A Letter to My Friends in the National Orange Camp

I have always considered myself a part of the Orange Camp...those vehemently opposed to the expulsion from Gush Katif, fiercely dedicated to the Whole of Eretz Yisrael, totally against a formation of 2 States on Israeli soil.

I am a firm Zionist and believe that "post Zionism" is an oxymoron with regard to our People and our Land.

Yet lately I have found myself at odds with my friends in the national orange camp - over several issues. Some of it will remain "in house". But there is one subject about which I must speak out, and it is this:

I am really sick and tired of the Bibi Bashing that comes from within our camp.

It comes from all parts of the national camp....from leaders to the everyday activist. It runs the gamut from "he betrayed us with Wye and Hevron and we don't trust him" to criticizing his personality, his ego, his personal life, his motives, and on and on.

One would think this criticism is coming from Kadima, and in fact, it is one of the biggest boosters and encouragement to the Olmerts, the Livnis and the left that can be found in Israeli society today. They don't have to say much, our camp is doing their job for them.

Yet out of the same mouths that chastise and criticize and complain, come the words that they are running for the Knesset only to help Bibi. Excuse me, why would Bibi want help from those who don't think he does anything right?

I am sorry to say this, but there is a touch of arrogance about an attitude that boasts that these religious right parties are the ones that will shape and lead the government. Even if there is truth in it (which I am not even sure about) isn't the correct way to quietly go about the business of doing the job rather than self aggrandizement and ultimatums? Professor Arieh Eldad has spoken humbly, practically, and without judgement but unfortunately the same isn't true of many in the orange camp.

In 1998 I was privileged to be a part of Esther Leven's Voices United for Israel and at a meeting in Washington DC to support Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister. There were thousands and thousands of people from all over America. Israel was under great stress and the tension between Bibi and President Clinton was seething. The great encouragement and support for Israel and for Netanyahu personally in that meeting was so powerful and Bibi was so overwhelmed that he choked up and couldn't speak. That encouragement gave him such strength that as he went directly to the White House from the meeting, he told Clinton that Israel would do what it needed to do to protect itself. Clinton was furious, but Bibi stood his ground.

I share this story only because it is obvious to me that as we strengthen, not tear down, those individuals we profess to want in leadership, then they will do the better job.

How about remembering the good things that Bibi has done? Everyone complains about the Wye agreement but how many remember that on the day they were to be signed Bibi nearly derailed the agreement when he asked Clinton to release Jonathan Pollard. Clinton went crazy, and Bibi ended up signing it, for which the right camp was angry, but do we remember that 2 months later Netanyahu then cancelled implementation because Arafat did not live up to his promise? Bibi was the last prime minister "to make a serious effort for Pollard, and is the only one running for office who has actually visited Pollard in prison." (source) How often do we hear that said?

Hevron is continually brought up, how Bibi betrayed us by giving it away. Before Bibi ever assumed the Prime minister's office in 1996 he said, though he disagreed with the commitments that had been made by Rabin with Oslo, he would honor them. He said that at the time the nation was still reeling from the Rabin assassination, and he was trying to stabilize the country. The right camp thought he was just pretending and would really not honor Oslo. When Bibi did honor them, they called him a liar. Not true. While I wish Bibi would NOT have said he would honor them, he was true to his word.

This time around, Bibi has said quite clearly he will not honor the commitments made by the Olmert government and I for one, believe that he means it and will do so - and we need to stand behind him.

In other words, my national camp brothers and sisters, how about giving this man a chance to prove himself? How about coming around him and supporting him, not condemning him for all his past mistakes?

It seems to me that he is the most capable and willing of all the top candidates to accomplish the extremely important tasks ahead of us as a nation.

Let's not ask what he can do for our agenda, but how can we work together to accomplish what is a common goal for everyone in the national camp, Bibi certainly included, to strengthen and protect all of Eretz Yisrael.