An election of historical importance to our nation quickly approaches now and each of our votes is critical.
Maybe you are starting to think that Likud is your best choice, because you care about seeing us stand strong against our enemies, and you want to stop the insanity of further withdrawals. But before you vote, take a hard look at the last few years.
Perhaps you have forgotten who did not stop the "Oslo process" when he had the chance in September 1996. That is when the Kotel Tunnel riots exploded and the Palestinians first used the weapons that were given to them under the Oslo Accords against us. Experts in international law maintain that this was the moment in which Binyamin Netanyahu, as prime minister, could have ended the Oslo process - if he wanted to - because what the Palestinians had done was considered "a material breach of contract". But he didn't want to, since he had no alternative plan of his own. There is no reason to think he really has a plan today.
Possibly, as well, you have forgotten who shook the hand of the mass-murderer Yasser Arafat on the lawn of the White House in 1998, thus giving him further legitimacy, because this time it was a so-called "right-wing" Israeli leader who was recognizing him. This happened at the end of the Wye negotiations that paved the way for Israeli withdrawal from most of our holy city of Hebron, and for Palestinian control of 40% of Judea and Samaria. That day, Netanyahu said: "Today's a day when Israel and our entire region are more secure." If he was so wrong then, can his judgment be trusted today?
It may be, as well, that you have forgotten who was the only political figure that could have actually stopped the expulsion from Gush Katif and northern Samaria, had he actually gotten up and led the opposition within the cabinet. Instead, he decided to save himself, leaving when it was much too late.
And now? All the hawkish elements in the Likud have been pushed down so far on their list that their chances of getting into the Knesset are either non-realistic, or shaky at best. MK Dr. Uzi Landau is number 14! In more prominent places are expulsion supporters such as Mickey Eitan and Yuval Steinitz. Is this is the list you want to vote for?
Netanyahu, lacking a vision of his own for solving the Israeli-Arab conflict, gravitates toward the left-wing's plan. In contrast, MK Benny Elon, head of the Ichud Leumi-Mafdal (National Union-National Religious Party) is the only right-wing leader who has formulated an alternative peace plan, written in the language of international conflict resolutions; he has been making inroads with it among senior American officials.
Convinced that unity within the right-wing is essential to building the strength we require to save our country, Benny Elon has worked hard these past few months at negotiating a joint list with Mafdal (NRP) and finally achieved this goal in early February. What I have encountered since, time and again in the course of my campaigning, is an expression of unease about whether Mafdal might break away to the left. This serves as a stumbling block to support for the joint list.
It is time to confront this and to set the record straight: Mafdal signed a legally binding contract, and gave promises to Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and Rabbi Avraham Shapira, as well. They cannot break away for two years, at a minimum.
A weak Ichud Leumi-Mafdal alongside a strong Likud may result in a Likud-Labor-Liberman-Hareidi government. Netanyahu, eager to paint himself "moderate", as he has done in the past, might well leave us out of his government.
If we are not strong enough to keep the Likud on track, we run the risk that they will capitulate to the Palestinians. Vote for Ichud Leumi-Mafdal and give us the strength we need to do the job.
© Uri Bank 2006
Maybe you are starting to think that Likud is your best choice, because you care about seeing us stand strong against our enemies, and you want to stop the insanity of further withdrawals. But before you vote, take a hard look at the last few years.
Perhaps you have forgotten who did not stop the "Oslo process" when he had the chance in September 1996. That is when the Kotel Tunnel riots exploded and the Palestinians first used the weapons that were given to them under the Oslo Accords against us. Experts in international law maintain that this was the moment in which Binyamin Netanyahu, as prime minister, could have ended the Oslo process - if he wanted to - because what the Palestinians had done was considered "a material breach of contract". But he didn't want to, since he had no alternative plan of his own. There is no reason to think he really has a plan today.
Possibly, as well, you have forgotten who shook the hand of the mass-murderer Yasser Arafat on the lawn of the White House in 1998, thus giving him further legitimacy, because this time it was a so-called "right-wing" Israeli leader who was recognizing him. This happened at the end of the Wye negotiations that paved the way for Israeli withdrawal from most of our holy city of Hebron, and for Palestinian control of 40% of Judea and Samaria. That day, Netanyahu said: "Today's a day when Israel and our entire region are more secure." If he was so wrong then, can his judgment be trusted today?
It may be, as well, that you have forgotten who was the only political figure that could have actually stopped the expulsion from Gush Katif and northern Samaria, had he actually gotten up and led the opposition within the cabinet. Instead, he decided to save himself, leaving when it was much too late.
And now? All the hawkish elements in the Likud have been pushed down so far on their list that their chances of getting into the Knesset are either non-realistic, or shaky at best. MK Dr. Uzi Landau is number 14! In more prominent places are expulsion supporters such as Mickey Eitan and Yuval Steinitz. Is this is the list you want to vote for?
Netanyahu, lacking a vision of his own for solving the Israeli-Arab conflict, gravitates toward the left-wing's plan. In contrast, MK Benny Elon, head of the Ichud Leumi-Mafdal (National Union-National Religious Party) is the only right-wing leader who has formulated an alternative peace plan, written in the language of international conflict resolutions; he has been making inroads with it among senior American officials.
Convinced that unity within the right-wing is essential to building the strength we require to save our country, Benny Elon has worked hard these past few months at negotiating a joint list with Mafdal (NRP) and finally achieved this goal in early February. What I have encountered since, time and again in the course of my campaigning, is an expression of unease about whether Mafdal might break away to the left. This serves as a stumbling block to support for the joint list.
It is time to confront this and to set the record straight: Mafdal signed a legally binding contract, and gave promises to Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and Rabbi Avraham Shapira, as well. They cannot break away for two years, at a minimum.
A weak Ichud Leumi-Mafdal alongside a strong Likud may result in a Likud-Labor-Liberman-Hareidi government. Netanyahu, eager to paint himself "moderate", as he has done in the past, might well leave us out of his government.
If we are not strong enough to keep the Likud on track, we run the risk that they will capitulate to the Palestinians. Vote for Ichud Leumi-Mafdal and give us the strength we need to do the job.
© Uri Bank 2006