As we are facing yet another general election on November 1, the fifth in just more than three years, it is time to examine the reasons for this anomaly. Of course we know that the population is split in half between the so-called national camp – the politically Right, some of whom believe in a homeland for Jews as it was intended by the Balfour Declaration in 1918 and others who base their claim on the Torah – and the other half who have been influenced by Arab propaganda and accept that there exists a Palestinian Arab nation who are the indigenous population of this land, and we must therefore include them in the political decision making. That view is false, was tried, failed and brought us to our present predicament.
So where do we go from here and how can we protect our country from this cycle of ineffective government, with the balance of power vested in some small party, possibly Arab, that may have almost missed the electoral threshold and can hold the country to ransom with just four members of Knesset, a scenario which could very likely occur again after November 1?
We of the right, all of us have the same goal, which is why this is the time for unity. Those in the national camp who hold to the view “anyone but Bibi” must realize that, however strong you feel, you are not achieving the aim to establish a right-wing government, but that you strengthen the left-wing opposition.
I fully understand the supporters of small parties who with all their heart believe that only a Torah-observant state will be able to withstand the pressures of the outside world, or those with the more pragmatic view, who are prepared for the country to be governed in unity with our secular brothers and sisters, provided that they have a part of the decision making.
Unfortunately, certain sections of the national camp are plagued by a blind obstinacy that sees only its self-interests to the detriment of the nation as a whole. Such an attitude is self-destructive and in today’s progressive climate will further erode the Zionist spirit (no endorsement of that party).
The conduct of the electorate is heavily influenced by our politicians, who demonstrate similar characteristics in reverse. For them, it is not the philosophy of a particular party. They are concerned with their personal ego, to be a member of Knesset playing musical chairs, as has so aptly been demonstrated in a recent article in The Jerusalem Post by Ruthie Blum, citing the chameleon-like behavior of Ayelet Shaked. She is, of course, not the only one who changed party affiliation in the hope to get a ministerial job. Like the British proverb, they cut their cloth to fit their suit.
THE TIME has come to make this election the last one for the next four years, to elect a right-wing government that has a mandate to complete its program, and that will first and foremost promise to fulfil the earlier broken assurances of establishing Israel’s sovereignty of the Jordan valley, and over all of Judea and Samaria, our historical heartland.
In the meantime, we must work to stop the spread of illegal Arab construction in Area C of Judea and Samaria, which is under full Israeli military control.
When analyzing the aims and objections of the smaller parties on the political right, there is no doubt that their basic goal is to maintain Israel as a state for Jews governed by Jews and administered according to Jewish values.
However, to achieve this, you and all of us must put aside our strong preferences for one or another of the small parties, some of which, according to many opinion polls, are not assured to achieve the requisite number of votes to pass the electoral threshold.
Instead, in the interest of the future or even survival of Israel as a Jewish state, we, the supporters of the national camp, must resist our strong individual party affiliation at this forthcoming election and vote tactically, that means to increase to an overall majority the number of mandates of Likud, the party that is already expected to attain the highest number of seats in the next Knesset.
Yes, it is possible. Only such tactical voting will make sure that we avoid a so-called government where each constituent party pulls in different directions, where no definitive constructive policy can be agreed upon but only compromises to maintain power.
We must also put aside any prejudice against Benjamin Netanyahu, who will presumably be chosen by Likud members to be their party leader and hence, the next prime minister. We must also not forget that Netanyahu’s achievement to alert the world to the Iranian threat and an existential one for Israel, and is now accepted by the Western world. This outweighs his failures to fully satisfy the aspirations of the right-wing population during his last premiership.
Should he again fail to keep his word, Likud Party members have a democratic option, which in such a case would be supported by most right-wing voters. Of all the options open to us in the General election, I strongly commend the above to the voting public who treasure a truly Jewish and Zionist state.
The writer, at 98, is the world’s oldest working journalist and radio host with both Guinness World Records. He presents Walter’s World, a weekly radio show on Israel National Radio (Arutz 7) and The Walter Bingham File on Israel Newstalk Radio, as well as contributing monthly to The Jerusalem Report.