean that Ichud Leumi should make it clear it consists of both secular and religious Zionists by it\'s language, PR, and by producing two lists, one of relgious candidates and one of secular.  That did not happen this time. I know many traditional zionists, neither secular nor religious, who would have voted Ichud Leumi, but because it presented itself as a religious party they backed off. To Steve and others who think it bigotry, it is not at all, they were simply in hopes that finally there could be a joint effort. When PR & language became only religious w/ the secular piece missing, they went elsewhere. Dr.Breiman, could you comment on whether you implied splitting the party again or...? Thanks.");
AddReply(409520,"Seems to me, there needs to be more tolerance fr. both sides.","Steve","","03/06/09","Secular Jews need to be more tolerant of religious Jews and religious Jews need to be more tolerant of the secular.  Isn\'t the absorption of Hatikva party a manifestation of this tolerance on the part of the religious?  How can secular Jews, who ostensibly oppose any territorial compromise be so intolerant of anything that \"smacks\" of religion that they vote for traitors like Lieberman and Israel Beiteinu.  Even Likud supports territorial compromise to our enemies. \n\nI don\'t fault Einstein as much as intolerant secular Jews who are not concerned about the greater good; the preservation of our land.   \n\nI say this as a Jew who is not overly religious.  It seems to me, what we saw in the past elections -- if Dr. Ron Breiman is correct in his analysis --is bigotry and intolerance of religious Jews by secular Jews.");
AddReply(409504,"Who finds whom?","Bruce Kline","Moshav Maon","03/06/09","Do the religeous right wing parties really have to go looking for voters or do voters really have to go looking for a party that represents their interests? There is much to choose from but most everyone somehow knows where they belong.");
AddReply(409423,"The average voter needs assurance that there is a feasible alternative to ","Michelle","Vancouver","03/05/09","the \'Two-State Final Solution\'. Many seem resigned to it. What can they do?\n\nSo keep hammering the notion that THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE, that it\'s doable, and then explain it in detail, so that:\n\n1.  Golan and Yesha (with Gaza) CAN become official part of the state of Israel.\n\n2.  The Arab presence can be reduced and eventually removed without the need to shoot anyone or do mass expulsions.\n\nWhile staying away from radioactive anti-Arab language, you can talk around the need to separate the Arabs from Israel by couching your language with diplomatic terms such as \"financial aid for emigration\", \"conditional residency privileges\", and so on. Israelis seem to be very sensitive to censure by Europeans and Americans, and don\'t want to be called racists. \n\nWhile staying on target, make sure you don\'t give your critics (or Supreme Court) the verbal/legal ammunition to attack you. ");
AddReply(409420,"to i c truly","m","jerusalem","03/05/09","ONE of the many reasons I would NEVER vote for Feiglin or anyone else like him are the very words you used in your post. \"Take over\". If you think that \"taking over\" an existing platform or agenda and turning it into your platform or agenda is a noble thing, you are sadly mistaken. It\'s ARROGANCE in capital letters...and disgusting.");
AddReply(409371,"Dr Breiman you know the Einstein comment about expecting different results from  ","i c truly","Jerusalem","03/05/09","same experiment so how come youfounded yet another party ?? Techiya was founded30 years ago it wasNOT religious .Perhaps you have forgotten what happenend to it ? Or to Moledet which was Not religious and never gor more than 2-3 Knesset seats . All the different formations and formulations have gone nowhere . No one cares about style male and female candidates and all that drivel. The people on the list make little difference to the results as you must know from a dozen elections. The strategy of right wing parties has failed. Time to try  a new strategy . Join Likud Vote in reliable people within Likud take over the Likud and actually lead Israel . Oh yes .Feiglin and Manhigut already thought of that. Why not join in and do something meaningful with your talents ? ");
