After the joining together of Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party with Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit, and the smaller Jewish-identity focused Noam, the defamers are already on the warpath. Aside from the local politicians from the Left who can never resist an opportunity to defame a good conservative, even Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin of the Likud has jumped on the bandwagon, defensively declaring that Ben-Gvir will not be a member of a Likud-led coalition.
How strange that is! Given the precarious nature of any right-of-center coalition that might be formed, every right-wing mandate will likely be needed to form a genuine right-of-center government that will stand strong on strengthening Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel, battling Israel’s enemies, and encouraging Israel’s weakened free market economy, devasted after a year of extensive and overused lockdowns. Just getting to the magic majority number of 61 for a governable coalition will be a great challenge, so why ruin the opportunity?
Why wouldn’t Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud be interested in getting every right-wing Knesset member into his prospective coalition? Could it be that they will be looking, as usual, to pull in one or more of the left-wing parties and Ben-Gvir or Noam are just a bit too far to the right for Netanyahu’s prospective left-wing partners to stomach? It’s an ongoing pattern with the Likud – aggressively court the votes of the national religious, then ignore them after the election.
The union in the Religious Zionist Party has even caught the attention of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in America. ADL, which ostensibly combats anti-Semitism, but supports a litany of left-wing causes, seems to have a new mission on the Israeli side of the ocean, complaining, "We're disturbed by reports that efforts have been made to assist radical parties to make it into the Knesset. Helping them become part of the mainstream in Israel sets a dangerous precedent that may allow racism to become an everyday aspect of in the Knesset and Israeli society as a whole," read a pompous statement by the New York City based organization.
The ADL, with its CEO, former Obama operative Jonathan Greenblatt at the helm, has been very busy recently blasting former President Donald Trump and praising the leftist radicals at the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM), with whom they jointly promote “anti-racism educational programs”.
It’s obvious that the ADL leadership doesn’t know the true meaning of radicalism, nor do they really comprehend the definition of racism. Which Israeli “race” does Greenblatt think is being afflicted by the Religious Zionist Party? Could it be the Ethiopians, the Yemenites, or perhaps the Mexicans? Greenblatt’s ignorance of Israeli society is only rivaled by his leftist elitist arrogance and that of his heavily over-funded organization that preys on American Jews who are well-intentioned, but just as lacking in Jewish knowledge.
Bezalel Smotrich, to his great credit, has forged a union based on the idealistic values of religious Zionism in all of its varieties. His efforts made towards unity should be commended even if he did not succeed in bringing in the remnants of the Jewish Home party.
As the Likud supports centrist liberal values, and Naftali Bennett’s Yamina focuses on Covid-19 and free market economic values, while Gideon Saar’s New Hope supports anti-Bibi values, there is certainly room for a proudly idealistic party based on the Torah of Israel, the People of Israel, and the Land of Israel. Jewish identity in Israel is a critical value, and those who promote it should be praised, not condemned, but ADL, in its betrayal of genuine Jewish values wouldn’t know about that.
Sadly, the ADL-BLM love affair will most likely continue to blossom, and assimilated Jews in America will foolishly support them as they criticize their Jewish brethren in Israel who are working for the Jewish future. Israel’s Religious Zionist Party will do just fine without ADL’S support.
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David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh Israel, is the author of the book, “Trump and the Jews” and five other books.
Rubin is the founder and president of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, established after he and his then three-year-old son were wounded in a terror attack.
He can be found at www.DavidRubinIsrael.com or at www.ShilohIsraelChildren.org