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"There is a new generation in Israel," Feiglin told Israel National Radio's Yishai and Malka Fleisher. "A new generation that during the days of Zo Artzeinu was only six or seven years old and that has in the last ten years read our material and observed the ideology - and is the new 'silver platter' on which the State of Israel will be served to the Jewish people. We were nothing compared to this new group of youngsters. It is not easy to grow up as a teenager, being shot at all the time on your way home and having your own army failing to give you any sense of victory. From this background a new generation is rising up, faithful people - the kids they call the 'hilltop youth.'"
Though Feiglin himself was not the coordinator of this round of road blocking, he is more than just the inspiration for it. "It is a well known secret that the offices [of the newly founded 'National Home' civil disobedience movement] are actually the offices of Manhigut Yehudit and that ['National Home' Chairmen] Shai Malka and Ariel Vangrover, who are really the heroes of the day - who were already arrested Sunday - used that place. I am very proud that, thank G-d, we have followers."
Feiglin, who now leads the Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction within the Likud Party, was convicted of the British Mandate-relic crime of "sedition" for his role in bringing traffic flow in the country to a halt following the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 and the subsequent arming of the PLO.
The seasoned activist, speaking just one hour before traffic in Israel ground to a halt at 5 PM, said that no matter how successful Monday's protests would be, the movement had already won. "Instead of being sheep led to the slaughter, which was the process until now, we are taking the lead now. We are deciding when and where the battle will take place. If the government thinks that whenever they decide to they can just block Gush Katif - they will know now that at the time that we decide, we can block the entire country."
Feiglin responded to criticism claiming such protest methods alienate and anger the public rather than eliciting sympathy saying he had heard such claims before and believed they miss the point. "When Zo Artzeinu blocked the roads ten years ago and stopped the whole country, we had the same question. 'What are you doing? People are going to hate you - instead of winning them over to your side you are going to make them upset.' What happened was the exact opposite. I remember going to the US a half year later and a stewardess recognized me at Ben Gurion Airport. She said: "I am a leftist, an extreme leftist - but until you blocked the roads and I could not leave home, I did not even know that there was a problem. I realized then that it wasn't 80% against 20%, but 50% or more of the people who don't agree with that Oslo agreement."
According to Feiglin, upsetting people is a desirable alternative to apathy and passivity on the part of the general populace. "Until it touches people, until you go out of your way and sacrifice - maybe make people a little upset - no one understands that this is not a show but a serious reality."
Success has already been proven, Feiglin claims. "Two months ago, people started blocking roads in Israel on their own - on the Ayalon Highway, and other places. Since then, the polls show those supporting Ariel Sharon are decreasing and the people of Israel believe less and less in his plan because they see it is not something that they are going to just sit on their couches and watch their Prime Minister implement in Gush Katif. 'It is going to touch 'me' in Tel Aviv - and these guys are serious.' It shocks them that it hurts enough to bring the battle to 'my backyard' and now 'I have to think and I can't say Sharon will think for me. I have to think and convince myself whether he is doing the right thing or not.' Sharon's whole plan relies on people not thinking. We are pushing them to think for themselves."
The rallying cry of the "National Home" movement is "Arrested? You won!" Feiglin, arrested dozens of times for non-violent protest, explained the slogan. "The only 'stick' that the government has to show us and to make us obey this terrible crime of a disengagement plan is to arrest you and to put you on trial. When you go with joy and happiness to get arrested, this stick is broken and is nothing anymore. So if massive amounts of people, hundreds or thousands get arrested, it means that Sharon can not go ahead with his disengagement plan."
Police brutality, Feiglin admits, is another tool used by the establishment to attempt to squelch massive civil disobedience. "A police officer will be violent because those are the orders he received from his officers. It is hard to believe and hard to hear but we already see that the way the police are behaving toward protesters and it is illegal and very violent. They are under great pressure from above to bring results as fast as they can. They know that if they arrest many people and fill the jails then we will win, so they are going to use a lot of physical force, unfortunately. We have to have enough self-sacrifice to take that, though. We have nothing else to do. We have our country and our people to save - we have no choice."
