Courcy’s Intelligence Brief

Israel’s ruling Likud party has held its primary election in preparation for the 22 January general election, and the result has been a clear swing to the right.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu described the new list of candidates as “strong and youthful, with experience and talent”.  But he has lost the moderating voices of Dan Meridor, Michael Eitan, and Benny Begin, to which list can be added the retiring Defence Minister Ehud Barak.  Addressing public remarks to Meridor and Begin, Netanyahu said: “We grew up together in Jerusalem, we were raised on the values of Jabotinsky, and I will maintain these values in the next government.  I want you by my side.”  This suggestion of keeping old allies close despite their loss of political status has fed suggestions that Barak, at least, will return as a “professional appointment” by Netanyahu.

Likud’s political rivals have been quick to seize on the rightward shift, with Kadima accusing the ruling party of swerving towards the extremist margins.  One newspaper asked the question: “How will the prime minister live with a party like this (assuming he is reelected) which will rebel against any attempt he makes to renew negotiations with the Palestinians or to abide by court rulings that do not suit a rightist agenda?”

One of the rightists who seems likely to make life difficult for Netanyahu in the next Knesset is Moshe Feiglin, who took 15th slot on the list.  Feiglin spelled out his views in an article in the 27 November edition of Makor Rishon, saying that Israel should return to all parts of the Land of Israel, including the Gaza Strip, and take control of Temple Mount.

He wrote: “We first have to renounce the very essence of the idea of partitioning this land.  We have to understand that this is our land – exclusively.  We must, on a national scale, return to the Land of Israel and our Jewish identity.  We must beg the forgiveness of the Jews expelled from Gush Katif and rebuild their towns and villages with the forces that destroyed them and bring them back to their rightful place with an honour guard.  We must vote with our feet, declaring to all that this is our land, proving to our enemies that this is not their land.  And most importantly, we must expedite the Muslim waqf from the Temple Mount and restore exclusive Israeli sovereignty over Judaism’s holiest site.  We must encourage Jews to ascend the Temple Mount after the proper preparations and to actualize their sovereignty over the very heart of the Jewish nation...”

Whatever the outside world may think about this rightward shift in Israeli politics, the polls seem to indicate that Netanyahu is secure and that the right-wing bloc will win 69 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.