In “Rally Here Slams Obama and Jewish Democrats” (April 30), The Jewish Week minimized and mischaracterized my organization, Manhigut Yehudit (the Jewish Leadership Movement).
We are the largest faction inside Israel’s ruling Likud party, as opposed to simply “an Israeli organization,” and we are the main opposition to Israeli leaders as they attempt to give away more of the Land of Israel.
At the last Likud election for head of the party, Moshe Feiglin, who heads Manhigut Yehudit, came in second to Benjamin Netanyahu. We were successful in placing three times as many of our suggested candidates on the Likud’s current Knesset roster as Netanyahu. This makes Netanyahu’s attempts at further divisions of Eretz Yisrael that much more difficult.
Your article mischaracterized our organization’s principles when it stated that we “favor a theocracy for the Jewish state.” As can be seen on our website (www.JewishIsrael.org), we are completely opposed to the installation of any legislation in Israel mandating religious observance.
What we wish to do is strengthen the Jewish identity in Israel by introducing one hour a day of Jewish studies in its public schools —currently there is none.
We believe that when Jews know who they are and why Eretz Yisrael belongs to them, they will make different and better decisions about their nation’s future.
U.S. Director, Manhigut Yehudit
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