When a person whose sole interest is money is shown a beautiful flower, he doesn't enjoy its appearance, nor its fragrance, but only asks, "How much does it cost?"
The same thing happens when a society motivated mainly by personal aims encounters one motivated by ideology. The cultural gap is apparently the reason for the name "Feiglinites", given by the media and Education Minister Limor Livnat to members of Manhigut Yehudit. As one who greatly admires and works closely with Moshe Feiglin, I wish to announce that I am not a Feiglinite! Although I think that in the current situation he is the most suitable candidate for the post of prime minister, I am not a Feiglinite!
The term "Feiglinites" derives from a philosophy that attributes importance to loyalty to a person and not to an idea. Those who believe in loyalty to an idea are similar to those who can enjoy the appearance and fragrance of a beautiful flower, while those who are career-motivated ask merely, "How much does it cost? Who should I flatter now, and how will I benefit from doing so?"
Amendment 19c to the Likud Constitution, which is currently being proposed by Manhigut Yehudit, lies precisely on the borderline between two cultures. It is proposed that a Member of Knesset or minister cannot be a candidate to represent the party for a period of five years if he votes in the Knesset or in the government against decisions of the Likud Central Committee. This is an amendment required at a time when lack of public integrity is commonplace.
The situation in which people are elected on a basis of a specific political platform and then adopt a diametrically opposed policy is especially conspicuous in a party such as the Likud. The reason for this is simple. In order to advance within the ranks of the party you have to express loyalty to its values. From the moment that you have been elected, and you want to be popular with the media, you begin to adopt a more Leftist attitude, or kick the party from which you came. Call Central Committee members "Indians" and you will be considered clever, refer to them as "criminal elements" without naming even one of them and you will be commended for your courage, to the acclaim of the press.
Not by chance does amendment 19c, which was intended to establish new standards of reliability and integrity in politics, so frighten the current leadership. The idea of the Jewish State proposed by Manhigut Yehudit is greater than all the current leaders of Manhigut Yehudit, and does not depend on one person or another.
The name "Feiglinites", which centers on a specific personality, is foreign to the movement and expresses a different culture. It is true that the name "members of Manhigut Yehudit" is not sufficiently trendy for the media. Furthermore, it is difficult to use such a name to refer to a group, since many people feel they belong to it, including mainly veteran Likudniks.
This is, in fact, its strength. Anyone who makes efforts to cause Israel to change from being a state of all its citizens to a Jewish State, already de facto belongs to Manhigut Yehudit. Those who have already joined the Likud, and the many others joining now, are simply concentrating their joint efforts in the political field in order to advance this process. The intensity of the reaction proves that they are succeeding.
The same thing happens when a society motivated mainly by personal aims encounters one motivated by ideology. The cultural gap is apparently the reason for the name "Feiglinites", given by the media and Education Minister Limor Livnat to members of Manhigut Yehudit. As one who greatly admires and works closely with Moshe Feiglin, I wish to announce that I am not a Feiglinite! Although I think that in the current situation he is the most suitable candidate for the post of prime minister, I am not a Feiglinite!
The term "Feiglinites" derives from a philosophy that attributes importance to loyalty to a person and not to an idea. Those who believe in loyalty to an idea are similar to those who can enjoy the appearance and fragrance of a beautiful flower, while those who are career-motivated ask merely, "How much does it cost? Who should I flatter now, and how will I benefit from doing so?"
Amendment 19c to the Likud Constitution, which is currently being proposed by Manhigut Yehudit, lies precisely on the borderline between two cultures. It is proposed that a Member of Knesset or minister cannot be a candidate to represent the party for a period of five years if he votes in the Knesset or in the government against decisions of the Likud Central Committee. This is an amendment required at a time when lack of public integrity is commonplace.
The situation in which people are elected on a basis of a specific political platform and then adopt a diametrically opposed policy is especially conspicuous in a party such as the Likud. The reason for this is simple. In order to advance within the ranks of the party you have to express loyalty to its values. From the moment that you have been elected, and you want to be popular with the media, you begin to adopt a more Leftist attitude, or kick the party from which you came. Call Central Committee members "Indians" and you will be considered clever, refer to them as "criminal elements" without naming even one of them and you will be commended for your courage, to the acclaim of the press.
Not by chance does amendment 19c, which was intended to establish new standards of reliability and integrity in politics, so frighten the current leadership. The idea of the Jewish State proposed by Manhigut Yehudit is greater than all the current leaders of Manhigut Yehudit, and does not depend on one person or another.
The name "Feiglinites", which centers on a specific personality, is foreign to the movement and expresses a different culture. It is true that the name "members of Manhigut Yehudit" is not sufficiently trendy for the media. Furthermore, it is difficult to use such a name to refer to a group, since many people feel they belong to it, including mainly veteran Likudniks.
This is, in fact, its strength. Anyone who makes efforts to cause Israel to change from being a state of all its citizens to a Jewish State, already de facto belongs to Manhigut Yehudit. Those who have already joined the Likud, and the many others joining now, are simply concentrating their joint efforts in the political field in order to advance this process. The intensity of the reaction proves that they are succeeding.