Moshe Feiglin

Feiglin co-founded the Manhigut Yehudit movement in 1996. It began as a brainchild of Feiglin and a friend of his, Moti Karpel, who established the organization as the continuation of the Zo Artzeinu protest movement. The main tactical difference between the two in Feiglin's thought is that Zo Artzeinu protested government policy without suggesting an alternative, whereas Manhigut Yehudit seeks to become the government and be the alternative.

Lacking the tools to do this, and without a political party with which to stake his run, he was approached by a founding member of the Likud party and participant in the Zo Artzeinu protests who proposed that Feiglin register for the Likud party and register, in turn, the thousands who participated in the protests, thereby building a support base for himself in the party, from which he could run for the party presidency and, in turn, Prime Minister.[9]

According to Feiglin's own words, Manhigut Yehudit was started to "return the country to the people and lead the State of Israel through authentic Jewish values".[10]

Feiglin says that the movement's leadership will arise from "those who have a deep commitment to Torah values". Still, 30 percent of its present members are secular (2005). He opposes the surrender of what he regards as Jewish land, and has demanded the government take action against the estimated 50,000 illegal Arab structures built throughout the country. Feiglin has stated that Likud had "given up true Likud values and acquiesced in the Gaza evacuation".[11]

Moshe Feiglin campaigning with supporters for the Likud leadership primaries, 2012

Feiglin was a minor candidate in the 2002 Likud leadership election.[12]

In 2005, Feiglin again ran for Likud chairman and won 12.5% of the votes, coming third out of seven candidates, after Benjamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom. He attempted to run for a slot on the party's Knesset list, but encountered severe opposition from Netanyahu, who delayed party elections and advocated making changes to its charter to bar "anyone who has served three or more months in prison" from running as a Likud MK. This would have prevented Feiglin, who served a six-month sentence in the mid-1990s for civil disobedience, from running for either an MK or leadership position in the future. Feiglin withdrew from the race on 3 January 2006, following the release of a statement from the Likud party election chairman declaring, in agreement with a prior decision by the Israeli High Court, that Feiglin's conviction was not for "dishonorable" violations of the law, allowing him to participate in future Likud affairs.

In the 14 August 2007 primaries, Feiglin nearly doubled his previous showing and received 23.4% of the votes to Netanyahu's 72.8%. Netanyahu, fearing a strong showing by Feiglin, tried to have him ousted from the party prior to the vote, and said he would continue such efforts. On 10 December 2008, Feiglin was won twentieth place in the Likud primaries.[13] On 11 December, following a petition submitted against him by Ophir Akunis, he was demoted to the 36th spot.[14]

In an article written in 2009, Feiglin stated: "Sad to say, Prime Minister Netanyahu is a pitiful puppet of Peres and his cohorts."[15]

Feiglin ran against Netanyahu again in the 2012 Likud leadership election, held on 31 January 2012, and again received 23% of the vote.[16] In the Likud primaries held in late 2012 to select candidates for the 2013 elections, Feiglin finished thirteenth,[17] and was elected to the Knesset in the 2013 elections.

Feiglin served as Deputy Speaker in the 19th Knesset. He and his Manhigut Yehudit faction suffered a serious setback in the December 2014 Likud primaries, held in the run-up to the 2015 Knesset elections, when he fell to the 36th position on the Likud list, making it unlikely he would be returned to the Knesset.[18] In January 2015, he announced that he was leaving Likud to form his own party,[19] although he did not do so in time for the elections. Shortly after the elections, he announced that the new party was to be called Zehut (Identity).[20]

In July 2021, Feiglin returned to the Likud.[4]

Of Israeli Arabs, Feiglin said, "They will have to seek the right to self-determination in Arab states. Israel will encourage the Arabs to emigrate to their countries and assist any Arab who wishes to do so." Feiglin was quoted as saying:[1] He insisted there is no such thing as a Palestinian people, and that they and Israeli Arabs should relocate, citing a text he had posted on the website of his Manhigut Yehudit ("Jewish Leadership") movement. In a 2004 interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, he spoke of "a voluntary transfer to the 22 neighbouring Arab states" of the some 1.4 million Israeli Arabs, who make up 20 percent of Israel's population. "Arabs are not the sons of the desert, but its father", he quoted Sir Claude Jarvis, British governor of Sinai from 1923.[1]

Arabs are "a gang of bandits that never produced anything and never wanted to produce anything - a gang of bandits that for over one thousand years (since Islam was born) has lived on robbery and terror. ... Since their establishment, the Arab states have produced nothing but poverty, suffering, wars - and fantastic wealth for their leaders."[44] The Arabs engage in typical Amalek[45] behaviour. I can't prove this genetically, but this is the behaviour of Amalek.[46]

