All four of the prime ministers elected from the ranks of the Right in Israel were blessed with important talents and characteristics. But Yitzchak Shamir was the most talented of all. He was the only one of the four who did not surrender a grain of the Land of Israel to foreigners. Shamir also expressed his disappointment with the fact that the Religious Zionists were not taking responsibility to lead the nation.

Shamir was not free of mistakes – even strategic mistakes. His decision to leave the response to Sadaam's scuds to the nations of the world was his most serious error. (See Moshe Feiglin's article, "Learning the Lessons of Shamir's Mistakes )
But in these days of surrender to pressure from within and without; days in which our government capitulates to every threat and passing temptation, we will all miss the little man who was as strong as the emery (shamir) stone.
 

Does Israel Really Need Compulsory Draft?   By Moshe Feiglin

The State of Israel is bickering over nothing. It is like a fight between a seller who has nothing to sell and a buyer who has no intention of buying. They shout at each other, call the police, go to court when all they really want is attention for reasons of their own. One thing, however, is for sure: No deal will be struck between the two.

The Left does not want the Ultra-Orthodox in the army. The legions of Religious Zionists make it feel pressured enough, as it is. The sane majority of Israelis does not want Arabs in the army, either. Anybody with a tad of intelligence can understand that when the Arabs' quintessential representative, MK Ahmad Tibi, opposes the construction of a Space Center in the Arab town of Taibeh because it is to be named after the late Israeli astronaut, Ilan Rimon z"l, who was also a combat pilot, the basic loyalty of Israel's Arabs is not to the State, but to their people - who aim to destroy it.
 
So the Right doesn't really want this compulsory draft and the Left doesn't, either. More ridiculous is the fact that not only is the IDF not interested in this draft, but it really doesn't need it, either. Drafting the Ultra-Orthodox en-masse will require the IDF to establish new frameworks and to adopt standards in which it is not interested. As far as not needing it, here are some statistics:
In 2006 the IDF presented the Ben Basat Commission established to investigate reduction of active service with the following numbers:

Approximately 23% of men of draft age are not inducted into the army from the outset.

18% of those drafted drop out of the army during their service.

For all practical purposes, the compulsory induction law applies to only 59% of Israel's young men. According to the Shefer Commission report, there are ten different types of arrangements with the army that shorten the soldiers' term of service. So of the 59% who enter the army, most do not serve the full 36 months of compulsory service. In other words, in total contrast to the ethos of the "People's Army", less than one third of the men in every induction cycle truly bear the full burden of army service. This is without taking into account the fact that only a minority of those men are actual combat soldiers.

The gap between the myth of the People's Army and reality is even more pronounced in the reserves. In the year 2000, approximately 32,000 soldiers served the full period of reserve duty (26 days). This is only 4%(!) of all the men who could theoretically be serving in the army.

It is important to note that the IDF's elite units (Golani infantry, air force and navy) boast an over-abundance of volunteers to their ranks. In other words, our youth is highly motivated to serve in combat units.

The Compulsory Induction Law requires the IDF to draft everyone; even those it does not need and does not want.
The result is problematic in many ways:

1. Idleness: Too many soldiers in the army have nothing to do. This is a well-known fact and can be observed on most army bases.

2. Economy: Too many people out of the work force, burdening the economy.

3. Security: Naturally, the IDF relies on cheap labor instead of professionalism and technology. This damages our security situation. The disparity between the Air Force, which is essentially a professional volunteer force – and the rest of the army clearly highlights this problem.

4. Most important of all – Liberty: Compulsory induction contradicts the fundamental Jewish value of liberty.

5. Internecine Hatred: Compulsory induction has always been a trigger for internecine hatred, pitting those who serve against those who do not.

The real solution for this problem is to make the IDF a professional volunteer army. Not all at once and not in a rush. We need a long-term plan in which every stage is examined before moving on to the next stage. The ultimate goal of this plan is to nullify compulsory induction.

In this plan, each and every Jew would be inducted into the army and would do basic training of a number of days at least and 30 days at most. The training will be tailored to the needs of the various sectors: There will be completely separate bases for women, the training will take place during vacation from the yeshivahs and universities, and the like.

Those who are not interested in volunteering will finish their service at this point. They can and will be drafted in emergency situations for guard duty, civil defense and if necessary, for more advanced training.

A soldier who chooses to volunteer in the IDF, and whom the IDF chooses to accept (!) will receive a good salary, truly professional training that includes an academic degree and most important of all – the admiration of Israeli society (as opposed to the situation in the US).

I have no doubt that the supply will outstrip demand and that many of the volunteers will receive a negative answer. The IDF will be able to choose who it really wants and to invest all its resources in those who are actually improving our security instead of vast amounts of soldiers who are not really necessary.

Only one problem will remain: What will we fight about next? 
 

It Smells Like Elections

The Prime Minister survived the Ulpana crisis with the generous help of the settlers. It is still not clear how the draft crisis will be resolved, but one way or another, we have entered a new elections phase. The entire political system is working on this assumption.

