The Lion, the Buffalo, and the Nation / How Israel Can Be Normal

Manhigut Yehudit--The Jewish Leadership Movement ^ | 1/'08 | Moshe Feiglin / unattributed

[Zionist Conspirator]

Translated from the article on Israel's NRG website.

Amalek is Israel's quintessential Biblical enemy. Amalek is not just another conventionally cruel nation. Amalek is the essence of evil. The Torah clearly teaches that there is no room for Amalekism in G-d's world.

Amalekism is Darwinism; the survival of the fittest as a moral imperative. This is actually the basis of Nazism, and while it is not politically correct to say so -- it is also the basis of Islam. It is no coincidence that 'Mein Kampf' has remained a best-seller in Islamic countries.

With the appearance of Amalek on the Biblical stage, we are introduced to another concept, as well; vulnerability. Amalek attacks the freshly-liberated Israelites from the rear, concentrating on the vulnerable Jews. Amalek is actually the world's first terrorist. He doesn't face off with his enemy in battle. Instead, he attacks the vulnerable civilian stragglers, the weak sectors of society that are lagging behind. Terrorists unfortunately abound in the world. But they will only strike where they identify vulnerability. In other words, it is vulnerability that empowers terror.

My little son once showed me a fascinating National Geographic photo. It was an aerial shot of a huge herd of even huger buffalos, their menacing horns glimmering in the sun, running for their lives from two or three lions. It was an unbelievable sight. If the buffalos would have turned around to face their attackers, they could have crushed them with no further ado. But instead, they all turned their backs and fled, likely leaving a vulnerable buffalo or two -- possibly small or wounded -- straggling behind to be eaten by the lions. When the unpleasant affair is finished, all the buffalos return to their routine.

We do not interfere with buffalos and lions. But the continuous rocket attacks on Sderot and the apathy in Tel Aviv are disconcertingly similar to the above description, and most certainly warrant our attention. In other words, the fact that our society allows for the vulnerability -- currently in Sderot -- brings the terror attack upon us. The lions do not chase the buffalos away. Rather, the buffalos' lack of mutual responsibility abandons the vulnerable members of their herd and creates the opening into which the Amalek terror will inevitably enter.

The Torah promises us that when we are blessed, just a small number of Jews will triumph over multitudes of enemies, and vice versa. We all remember Israel's victory in the Six Day War and how Israel's army struck fear in the hearts of the vast Arab armies. But today, we are experiencing the opposite side of the coin.

In general, the "religious" answer to this situation is that when we observe the commandments we win and when we don't, we lose. Observance of the commandments of the Torah is essential, but the religious explanation is a bit lacking. The Jewish Nation did not observe more commandments before the Six Day War than it does today. So why did we merit the blessing then? And why do we hysterically flee our enemies today? (How many tanks are in the Hamas arsenal? How many planes are in the Hizbollah's fleet?)

The factor through which G-d blesses us with power of deterrence or cursed with trepidation in the face of our enemies is mutual responsibility. Simply put, if we have it, we are united and win. If we don't, we create vulnerability and lose.

In 1967, the factor that united Israel was Zionism. Then, that was enough to unite the nation and to empower it with the blessing of deterrence. But today, Zionism no longer unites Israel. We have become a herd of individuals -- buffalos fleeing every lurking danger. The only factor that can unite our nation once again is our Jewish identity -- the most basic, foundational ethos of at least 80% of Israel's Jews. If we will re-unite around our Jewish identity, our mutual responsibility will be re-awakened and the phenomenon of vulnerability will disappear. It is only then that we will merit the blessing of peace in the Land of Israel.

* * * * *

Since the founding of the State, the goal of Israel's leaders has been to make Israel a normal state like all other states. But currently, Israel's leaders do not even bother to provide their citizens with security -- the basic commodity that all "normal" leaders supply. Once again we see that those who attempted to establish a "normal" (in other words, anything but Jewish) state here and to run Israel's affairs according to "normal" standards, find themselves ruling Israel in an awesomely abnormal manner.

Paradoxically, in order for the State of Israel to exist as a Jewish state in the Land of Israel -- in order for it to have normal highways, normal internet, normal public transportation and a normal army; in other words, in order for all the normal systems common in a normal state to function in the state of the Jews, we must always remember that Israel is not a normal state. We must remember that Israel has a different, super-normal destiny and values system and conduct ourselves accordingly. A leader who does not understand this simple truth is doomed to abnormality in the negative sense, announcing a siege on Gaza in the morning and calling it off in the evening.

[Zionist Conspirator]

I'm one of those who thinks that keeping mitzvot is THE main factor in whether Israel prospers or suffers, but Feiglin makes a good point.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Ping.

[Sherman Logan]

the survival of the fittest as a moral imperative. This is actually the basis of Nazism, and... it is also the basis of Islam.

There are a great many valid reasons to criticize Islam. This isn't one of them.

Islam enjoins charity to believers and conversion or submission of unbelievers, not their extermination. In other words, it wants to force others to join, not to exclude them. These concepts are in direct contradiction to Nazi exclusivist racial ideology.

Not all Muslims practice these beliefs, but that doesn't change the teachings of Islam.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Hey, I feel you. A great deal of stuff is said here against islam that I reject simply because it's true of Judaism (and basically of all orthodox religion) as well.

Just as Jews have allowed their experience with chr*stianity to warp their worldview towards an "enlightenment" one, many conservative chr*stians are allowing their opposition to islam to do the same thing with them.

I'm all for the entire world converting to the True G-d. I simply reject islam's claim to be His representative.

[Sherman Logan]

As I said, I’m no fan of Islam. I just think it should be criticized with facts, not untruths.

When an easily shot down criticism is made, it weakens the true case against Islam.