AddReply(409354,"Anti-Islam Party Gets Votes!","Shlomo","Jerusalem","03/05/09","The Arab/Islam issues bothers the public, both religious and secular much more than the issue of settlements.\nIn the Netherlands, Opinion Polls have stated that Geert Wilders  has leaped up to be the #1 party in that  country based on an anti-islam platform.\nThis is also what got Lieberman votes to some degree.\nKahane followers are believed to be the most sincerely anti-islam anti-arab that will not sell out. I know of somewhat anti-religious Jews who were willing to vote Kahane because they hated the Arabs more than the religious.\nIn any case, I believe that Hatikva is worth about 2500 votes [a little more than what Kleiner got in the 2006/5766 elections] and maybe even it drives away Chareidi votes from the National Union. I doubt it will harm National Union if Hatikva decides to leave.");
AddReply(409288,"Hatikva should have run on its own","Shmuel ben-Gad","Washington, DC","03/05/09","In retrospect, I think it clear that Hatikva should have run separately.  Ichud Leumi only having one non-kippa wearer in the first seven positions on their list inevitably caused it to be considered a religious party. There is a good chance, I think, that Hatikva would have gotten many of the votes that went to Yisrael Beteinu while Ichude Leumi would still have gotten its religious Zionist voters.");
AddReply(409276,"solve the arab problem, draw votes","Y","Nitzan","03/05/09","If you want to attract secular nationalists you must present a solution to the arab problem.  Many more right (and center and left) Israeli Jews are concerned about the threat from arabs (citizen and over the \"green line\") than about whether there\'s another 10 caravans on a hilltop in Samaria or whether Shilo builds another neigborhood.  The National Union party never mentioned arabs and by default, planned for a binational Jew/arab state west of the Jordan.  No sane Jew wants that - didn\'t the letter \"tet\" once stand for transfer?");
AddReply(409148,"I agree 100% with Hatikva running as an independent party","Michelle","Vancouver","03/05/09","Your adversaries will use any means, including outright lies, to taint you because they know that a secular nationalist party has a HUGE potential.  \n\nPlease, do not be disheartened.  Hatikva was very young, and now you can prove that running with other groups hurt your campaign.  You need to stick to your own brand:  inclusive, everyone is welcome, but not tied to other groups.  \n\nYour goal was always clear:  the integrity of the land of Israel, so any literate voter should have known that.  Many liked you but didn\'t vote for you because you \"didn\'t have a chance of forming a gov\'t\". So, show them next time!\n\nYou\'re already thinking of the next election so I hope Hatikva will get to work right away, trying to educate and persuade voters. Bibi is helping you in his own way by betraying everything his voters stand for. Have faith. Hatikva will grow, and ARYEH ELDAD WILL BE PM! \n");
AddReply(409109,"Must repeat over and over same message","Yosi M.","Gilo-Jerusalem","03/05/09","That is how Likud and Lieberman succeeded. Repeat this message and don\'t be swayed. Being swayed and moved off the message makes one like Bibi and Lieberman, sellouts and prostitutes.");
AddReply(409079,"I am not the most religous but...","Moshe Goose","Qiryat Yam","03/05/09","it was people like Ben Ari that influenced my decision to vote for Ichud Leumi. I have also read some of Kahane\'s books and for the most part even though I am not the most observant Jew I found myself agreeing with just about everything he wrote. I am very happy and proud that I voted for Ichud Leumi and would do it again providing they continue with their platform. The notion that only religious vote for Ichud Leumi is a bad assumption at best,");
AddReply(409066,"HaTikva","D\'veed Natan","Kfar Adumim","03/05/09","I voted for the NU BECAUSE Eldad represents my views more than the Mafdal and Yesha Council lackies. Marzel\'s group was icing on the cake. The PROBLEM was in marketing. I am a settler. But, also, a smart one. All I heard was, \'strengthen the settlements\'.  That, is stupid. Most Israelis could care less about the demonized settlers and their stinking settlements. They care about our country and are concerned about the direction it is taking. Eldad was a breath of fresh air in this respect. Not some \'religious\' nutcase that can only think in the presence of some \'rabbi\', he espoused what many \'normal\' people think. Anyone who has to speak to a \'rabbi\' before he can do anything, is not going to receive my vote. The \'rabbi\' should run for office; not the fanatic who needs him.");
