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8 Nisan, 5783 - March 30, 2023 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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OPINION
The Tactics of the Right and the Tactics of the Left

by Yitzchok Roth


3

The time has come to admit that the Rightist camp has lost the battle. For many days people will talk about this scathing defeat, attempting to analyze the reasons behind it. We, in any case, will try in these few lines to discuss what actually took place here.

First and foremost, it was an unbalanced fight. Assad overcame the rebels in Syria when Bashar decided to employ unconventional means by fighting with poisoned gas. The U.S. lehavdil, defeated Japan through two atom bombs, where one side fought according to the rules while the other brazenly trampled them. Such a battle gives the other side no chance whatsoever.

The Rightist camp, since day one, always fought with responsibility, seeing not only its own interests but viewing the entire country as well. Thus, Menachem Being, the head of the Right in his time, who eventually became prime minister, blazed the way in those difficult days of the Rightist camp before the establishment of the State. Persecuted by the Socialists who did not stop at informing, felling physical blows, victimizing and brutal murder, Menachem Begin declared at that time (1 Kislev, 5705):

"We cannot deny that a terrible dread seized the settlement today. And a loyal Jew cannot help but ask himself and his neighbor: Are we to be stricken in such a manner as well? Are we headed for a civil war in Eretz Yisrael? Shall our homes be destroyed before they are built? Shall our enemies witness their debased objective realized?

"The atmosphere is full of gunpowder. Orators and leaders do not cease talking about civil war. One of them said that it has already erupted; the second one, a bigger blabbermouth than the other, fouled his mouth with a hysterical cry: Blood for blood, an eye for an eye! And a third one toiled and toiled until he finally came up with a plan of solution for the Jewish people: to evict them from their homes, to expel them from the schools, to starve them and deliver them to the security forces of fighting sons. 'It is either they or us,' he said, and all means are valid in order to exterminate them" (this last was spoken by Ben Gurion at a meeting of the Histadrut, November 1944).

"Now we can understand the fear of the loyal Jew. Shall we see our children raising a hand or weapon, one against his brother? What shall the persecuted ones do, those who are the target of those dastardly decrees? How can they defend themselves? What will happen if the inciters place weapons in the hands of the incited ones and order them to use them for the sake of the 'holy goal'? And what will happen if those interested parties carry out a provocation to cause the camp of Jews to retaliate, a fight to the death, while they, the instigators, stand by and revel?

"These are incisive questions and we feel obligated to find an answer in the name of the Irgun Zeva'i Leumi of Israel (Etzel).

"This shall be our reply: Calm down, good Jews. A war of Jew against Jew will not take place here. We declare this, not because of threats of institutions and demagogues of their heads. They shall not succeed in swaying us from our path. We shall not succumb to extortion, the same way that we will not give in to the harassment of the Palestinian Gestapo.

"We know our path; our ideals are final, come what may. However, so long as the national goal shall not be achieved, we will not turn back, not capitulate and not yield. We will not engage in a civil war, no matter what and despite any and all provocation. Our soldiers will not raise their weapon against Jews, not because they justify their persecution but because their view is more profound than that of their opponents, it is historic and not biased. Such a historic perspective demands that we prevent such a thing at all costs, even that of the victims, dear as they may be, even at the cost of annihilation. A war of Jew against Jew with Jewish arms!"

The Current Result

The day will come; perhaps some energetic critic will take on this project and seeking the funding for the civic uprising approaching militarism will reveal that tens and hundreds of millions which were channeled by unidentified sources, greased the wheels of the revolution, funded its leaders, showered astronomical amounts for the huge demonstrations, costly advisor, paid for the lost wages of workers — met with zero action on the part of the Right.

The media reveled with the stream of millions for huge advertisements on a daily basis and rallied to join arms with the civil revolution which was a hairsbreadth away from a military uprising. Perhaps it will come to light that local patriotic Leftists were really concerned for the country, but maybe — and this is not altogether far-fetched — that behind this were anti-Semitic organizations abroad which decided to channel immense sums in order to shatter the State from within.

On the other hand, the Rightist camp maintained a thunderous silence, as if the victory at the polls was sufficient to stifle the vicious revolt. This was a fatal error whose bitter results came to light this week when the prime minister raised his hands in surrender.

The threats of the extreme Right to leave the Coalition and cause its downfall was an act of suicide. What would they do in the next elections? On what grounds would they seek the public vote? What could they possibly promise and expect to fulfill? The central flag of this present government was lowered to half-mast and the hope to see a change in the judicial system was totally buried.

What will be? We will remember that we are in exile, a harsh golus. We will not forget for a moment that nothing depends on victory at the polls and arrive at the conclusion which Chazal taught us at the end of the 'Signs preceding the era of Moshiach.'

"We have no one upon whom to rely except for our Father in Heaven."

 

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