The Likud Referendum Before the Expulsion: By Moshe Feiglin

The results of the upcoming election for chairmanship of the Likud (to take place on 7 Shvat, 5772 / Jan. 31, '12) will be analyzed by the Likud ministers and MKs with a fine-toothed comb. The reason? These are the same voters who will vote in the Likud primaries before the general elections in Israel.

The intensity of the struggle for Israel's settlements will be determined in large part by the results of the upcoming elections. In other words, these elections are actually the new Likud referendum; just that this time the Land of Israel loyalists will have the opportunity to vote before the withdrawal program is put on the table, not after. A clear result in the upcoming elections will ensure that the entire Likud faction in the Knesset will stand firmly against attempts to destroy the settlements in the future.

This is not the reason why I am running for chairmanship of the Likud. I even ran when the Likud was in the Opposition and had negligible influence over the government. My decision to run is based on the same principles that have guided us since the very beginnings of the Manhigut Yehudit faction in the Likud. Nevertheless, the fact that we have established a faith-based alternative now directly dovetails with our tactical goal to defend the settlements in Judea and Samaria. We see the settlements as the platform for the ideology that must lead and save the entire State of Israel.

The revolution created by Manhigut Yehudit, leading the faith-based public to the national helm - is the beginning of the changing of the guard in the process of the Return to Zion. Many of the Land of Israel loyalists who have recently joined the Likud see their move as strictly tactical; a statement that is meant to increase the pressure on the people making the decisions. It is difficult for them to understand why I insist on running for chairmanship of the Likud.

This race is part of the rung-by-rung climb to the helm of the State of Israel. Each time I run, I win a significantly larger percentage of the votes. Nobody can promise that this will always be the case, but if I hadn't run in 5763 (2003) and won only 3.5% of the vote, I would not have progressed to 13% of the vote in 5766 (2006) and to 23.5% of the vote in 5757 (2007). Every race is another rung in the ladder that leads to leadership of the Likud and the entire State of Israel. With G-d's help, the upcoming race for chairmanship of the Likud will be the last rung on the ladder to leadership of the National Camp. From there, it is only a short way to leadership of the State of Israel.

But even if I will need to climb an additional rung before reaching the goal, every faith-based vote in these elections draws us nearer to leadership. This time it is completely clear that a vote for faith-based leadership strengthens the settlements in a new type of voter referendum – the voter referendum that precedes the catastrophe and with G-d's help, will head it off.

So instead of packing your sleeping bags to go to yet another anti-expulsion demonstration, come to our opening campaign rally on Tuesday, 8 Tevet, (Jan. 3). Bring your friends and family and do all that you can to elect genuine Jewish leadership for Israel.