AddReply(409055,"Divisions","Akiva","UK","03/05/09","I think more examination needs to go into nationalist trends during the last elections. I don\'t think it would be outrageous to suggest we\'d find the following:\n\n1. Many religious and secular nationalists voted (reluctantly) for Likud, in a \"anyone but Tzipi\" vote.\n\n2. The successful Yisrael Beiteinu propaganda, coupled with leftist witch-hunts about involvement with Rabbi Kahane ZTz\'L labelled Lieberman a right-wing nationalist. \n\n3. The division of Habayit Hayehudi alienated voters by forcing a choice between zionist factions.\n\nThe conclusion of this is that voters generally went for the party they felt would make the most impact. This is Feiglin\'s raison detre. \nSo we saw an increase in Yisrael Beiteinu and Likud with the \"true\" nationalist, zionist and right wing parties split and with a decreased vote between them.\n\nThe moral of this story: No more division.");
AddReply(409027,"to #11","Dr. Ron Breiman","Tel Aviv","03/05/09","Lieberman is not right; he is closer to Kadima than to NU; he supports a Palestinian state.");
AddReply(409021,"I agree","Dr Alexander King","Jerusalem","03/05/09","I am in full agreement with Dr Breiman!\n\nDr Alexander King\nMember of Executive Committee\nHatikva Party");
AddReply(409006,"See the responses to the Hebrew column","Shaul","","03/05/09","Many commenters to Dr. Breiman\'s column in the Hebrew edition noted that secular nationalistic parties have not fared well in Israeli elections. The most seats such a party ever received was 8 by Tzomet, and this party split not long thereafter. \n\nFor example, Michael Kleiner, a former MK of the Ichud Haleumi, ran independently in the previous elections on a secular list and received less than 3000 votes.\n\nI sympathize with Dr. Breiman\'s feeling that the nationalistic message is not being brought to secular Israelis and that as a result many voted for Israel Beiteinu, which can hardly be called a nationalistic party. However, I disagree with his conclusions. Instead of splitting again, we need to devote even more efforts towards unity. Surely it is possible to coordinate our publicity to make the nationalistic message acceptable to both the religious and the seculars!");
AddReply(408939,"Lesson Not Learned","Rodney Jackson","Siloam Springs","03/05/09","With all due respect. Splitting a party again will not produce the intended results. The National Union and NRP splitting was a mistake. The different parties including Yisrael Beitenu which was originally in the National Union split from it. Simple math will tell you if the Yisrael Beitenu, National Union and NRP together produces 22 seats which would be the third largest party in Israel that rivals Likud and Kadima. That would be a huge voice for the Zionist Nationalist camp. But no,everybody wants to be a big fish in a little pond, so they keep splitting and the orange camp continues to get burned by it.");
AddReply(408935,"Let us think about this [The winning platform; want response from Dr. Breiman]","E.M. ","USA","03/05/09","In addition, the potential winning platform is: Arabs who do not swear loyalty and serve in the IDF would be deported; Israel should take steps to minimize its dependency on foreign nations; in case of conflict between Jewish state and democracy, being Jewish state should trump it; the Jewish people have a rich history and legislators should consult the \"heritage of Israel\" before passing laws; the entire 14 remedial steps suggested in Howard Grief\'s new book should be implemented; also the platform should include elements for political reform suggested by Prof. Paul Eidelberg. This platform would appeal to secular and observant Jews and is a winning platform. Each element is amply grounded in modern legal history and precedent. Dr. Ron Breiman, please tell me what you think of each element in this platform and if we differ. If you want me to elaborate, contact me thru Howard Grief.");
AddReply(408932,"Let us think about this [The reality]","E.M.","USA","03/05/09","The reality is in polls a majority of Israeli Jews want Israeli Arabs to be encouraged to leave Israel and this view has not been represented in any political party. Before Oslo, a majority of Israeli Jews wanted Israel to annex Judea and Samaria but that view too was not represented by any party, and in a recent poll a majority of Israeli Jews are still against a \"Palestinian state.\" [Israelis today should be re-educated that the Land of Israel belongs to Israel based on Howard Grief\'s thesis of international law and in a historical-religio context]. A credible party that educated the voters and combined these two majority issues (encouraging the Arabs to leave the Land of Israel, which would be annexed) would probably become the dominant party in Israel!!");