Manhigut Yehudit is not part of this scene. Since we entered politics, we have set clear goals for ourselves. For years, we have been tirelessly working toward these goals without getting off track. When the political system works from within itself, for itself and without any purpose above and beyond itself – the chaos that we are now witnessing is born. We are not great politicians: But it has become clear that the presence of a goal and perseverance in reaching it are a first class political asset.

Manhigut Yehudit's political power is growing all the time. Moshe Feiglin is growing stronger and it is clear that when the time comes for elections, Moshe will be there, a distinctly unique factor in the leadership arena.

As in every election season, people become confused and fall once again into the honey trap of enchanting sectoral candidates. It is a seasonal phenomenon. Just as the sun shines, so new rightist parties are born before every election. It is always a great temptation to shorten the road. It is tempting to remain in the comfortable sectoral niche and to think that you are influencing something; to think that the Religious Zionist under-representation is due to certain personalities and is not essential. It is tempting to think that if we would only unite, if we would only find the most talented leader, we will return to the days of glory of yesteryear. In short, it is tempting to think that we can declare our affinity to the Return to Zion but to evade taking responsibility to lead it.

"Feiglin always fails," says National Union MK Aryeh Eldad. Eldad and his friends never fail – simply because they are not in the arena where the competition is taking place. They haven't failed because from where they are, they cannot fail. But they cannot succeed, either.

We are steadily progressing toward leadership of the national camp and of the nation. This is a revolution that frightens many Religious Zionists, who will do everything they can to thwart it. In the previous elections, we proved that it is possible to approach the Nation of Israel with the truth as we see it, to present it through a candidate with a kippah on his head and to merit tremendous backing. There are no magic solutions; not for the settlements and not for the other basic problems from which Israel suffers. The only real solution is the establishment of a clear goal coupled with new, faith-based leadership for our country. The fact that we have established this goal and are progressing step by step has greatly influenced the political arena. It helps the settlements more than any other attempted solutions. But we must not be blind to reality: As long as we have not reached the leadership position, we can do no more than influence on the tactical plane. Until then, we will not be able to stop the strategic deterioration.
 

Announcements

Two announcements by Manhigut Yehudit General Director, Shai Malkah:

1. The Likud is gearing up for internal Branch Council elections. If you are a member of a Likud Branch Council (this is not to be confused with general Likud membership!) please click here to ensure that your name appears on the Branch Council roster so that you can vote. The last day to add your name is tomorrow, Friday, 16 Tamuz/ July 6 by 12:00 pm. The last day to register for candidacy for positions in the Branch Council is Wednesday, 21 Tamuz / July 11 at 5 pm. If your name does not appear or you have further questions, please contact orchaim@gmail.com.

2. Manhigut Yehudit is looking for an office manager for its new Jerusalem office:

Requirements:
Faultless Hebrew
Experience in accounting
Organizational talent
Good interpersonal skills
High motivation
Computer skills
Able to work well under pressure
English language skills an advantage

Contact Shai Malkah: shaimalk@manhigut.org

 

Get the Word Out!

Our weekly update now comes in different exciting and useful forms and versions.  We urge you to try out both of these versions to see which one suits you better - or you can certainly use both!

Click here for a full version print PDF.  Easy to view and print, this version also makes it easy to copy and paste articles in order to use them on your blogs, websites or emails.

Manhigut Yehudit's US Director, Rob Muchnick, creates his own weekly 2-page full-color pdf newsletter, called "Rob's Shul Newsletter" (which really stands out on the table of handouts in your shul). In it are included most or all of the articles in the Weekly Update, plus additional commentary, pictures, quotes and articles by Rob - with his own down-to-earth, sharp and sometimes irreverent style.

You can help get the Manhigut Yehudit message out to the world! Print out the update in the version of your choice and distribute it in your synagogue, community center, workplace or neighborhood. Be part of the Jewish leadership revolution and help to make Israel the Jewish state we've always dreamed of. The links to both versions are always at the top of this update email.
 

Feedback

We'd love to hear your feedback. Click here to send us your comments and questions. Thank you!
 

Join the Team!

No matter where you are,
you can be part of Manhigut Yehudit.
Join us!

Together we can channel our idealistic energy
into revolutionizing Israeli society.

What can I do?

If you are already a Likud member and you would like to check your membership status, just email us at: shir@manhigut.org. Be sure to include your name, Israeli ID No., and a phone number where it is easiest to reach you. Or give us a call at our  "English Speakers" office: 02-996-1123 (Israel), or 516-620-2475 (USA).

If you are not Israeli citizen, you can  become a Manhigut Yehudit International Member. Joining Manhigut Yehudit International is much more than just a donation. Now you're part of the team!  If you are interested in arranging a lecture or meeting in your community with Moshe Feiglin or Shmuel Sackett, either in Israel or in the USA, please contact Dovid Shirel at shir@manhigut.org, or call: 02-996-1123 (Israel) or 516-620-2475 (USA).
 

Manhigut Yehudit
The Jewish Leadership Movement
Email: office@jewishisrael.org
Web: www.jewishisrael.org
Tel: 02-996-1123 (Israel); 516-620-2475 (USA)

Our Aim: To perfect the world in the Kingdom of the Almighty