Gary Cooperberg, December 19, 2005

The bankruptcy of our political system in Israel has been evident for tens of years. Only with the criminal takeover of the government by Prime Minister Sharon as he abandoned Gaza to our enemies against the will of the people and even his own party, has the depth of this bankruptcy become transparent. Yet, in spite of this fact, before the eyes of everyone, this self-made dictator has brazenly embarked upon a path which seems to be leading him to complete dictatorship with the blessing of our warped democracy! Rather than being convicted of treason, of which he is certainly guilty, he seems about to be elevated to the post of king! If he wasn’t concerned about the will of the people before, reelecting him now will most certainly guarantee his complete contempt for the electorate as he plows ahead with whatever program he personally chooses to foist upon us.

The polls clearly show that the Israeli electorate has absolutely no sense of self respect or justice. How can anyone vote for a man who openly and brazenly defies the will of those who elected him? Commentators have suggested that people will vote for him because they believe he is a liar. When he says there will be no more expulsion of Jews, the left thinks he is lying. And when he says that he will create a PLO state, the right thinks he is lying. Thus all who choose to vote for him are doing so believing that he is a liar. While politicians, in general, are liars, it is rare to find a man who had the image of a patriot and hero and used it to destroy what he had built, against the will of those who supported him.

The problem we have in Israel is a vacuum of leadership. There is no qualified leader running for office. Ariel Sharon, as despicable as he may be, still projects the image of power and stability. . . the bulldozer. People feel comfortable trusting their security to someone who really seems to be in charge. It was this sense of needing a ruthless leader to protect them which caused the German people to elect Adolph Hitler, despite his mad ranting.

It is this very nature of people which makes the concept of democracy a dangerous one. Democracy postulates that the majority of the people know what is right. But there are times when this is just not so. Unlike other nations, the State of Israel was created by G-d to play a pivotal role in the coming redemption of Mankind. In our modern world great nations are assuming that they are in control of what happens in this world. The concept of a Creator is treated as if it were merely an ancient legend only believed by fools. In the United States today democracy has elevated the rights of atheists to a point where that country seeks to remove all reference to G-d so as not to infringe upon he rights of this tiny minority!

Israel is, once again, turning to a golden calf for lack of fear of G-d. Clearly both friend and foe are pressuring the Jewish State to help our enemies destroy us. Our own government does not believe in Jewish Destiny as outlined in the Bible. . . even as they use it to entice tourists. Only a truly G-d fearing leadership is capable of steering the ship of state back to the course of obedience to our Divine destiny, in defiance of world powers.

Ariel Sharon’s recent health scare was a warning. It was a warning to him, personally, to mend his ways and become a true Jewish leader. And it was a warning to all of us of just how unstable our present situation really is. While it certainly seems that Sharon, with his political maneuvering, has created a strong new party which is likely to take over the government, it is evident that this new party is completely dependent upon Sharon. Should something happen to him the entire political structure in Israel would become chaotic. He is the only glue that can hold Kadima together. Without him it will fall apart and leave us with a hapless labor party and a decimated Likud, neither of which has a strong enough leader to take control.

Perhaps under such circumstances the entire political structure will fall and make way for a truly G-dly one. As redemption continues and hidden miracles continue to unfold we would do well to realize that our only strength lies in our obedience to our G-d and his Torah.

Gary Cooperberg, a resident of the Jewish community in Hebron, Israel, is the founder and director of Project Shofar.

Copyright © 2005 Gary Cooperberg