October 5, 2009

Manhigut Yehudit's Founding Principles: A Reality Check




Just before Passover, 5757    (1997) twelve and a half years ago, the members of Manhigut Yehudit gathered    to formulate the ten founding principles that would be a guiding light for    our movement. At the time, Netanyahu had just begun his first term as prime    minister. Nobody had yet considered joining the Likud. Now, twelve and a    half years later, we can do a reality check and see if Manhigut Yehudit's    founding principles are indeed in harmony with Israeli reality. (Click    here for the full list of Manhigut Yehudit's Founding Principles).

1. From Existence-Based Zionism To Destiny-Based Zionism
Those people who perceive subtleties are in for a pleasant surprise. Israel    has begun to abandon its "existence" claims in favor of previously unheard-of    claims such as "The Holocaust is not the reason for the existence of the    State of Israel." In the past, practically the only place to find a sentence    like that would have been in a Manhigut Yehudit speech or publication. But    little by little, this claim is becoming a plank in Israel's policies.


The Yesha Council leaders demonstrating against the building freeze from    their protest tent in Jerusalem are still afraid to raise their heads above    human-rights claims of natural growth or the tried and true security claims.    Unfortunately, the Yesha Council is still stuck in Existence-Based Zionism.    But in his speech at the United Nations, PM Netanyahu needed to rely on    more than mere existence. From his attack against Holocaust denial he went    on to talk about the inheritance of our forefathers. True, for Netanyahu    Jewish destiny is an unknown. Furthermore, his talk of the rightful inheritance    of our forefathers becomes grotesque when in the same breath he offers the    Land of our Forefathers to a non-nation. Nonetheless, the very fact that    the prime minister resorted to a plane beyond Existential Zionism is important    progress. Manhigut Yehudit can rightfully take credit for inserting this    concept into Israel's political lexicon.

2. Jewish Orientation for the State of Israel
Suddenly, everybody is talking about a Jewish state. Suddenly, everybody    notices that our very existence as a Jewish state is not a given. Suddenly,    everybody understands that the question is not if we recognize the need    for a "Palestinian state," but rather if the "Palestinians" and the rest    of the world recognize the legitimacy of and need for the existence of a    Jewish state. After years of attempts to distance the State of Israel from    its Jewish character and after years of attempting to build a state of all    its citizens, the demand to recognize Israel as a Jewish state has become    a fundamental issue - so much so that the fact that the US president said    the magic words "Jewish state" in his speech at the UN was portrayed as    a major achievement.

Netanyahu has appointed former Chief Justice Aharon Barak to pen Israel's    formal response to the Goldstone report. But the former Chief Justice has    only recently declared that he sees Israel as a state of all its citizens.    In other words, he is not interested in a Jewish state. By virtue of that    perspective, he does not have and cannot have an answer to the report that    presents Israel's soldiers as war criminals. What can he possibly say? That    Israel acted within the framework of self-defense for robbers?

But even in this case, we can and should look at the glass that is half    full. Despite the confusion and dissonance, we are witnessing substantial    progress. Not because people necessarily realize how much Manhigut Yehudit    has influenced Israeli society. Simply because Israeli society has begun    to adopt Manhigut Yehudit's Founding Principles and they are seeping deep    into our collective psyche.

Israeli society is in the process of profound change. The only leftists    that remain are those for whom being Left is a business. The vast majority    of Israelis fasted this past Yom Kippur. The artists - the sensitive weathervanes    of societal change - have switched direction and are using their creative    talents to express their connection to Judaism. Manhigut Yehudit did not    create this revolution. But it is certainly a catalyst for this renaissance    and highlights its significance on a national level.

In the short term, it could be that this process will hamper our progress    in the political arena. Suddenly, there is no opponent from the Left because    Meretz, Kadimah and Labor are rapidly losing their significance. Netanyahu's    new mode of public relations may convince many that we have reached our    ultimate goal.

But this is true only in the short term. In the longer term, the process    that we are witnessing with wide-eyed amazement is vital for the changing    of the guard (Founding Principle #5). If, until not long ago, we thought    that the changing of the guard and the establishment of authentic Jewish    leadership for the State of Israel would necessarily be the product of a    head-on collision with the "old guard", the newly developing dialectic may    just save us from this unsavory scenario.

Two-poled Zionism (Left/Right) is slowly being replaced by Zionism informed    by one consciousness - Zionism developing from existence to destiny. This    new form of Zionism is positioned to herald a harmonious state in which    Israeli society as a whole will steadily progress toward the goal of Destiny-Based    Zionism. Clearly, this national consciousness will require leadership hewed    from Jewish foundations and committed to the historic destiny of the Nation    of Israel. In short - Jewish leadership.

This is completely in line with our fifth Founding Principle:

Changing of the Guard
The Zionist consciousness that realized the first stage of the Return to    Zion is incapable of dealing with the problems facing the State of Israel.    It has reached its end. Manhigut Yehudit has deep and genuine appreciation    for Zionism and the dedication of its pioneers. It identifies with their    positive intentions and desires to continue their positive actions. As such,    Manhigut Yehudit strives to create a deep change in the national consciousness    - a fundamental, spiritual and ethical change. A transformation to belief-based    consciousness is the only way to continue the historical process of the    Return to Zion.

May it be G-d's will!

No comments:

Post a Comment