We shall offer them human rights without civil rights, so long as they prove their loyalty to their Jewish state host and accept Jewish sovereignty over their land. In such a situation, they will be given legal-resident status, and they can carry on their private affairs without anyone infringing on their human rights.[47] In a 2004 report in The New Yorker, Feiglin was quoted as saying:

Why should non-Jews have a say in the policy of a Jewish state?... For two thousand years, Jews dreamed of a Jewish state, not a democratic state. Democracy should serve the values of the state, not destroy them... You can’t teach a monkey to speak and you can’t teach an Arab to be democratic. You’re dealing with a culture of thieves and robbers. The Arab destroys everything he touches.[48]

On his website, Feiglin wrote: We all know that most of the fires in Israel are caused by arson. Arson perpetrated by Arabs. Not by nut-jobs, not by criminals. Arson motivated by nationalism. Arson by Arab citizens of Israel. ... Wherever the Arab goes, he brings the desert with him. ... There is not and there never will be democracy in the Arab states - and their economies will never flourish. Israel produces more than all its neighbors combined. That is not because we are extremely industrious. It is because true economic vitality cannot exist in a culture of robbery. ... Arab culture is anti-productive. It has no good and bad, only strong and weak.[49] In an interview with the U.S.-based The Jewish Press, Feiglin said: You can find places where we say the same things. You can also find places where we are different. I was in the army when Meir, Hashem yikom damo [may God avenge his blood], was [most] active, so I didn't get to know him so well. But I can definitely say that the slogan "Kahane tzadak - Kahane was right" has proven itself many times.[50] Several left-wing or Arab commentators have depicted Feiglin as fascist,[51][52][53] but for his part, Feiglin rejects this label, claiming that he is fighting fascism himself.[54][55][56][57]

In 2013, he set forth his legislative agenda regarding Israeli Arabs: "Zero tolerance for Arab citizens' defiance. Enforcement of laws of treason. Enforcement of laws against robbery, rape, and vandalism."[58] Feiglin has repeatedly made clear his view that only Jews deserve to be full citizens of Israel. The momentum toward citizenship for all residents of Israel, regardless of their religion, is part of the Zionist ideology based on Western culture. If not checked, it will effectively transform Israel from a Jewish state to a state with some Jewish citizens.[59] The Arab sector is not loyal to the state, and does not serve in the army.[60] Feiglin, responding to a report that Israel's first permanent Arab Supreme Court judge Salim Joubran had refused to sing Israel's national anthem, asserted that Joubran "must return his Israeli ID card and make do with the status of 'permanent resident'".[61]

According to a 2012 article in Haaretz, Feiglin condemned Baruch Goldstein over his killing of 29 Palestinian Muslims in a mosque in the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre,[62] though he did not condemn Goldstein's motivations.

In an article in Haaretz, Yossi Sarid quoted Feiglin, in the context of demonstrations against the Oslo accords, as saying, "Hitler was an unparalleled military genius. Nazism promoted Germany from a low to a fantastic physical and ideological status. The ragged, trashy youth body turned into a neat and orderly part of society and Germany received an exemplary regime, a proper justice system and public order. Hitler savored good music. He would paint. This was no bunch of thugs. They merely used thugs and homosexuals." Feiglin clarified his position to the Maariv newspaper that just because he considers Hitler a military genius, this does not mean he admires him.[1] In an interview on Israeli television, Feiglin accused Sarid and other left-wing journalists of a smear campaign against him by quoting him out of context. He explained his point as saying that just because Germany was a democracy, this does not give legitimacy to what Hitler had done.[63]

Feiglin is banned from entering the United Kingdom due to a decision by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, made public in March 2008, excluding Feiglin on the grounds that his presence in the country "would not be conducive to the public good".[64] A letter to Feiglin from the Home Office said that Smith based her decision on an assessment that his activities "foment or justify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs; seek to provoke others to terrorist acts; foment other serious criminal activity or seek to provoke others to serious criminal acts; and foster hatred, which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK".[65][66] Feiglin responded, "Seeing that renowned terrorists like Hizbullah member Ibrahim Mousawi are welcomed in your country in open arms, I understand that your policy is aimed at encouraging and supporting terror."[67]

Feiglin was arrested for organizing mass acts of resistance and blocked highways across Israel during the period in which the Oslo accords were debated and implemented.[68] Feiglin was charged with "break[ing] the barrier of obedience to the rule of law" and incitement to commit crimes. Regarding his organization of peaceful demonstrations and the blocking of intersections without a permit, Feiglin was quoted as stating, "We will do all that it's possible to do, including breaking the law."[69] He was sentenced to six months in prison in 1997 for sedition, and the sentence was later performed via community service.