AddReply(408928,"Let us think about this [The benefit of NU]","E.M.","USA","03/05/09","A sectarian party by definition cannot represent the full interests of the Jewish people. The Hatikva Party is incomplete, and I saw its joining NU as a positive means for fusing observant and secular Jews. The conscience of each member should be respected whether he is advised by a political scientist or Rabbi. I also feel the leader of NU Yaakov Katz theoretically knows the importance of the media and was sorry to hear of Tsafrir Ronen\'s passing- he was and is a free spirit in this world and the next. I also liked the fact that members from NU were from the private sector. And most of all, I felt NU demonstrated love of fellow Jew more than any party for accepting elements that you now call \"extremist.\" The latter is a relative term, and even MK Eldad for believing it treason to give up Israel land could be mislabeled an \"extremist.\"");
AddReply(408914,"Dr. Ben-Ari attracted voters","Moshe","Kfar Saba","03/05/09","He was clearly one of my reasons for voting Ichud Leumi and I know a bunch of other people who felt and voted accordingly. His approach caters to a specific religious segment of the population that is put off by the lame Mafdal rhetoric and disappointed by Feiglin\'s dump from the Likud list. Secular people thinking in a similar pattern probably (and unluckily) went to vote for Lieberman.");
AddReply(408890,"To Home Depot!","","","03/05/09","Purim Torah");
AddReply(408889,"United Torah Bloc only answer","Moshe Elkman","Melbourne","03/05/09","Great article but why not look at our You Tube Video on our website www.unitedtorashbloc.net\nA United Torah Bloc is the only answer....sorry!!!!!");
AddReply(408864,"I disagree","David","Israel","03/04/09","Although I believe there is a significant number of \"secular\" voters out there that think in nationalist terms, I do not believe that they are willing to sway from Likud yet.  Correct, it is beginning to switch to Leiberman, but not enough to warrent Hatikvah running by itself.  Whether you like it or not the Nationalist camp is driven by its youth and the youth today that most fervently supports Eretz Yisrael is the youth with Kippot on their heads.  This is fact.  \n\nAlso please don\'t infer their being a problem with Eretz Shelanu since it could be they actually helped galvanize some of the voters from the orange camp far more than Hatikvah. ");
AddReply(408862,"Kahane\'s support comes from all sectors ","David Ha\'ivri","Kfar Tapuach","03/04/09","Rabbi Meir Kahane\'s historic kach party was made up of and supported by more non-religious then religious. This caused more concern to Geula Cohen of Techiya then to Yossi Sarid or ratz. I suggest not to make the same mistakes again.  \n\nIn this past election Kach and Chabad supporters brought in no less then two mandates, even though some strategical \"wisemen\" in the NU campaign headquarters thought that hiding Ben Ari would be to the party\'s advantage. Still as the elections came closer I met more and more secular Israelis who told me that they would vote NU for \"Marzel\'s guy\". Katzaleh was wise to embrace the kahanists and came out ahead by doing so. \n\nInstead of looking for excuses to break up the package we should be strengthening the union and aiming for national leadership. Lo l\'fached kalal - No Fear!    ");
AddReply(408856,"Tsafrir Ronen\'s Party","Adina Kutnicki","Israel,new olah","03/04/09","I knew that the Hatikvah party was the place to look towards when my dear friend, Tsafrir Ronen z\'l told me about it. As a new olah I counted on him to steer me in the right (no pun intended) direction.\nHe was so excited about finally getting a chance to belong to a party which placed Zion first. A party which aimed to include, not exclude based on varying degrees of religiosity.In other words, an authentic, Jewish, zionist party.\nOne would think that with ALL those trying to defeat our people that we would learn the most important lesson - when divided, one cannot survive.");
AddReply(408848,"Thank you","mkf","Jerusalem","03/04/09","Thank you for addressing this issue...I agree completely with your assessment and in fact I have written about it on my blog Today in Israel. Unfortunately, a huge missed opportunity...again. And finally, insight into what really caused the swing to Yisrael Beiteinu  ");

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