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Jul 15, 2019

Feiglin and the balagan in Zehut

As much as Moshe Feiglin has always said he is not the focus but Zehut is the focus, the ideas are the focus, and he can leave one day and someone else will take over and everything will be the same, that was never really true. Moshe Feiglin was always the focus, always the issue. Feiglin is the draw for his supporters, not Zehut. They never put up anybody else to share the spotlight and to try to attract voters, because Feiglin has always been the guy for Zehut.

On Friday Zehut had a crisis. It seems Moshe Feiglin has been fighting with the controlling board and reserving a high spot on the list for a personal appointment. The steering committee has rejected Feiglin's request and has refused to allow him to appoint his guy to the spot he wanted to. The steering committee points to the recent primaries held, open primaries that Moshe Feiglin himself devised and was so proud and boastful of, and says we cannot change that. Feiglin resigned from Zehut.

Feiglin resigned from Zehut.

Feiglin resigned from Zehut.

Basically that means the end of Zehut.

Everyone was in a tizzy. Events were quickly canceled and nobody knew what would happen to Zehut at that point. Shortly after, Feiglin took his spot back revoking his resignation, after being bombarded with requests and also after some scheduled event in Afula insisted he still come and remain in his position.

Feiglin rescinded his resignation, and in his place, most of the members of the steering committee resigned. He was left with a few other of his people. Feiglin canceled the results of the primaries and appointed 22 people and spotted them according to his own desires.

It looked like Zehut is dead in the water, but they are at least going through some serious problems that they might or might not work their way out of.

Reports have them today trying to come to an agreement and put this all behind them.

Whatever happens, with this balagan it seems unlikely any party will agree to a merger with Zehut, even just as a technical bloc. Whatever happens, many people who supported them or thought about supporting will likely stay away - nobody wants to be involved in such a chaotic party. Their chances of success were already not great, based on history, and this makes it all that much more difficult. Whatever happens, the open primaries they were so proud of, the symbol of being the most democratic party in Israel (in their words), has all been wiped away and Feiglin/Zehut is no better than Yair Lapid, Ehud Barak, UTJ, Shas, and all the other parties that appoint their people as per the wishes and whims of someone rather than through primaries - this is generally fine as most parties do it but when you have bragged about your primaries, this is no longer fine.

Zehut is all Feiglin, and it always has been.




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5 comments:

  1. Rafi, I've just done a google news search on Feiglin, and nothing comes up with the information you have here. Could you possibly post any links you have to any news media (English or Hebrew) that have this? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. here are a few links (not in chronological order). there were others as well, but this is enough to get the story:
      https://www.facebook.com/zehutenglish/posts/867744463624056?hc_location=ufi

      https://www.srugim.co.il/356395-%d7%96%d7%94%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%9c%d7%90-%d7%aa%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%a5-%d7%91%d7%91%d7%97%d7%99%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%90%d7%99%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%a2-%d7%a4%d7%aa%d7%99%d7%97%d7%aa-%d7%94%d7%a7%d7%9e%d7%a4%d7%99

      https://www.srugim.co.il/355756-%d7%93%d7%a8%d7%9e%d7%94-%d7%91%d7%9e%d7%a4%d7%9c%d7%92%d7%aa-%d7%96%d7%94%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%99%d7%92%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9f-%d7%94%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%98%d7%a8-%d7%9e%d7%a8%d7%90%d7%a9%d7%95%d7%aa

      https://www.srugim.co.il/356552-%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%99%d7%92%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9f-%d7%94%d7%95%d7%93%d7%99%d7%a2-%d7%a4%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%99%d7%9e%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%96-%d7%9e%d7%97%d7%93%d7%a9-%d7%9c%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%a7%d7%99%d7%93-%d7%99%d7%95

      I heard this morning that Feiglin ordered new primaries, but not quote sure yet what that means. waiting to see more info

      Delete
  2. I read Zehut's official statement. I am confused on how a dispute between someone #2 or #4 on the list could be so controversial considering both slots would get in, if they were to cross the threshold.

    Zehut is based on the manifesto of Feiglin's dream society. They attract supporters with the everyone can find something they like without necessarily buying into the overall vision. Without Feiglin there is no direction on which items are priority or how to implement the manifesto under the current political system. Considering the party's foundation of Feiglin's brand of religious Zionism and Libertarianism, I am still at a loss of how marijuana became the #1 issue on deciding to join a coalition or not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that was because he identified that as the issue that could attract voters from across the political spectrum, not because it is his most important issue.

      Delete
    2. That in itself is no different than a lot of other political parties, that they are trying to distinguish themselves from. I have seen a number of times where Zehut has campaigned on, choose an issue you like and vote for us because of it. If that issue will be acted upon is completely irrelevant.

      Delete

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