Relations between Feiglin and his fellow Likud members have been mixed. Likud Knesset member Limor Livnat stated that Feiglin and his friends are "not real Likudniks", and that his faction "cannot be allowed to prevail".[70] In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Livnat explained that Feiglin and his faction must be prevented "from taking over, or the party and the state will be in danger", adding that, "this is not democracy, this is anarchy".[70]

Despite criticism from fellow Likud members, Feiglin has displayed favorable relations with a significant number of former Likud Knesset members. This was manifest during a Feiglin rally at Jerusalem's Ramada Hotel that took place before the 2008 Likud primary after Feiglin promised to throw all his votes to them if they showed up. Former Likud Knesset members Gila Gamliel, David Mena, Daniel Benlulu, and Ayoub Kara attended the event, despite warnings from Netanyahu's advisers not to do so. Gila Gamliel, who did not vote against the Disengagement from Gaza, eventually took Feiglin's votes and placed 19th, one spot ahead of Feiglin. This ultimately resulted in Feiglin getting pushed down to the 36th spot, and out of the Eighteenth Knesset.[64]

Feiglin is a highly vocal supporter of Jonathan Pollard, a former American naval intelligence analyst who formerly served a sentence in the American Federal prison system for spying for Israel. Feiglin, who has called Pollard a hero,[71] has written a number of articles in support of Pollard. In a recent article, Feiglin stated that, "Pollard is a Jew who saved the Israelis from American treachery."[72]

Feiglin referred to U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden as a "diseased leper" in a 2010 op-ed column published by Israel's third-largest news outlet, Maariv.[73]

As part of his libertarian political philosophy, Feiglin supports the full legalization of cannabis in Israel, stating of legalization in Amsterdam: "I don't see Amsterdam as a bad thing. ... There's no chaos, there's more freedom for citizens. [Legalization] didn't upend the way of life."[74] And stating that, "This may be one of the reasons why marijuana is illegal. God owns the patent on cannabis, and the large pharmaceutical companies do not appreciate such an intervention in their market and exert their influence accordingly."[75] The opposition of the Knesset Health committee to Feiglin's proposals have led to multiple controversial confrontations in the Knesset.[76] Feiglin says that, "When I expressed my opinion on this issue over a year ago, I had no idea that I had climbed atop such a potent barrel of social dynamite... The debate is not about cannabis. Cannabis is just the tip of the iceberg. The debate is about liberty."[77]

Feiglin wrote an article in 2009 entitled "I Am A Proud Homophobe".[78] In 2012, he wrote several posts on his Facebook page detailing his views on gays. "The gay pride parade isn't about rights. It's about forcing the values of the minority onto the majority, effectively locking the majority into the proverbial closet. Homosexual "rights" undermine the normative family, the foundation of our nation."[79]

""Throughout history", Feiglin explained, "from Rome to Europe in our day, the approval and spread of homosexuality presaged the decline of nations and cultures. If one reads the Torah portion 'Noah' - this comes as no surprise. . . .The organizers of a pride parade do not wish to gain rights. They strive to force homosexuality as a culture upon the public sphere. . . . A minority has no right to take over public assets. Let the marchers kindly go back to their individual closets. And let them do it without whining, because no one interferes with their affairs in there. Let them give up their attempts at takeovers, and leave the public sphere to normal people. . . .Feiglin added in an additional post: "I have no problem with homosexuals, most of whom are, most likely, good and talented people and no one wants to interfere in their private lives. I have a problem with homosexuality as a culture. This culture subverts the status of the family. And without the family there is no nation, and without a nation there is no civilization."[80] Feiglin refused to meet with a gay faction within the Likud, and was quoting as stating: "[A]s individuals I can’t tell them how to lead their lives and I can cooperate with them on different subjects, but as a group that tries to promote an ideology of their sexual orientation, I don’t think they have legitimacy, especially not in the Likud."[81] On Feb. 7, 2013, Feiglin met with an Israeli gay advocacy group in Tel Aviv, and said he was no longer a homophobe. News accounts of the meeting reported Feiglin's views: "'I am in favor of you having all your human rights, but I am not prepared by the way to invalidate the special value of the classic family', he said and made it clear that he still opposed gay marriage and same-sex parenting. 'Every child in the world has a right to a mother and father. It has nothing to do with religion, but with my basic perception of the good of the child', he said."[82]

