The Rise and Inevitable Fall of the Post-Ideology State

By Moshe Feiglin

13 Tevet 5770
Dec. 30 '09

Clearly, Kadimah will collapse. In fact, this author is on record with that assessment from the time of Kadimah's inception. Ultimately, our existence depends on a sense of destiny. A political party void of ideology is lifeless. Livni has woken up to that truth and has started talking about ideology. But Kadimah MK Meir Shitrit was more accurate when during his stint as Education Minister he proudly asserted, "We have disengaged from all ideology." (Ynet 3.27.06).

Shitrit was right. Kadimah is a cynical black political hole than has no goal other than political power and control. The lucky political opportunists from all parties who managed to be on Sharon's good side were all sucked into this black hole. When political control is the supreme and exclusive aim, the party cannot exist for any length of time in the Opposition.

Tzippy Livni erroneously depended on the media to eliminate Netanyahu, as it had done the last time he was prime minister. She thought that she would have only a short wait in the wings before Kadimah would return to power. But Netanyahu learned his lesson. He made sure that the real rulers of this country understood that the Likud would be a better black hole than Kadimah. True, Netanyahu was elected to office with the votes of the Right. But he fought those "Feiglins" and is effectively supplying the political merchandise that the Left desires much better than Tzippy Livni. So Netanyahu is still prime minister and Livni can do no more than watch from the sidelines as her party disintegrates.

Not coincidentally, it is Meir Shitrit - the man who made a career out of political machinations - who has used every trick in the book to ensure that his proposed biometric law would pass the Knesset vote. When there is no ideology, all that is left is the lust for power. The biometric law serves the lust for power because it erodes personal liberty and allows the government more control of its subjects. A direct line leads from Sharon's will to mollify the Left to rejection of democracy and the establishment of Kadimah until the point at which the government decides to label its citizens as if they were animals.

There is a distinct connection between the biometric law, Kadimah and Netanyahu's battle against Feiglin. The majority of Jews in Israel today are more Jewish, more traditional, more rightist and more nationalist than ever before. Nevertheless, Israel is in the throes of a rapid slide to the left. This cannot happen in a truly free and democratic state. The process in which ideological votes are thrown into the black hole called "the center" - effectively nullifying the will of the voter - is an essential precursor of disengagement, convergence, building freeze et al. It is a process that will necessarily lead to total abandonment of Israel's ideological elements - namely the settlers and the settlements. When Netanyahu fought against Feiglin in the last Likud primaries, he was essentially fighting for his ability to turn the Likud into a new Kadimah. In other words, he was fighting for his ability to use the Likud against the will of its constituency. And that is exactly what he is doing now as he attempts to set off a new political cataclysm in Israel.

As usual, the arena on which the public battle against our loss of freedom and total collapse is being waged is the Likud. A truly democratic state cannot implement the Abandonment Plan. Certainly not a democratic state with a clear rightist majority. The robbery of our personal liberty is a vital stage on the way to destruction of our country. It is still possible to fight for our rights. But the battle is inside the Likud.

Where there is no destiny, there is no life. The opposite is also true: "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." (Nietzsche) The seemingly invincible Kadimah quickly disintegrated and Netanyahu will share the same fate. The man who harnessed himself to the new order - to the era of no ideology, will sooner or later find himself in the trash bin of history. He will leave nothing after him but the stench he shares with Sharon, Livni and their ilk. It will take more time. Netanyahu is still inflating and it will take time until he crashes. But the disgraceful end is just a matter of time - and pain.

After Netanyahu's inevitable crash, the public will search for ideology. At that point, whoever will offer leadership based on an ideology that explains reality and deals with its challenges will lead Israel. We will continue to prepare ourselves - with faith, courage and humility. And when the time comes, we will be there.