A Response to Those Who Seek to Resurrect Netanyahu
Gary Cooperberg
November 3, 2002
Once again the Israeli government seems to be tottering towards new elections. Ariel Sharon has succeeded in holding together a most unlikely combination of opposing factions for an incredibly long time, and has managed to implement policies which no other government was able to do. He has also succeeded in creating a very good relationship with President Bush which has enabled him to effectively cripple the terrorist infrastructure and significantly weaken the PLO, both physically and politically.
I admit that this was accomplished at a very high price, and I certainly would prefer to have seen a more sweeping destruction of our enemies. But, when compared with other recent leaders, Sharon's accomplishments far outshine them all. Politics is a dirty game and it takes a very skillful leader to roll with the punches. Netanyahu failed miserably when he had his chance. Not only did he fail to pull together a wide government, but he destroyed his own party, driving several of its leading members to either found new parties or just quit.
The question looming before us is "Where do we go from here?". Because of his political maneuvering, many good people are seeking to get rid of Sharon. I certainly would not have done things the way he did, nor do I approve of his tactics. But the bottom line is, "Who is the best person we have to lead our country now?" Looking at accomplishments, especially in our fight against our enemies, there is no one on the scene today who can hold a candle to Ariel Sharon. I sincerely hope that he takes advantage of the present situation to completely destroy our enemies. In inviting Shaul Mofaz to become the next Minister of Defense, this is certainly a possibility. Now that the left has left, it is time for the right to be right.
If Mr. Netanyahu sincerely cares about his country the best thing he could do would be to stand with Sharon and work to support him. If he still harbors a hope to be Prime Minister again, he first needs to earn the right to do so. Instead of standing in the wings and waiting for his rival to fall, he should come forward and offer his help. He should take the job as Foreign Minister and serve his country in a capacity in which he is well qualified. In this way, not only will he build up our government and make us stronger, but he will be on the right path back to the office he seeks. If he refuses to do this, and succumbs instead to immediate political ambitions, not only will he fail, but he will close the door on any political future he now has.
I personally see no future for Netanyahu. His behavior has shown clearly that, although he is photogenic and an excellent speaker, he has no leadership qualities. He wrote a book about how to stop terror, yet he embraced Arafat and did nothing to undo the horrible Oslo disaster. Sharon has yet to meet with the terrorist leader and has succeeded in getting the United States to back away from him as well. His words may not have sounded nice, but his actions were swift and powerful. Netanyahu had nice words, but no action. The worse thing for this nation now would be to place it back in the hands of such a person.
Those who have planned to take over the Likud by encouraging people to become members and then vote for Moshe Feiglin have done nothing but encourage Netanyahu. This is precisely why I was opposed to this political game. I still do not see Moshe Feiglin as a likely candidate for anything. Likud is not the answer. We must support anyone who is prepared to take the steps needed to win the war. While Sharon has yet to declare Oslo dead and begin to throw out our enemies, he has effectively executed many of their leaders and destroyed much of their infrastructure. I hope that his intentions are to finish the job. He may not have all of the right ideology, but until someone else appears on the scene who is capable of getting elected and prepared to do what must be done, Sharon is still the best we have. To abandon him now is pure foolishness.
Project Shofar is dedicated to spreading these truths wherever it is possible to do so. It is sounding the alarm, to Jew and Gentile alike, to open our eyes to the G-dly process that is presently underway, and work to support it. We dare not stand idly on the sidelines.
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