After his election to the Knesset, Moshe Feiglin met with homosexual groups. Although he does not identify with their lifestyle choices, he told them, he supports their rights as individuals and will fight to ensure that those rights are upheld.[83]

When asked by a lesbian supporter if he would support her running in the primaries for the Zehut party, Feiglin was enthusiastically positive about it.[84]

During his 2013 campaign, Feiglin reiterated his view that women's role in Israeli society should be based on Jewish Biblical principles. In response to a question about feminism, Feiglin was quoted as saying: "'Tel Aviv has become a city that has erased masculinity and where being a man is considered a sickness', and added that feminism has destroyed family values, something essential to Judaism. ... Pressed further, he stated that 'the man is the family, while the woman is the home [literally "house"]', and that in our current culture, we are forgetting 'what it means to be a man'."[85]

When the Jerusalem city government voted to permit sex-segregated public buses, according to the wishes of some ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews, Feiglin supported the action: "I see discrimination against women as despicable. But it is unreasonable to force an ultra-Orthodox bus company to institute mixed seating on its buses against the wishes of its customers."[86] Feiglin also opposes the Israeli army's decision to allow women into combat units.[87]

Instead of saying that we no longer need families, our lexicon now includes single-parent families or same-gender marriage. These newly introduced concepts are not contrived for the good of those parents raising their children without the support of a spouse (who should be benefiting from aid when needed). Instead, they revise the way we think of the traditional family - compromising its preeminence and relegating it to "just another option" status.[88] During the 2014 military operation in Gaza, Feiglin criticized lawmaker Aliza Lavie for discussing legislation on sexual violence, protesting that in wartime, no one should be "talking about things like flowers and sexual assault".[89]

Feiglin has criticized some Christian supporters of Israel, such as Glenn Beck, and challenged the sincerity of Christians who have defended Israel, as well as Israeli Jews who supported Beck. "Glenn Beck doesn't back the Jewish mission. What drives him is the Christian mission. I have no problem doing business with him, but he has to respect me when he comes here just like I don't try to force my identity on him when I come to him. Jews like it when Goyim finally smile at them, but sometimes, a smile is more dangerous than a scowl, and this is one of those occasions", Feiglin said.[90] Feiglin also said he had a "deep problem" with Efrat Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin participating as a featured speaker at a Christian prayer rally Glenn Beck organized at the Caesarea Amphitheater in Israel.[90] Danny Danon responded to Feiglin, saying: "Israel has too many real foes, and very few genuine friends like Glenn Beck. I cannot understand the urge to reject his friendship with pseudo-theological argumentation... Rejecting friendship is not a sign of national pride, but a proof of very low self-confidence."[90]

In December 2014, a group of academics who are part of the anti-BDS movement and members of The Third Narrative, a Labor Zionist organization, have called on the U.S. and E.U. to impose sanctions on Feiglin and three other Israelis "who lead efforts to insure permanent Israeli occupation of the West Bank and to annex all or parts of it unilaterally in violation of international law".[91] These academics, calling themselves Scholars for Israel and Palestine (SIP) and claiming to be "pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, pro-peace", are asking the U.S. and EU to freeze Feiglin's foreign assets and impose visa restrictions.[92] One of the signatories was quoted in Haaretz as saying the four leaders were chosen because they "were particularly dismissive of Secretary of State Kerry's peace-making efforts, and explicitly call for and work towards the formal annexation of the West Bank or part of it, and thereby push Israel in the direction of violating international law. They are the ones who cross particularly sharp red lines."[93] The group of mainly Jewish academics blasted Feiglin for his "straightforward and undisguised extremism" and "annexationist" agenda.[94]

Celebrating the 2020 Beirut explosions,[95] which killed at least 220 people and injured thousands more, Feiglin referred to the explosion as "a spectacular pyrotechnics show",[96] and wrote:

You don’t actually believe this was some disorganized fuel depot, right? You do realize that this inferno was supposed to land on us as a rain of rockets? [...] Today is Tu B'Av, a day of joy, and a true and huge thank you to G-d and all the geniuses and heroes really (!) who organized for us this wonderful celebration in honor of the day of love.[97]

The Times of Israel reported that the post was subsequently removed by Facebook. Explaining the removal, Facebook stated: “The post was removed because its content mocks the victims, which goes against our policy."[98] Feiglin confirmed the removal of his post via his official Facebook account, claiming to "stand behind every word"[99][100]