Right-click here to download the broadcast and choose "Save target as"
"There is a new generation in Israel," Feiglin told Israel National Radio's Yishai and Malka Fleisher. "A new generation that during the days of Zo Artzeinu was only six or seven years old and that has in the last ten years read our material and observed the ideology - and is the new 'silver platter' on which the State of Israel will be served to the Jewish people. We were nothing compared to this new group of youngsters. It is not easy to grow up as a teenager, being shot at all the time on your way home and having your own army failing to give you any sense of victory. From this background a new generation is rising up, faithful people - the kids they call the 'hilltop youth.'"
Though Feiglin himself was not the coordinator of this round of road blocking, he is more than just the inspiration for it. "It is a well known secret that the offices [of the newly founded 'National Home' civil disobedience movement] are actually the offices of Manhigut Yehudit and that ['National Home' Chairmen] Shai Malka and Ariel Vangrover, who are really the heroes of the day - who were already arrested Sunday - used that place. I am very proud that, thank G-d, we have followers."
Feiglin, who now leads the Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction within the Likud Party, was convicted of the British Mandate-relic crime of "sedition" for his role in bringing traffic flow in the country to a halt following the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 and the subsequent arming of the PLO.
The seasoned activist, speaking just one hour before traffic in Israel ground to a halt at 5 PM, said that no matter how successful Monday's protests would be, the movement had already won. "Instead of being sheep led to the slaughter, which was the process until now, we are taking the lead now. We are deciding when and where the battle will take place. If the government thinks that whenever they decide to they can just block Gush Katif - they will know now that at the time that we decide, we can block the entire country."
Feiglin responded to criticism claiming such protest methods alienate and anger the public rather than eliciting sympathy saying he had heard such claims before and believed they miss the point. "When Zo Artzeinu blocked the roads ten years ago and stopped the whole country, we had the same question. 'What are you doing? People are going to hate you - instead of winning them over to your side you are going to make them upset.' What happened was the exact opposite. I remember going to the US a half year later and a stewardess recognized me at Ben Gurion Airport. She said: "I am a leftist, an extreme leftist - but until you blocked the roads and I could not leave home, I did not even know that there was a problem. I realized then that it wasn't 80% against 20%, but 50% or more of the people who don't agree with that Oslo agreement."
According to Feiglin, upsetting people is a desirable alternative to apathy and passivity on the part of the general populace. "Until it touches people, until you go out of your way and sacrifice - maybe make people a little upset - no one understands that this is not a show but a serious reality."
Success has already been proven, Feiglin claims. "Two months ago, people started blocking roads in Israel on their own - on the Ayalon Highway, and other places. Since then, the polls show those supporting Ariel Sharon are decreasing and the people of Israel believe less and less in his plan because they see it is not something that they are going to just sit on their couches and watch their Prime Minister implement in Gush Katif. 'It is going to touch 'me' in Tel Aviv - and these guys are serious.' It shocks them that it hurts enough to bring the battle to 'my backyard' and now 'I have to think and I can't say Sharon will think for me. I have to think and convince myself whether he is doing the right thing or not.' Sharon's whole plan relies on people not thinking. We are pushing them to think for themselves."
The rallying cry of the "National Home" movement is "Arrested? You won!" Feiglin, arrested dozens of times for non-violent protest, explained the slogan. "The only 'stick' that the government has to show us and to make us obey this terrible crime of a disengagement plan is to arrest you and to put you on trial. When you go with joy and happiness to get arrested, this stick is broken and is nothing anymore. So if massive amounts of people, hundreds or thousands get arrested, it means that Sharon can not go ahead with his disengagement plan."
Police brutality, Feiglin admits, is another tool used by the establishment to attempt to squelch massive civil disobedience. "A police officer will be violent because those are the orders he received from his officers. It is hard to believe and hard to hear but we already see that the way the police are behaving toward protesters and it is illegal and very violent. They are under great pressure from above to bring results as fast as they can. They know that if they arrest many people and fill the jails then we will win, so they are going to use a lot of physical force, unfortunately. We have to have enough self-sacrifice to take that, though. We have nothing else to do. We have our country and our people to save - we have no choice."