Primaries in Israel today for Right wing likud party

  
Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the apparent clear front runner in today’s Israel Likud party primaries. The conservative right wing party is also widely expected to win the national elections whenever they happen.

 
But these primaries have a twist to them that is intriguing as well as frightening to some Israelis. Netanyahu’s main opposition is coming from the “ Jewish Leadership “ party headed by Moshe Feiglen. The much more hawkish and openly orthodox Feiglen is attempting to become the leader of the previously revisionist party started by Zev Jabotinsky. His platform is a return to Jewish religious values that would include never ever ceding any land to anyone and much more rigorous religious education even in non religious schools.

 
It seems that many in the Likud party are frankly a bit worried about Feiglens increasing popularity and how this might affect the political system in Israel. A number of previous leaders of the Likud seemed always to move towards the Left of Israeli politics after being elected prime minister. Ariel Sharon being the extreme example with his dismantling of all settlements in the Gaza strip two years ago. This being the case Feiglen is not believed to be the type of candidate that will compromise at all on campaign promises as many are directly connected to the belief system he and his supporters adhere to.

 These are the dry facts of today’s party election but there is more much more.

 Israeli society is undergoing a national self-awareness crisis of sorts. The previous consensus of military duty and other established mores of the country have been eroding away. Many youth even if they serve in the army (close to half do not) are looking for almost anyway to leave the country. The national identity that for years had been identified with army service and settlement of the land has become passé in larger and larger circles. As the national resolve has weakened so to it seems the ability of the previously mythological Israeli Army. The army suffered its real first setback in war in its history two ears ago in the second Lebanon war. During this war missiles rained down on major Israeli cities with considerable casualties. This has depressed many and will almost certainly bring back a more conservative right wing government. This may not solve the depression as the former leader of the right wing Ariel Sharon is seen by many