Netanyahu Proposal Ousting “Criminal Element” From Likud Would Ban All Imprisoned for Conscience, Jewish Conviction, Political Ideology …

Manhigut Yehudit seems to have drawn the same conclusions regarding attempts to oust Moshe Feiglin from Likud as were drawn by this blog — here and here, namely that the Netanyahu proposal to ban Feiglin from office would also ban well-known and respected former ideological, political prisoners from holding office under the banner of Likud. MB

Netanyahu Proposal Would Bar Both Feiglin and Sharansky

Excerpts;

“Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu’s efforts to ban Moshe Feiglin from office would also affect former prisoners Dov Shilansky and Natan Sharansky if implemented.”

“Michael Fuah, managing director of the Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction within the Likud, published an open letter Wednesday, asking party chairman Binyamin Netanyahu to cease his efforts to classify those arrested for opposing the government on ideological grounds as criminals.”

“Feiglin was prevented from running for Knesset in the last elections because of a similar reason. Likud Elections Committee Chairman Judge Tzvi Cohen ruled, however, that Feiglin’s crime is not considered one of ‘moral turpitude,’ and that therefore the disqualification was only temporary. Netanyahu’s proposed addition to the party guidelines, would, however, permanently disqualify anyone who served more than three months in prison.”

“‘Valued members like Atty. Dov Shilansky, who was sentenced to 21 months in prison during the protests against accepting German Holocaust reparations, would not be able to serve in the party unless they receive permission from Likud judge Tzvi Cohen,’ Fuah wrote.”

“‘Former Minister Natan Sharansky and MK Yuli Edelstein, who were sentenced to long prison terms in the USSR as Prisoners of Zion, will also have to request a special dispensation from Cohen. This situation is intolerable and ridiculous. MK Michael Eitan’s proposal that only those whose crimes were tainted by moral turpitude be excluded would have solved all these problems.'”

“‘It is clear that the actions of Shilansky, Sharansky, Edelstein and Feiglin were not crimes of dishonor,’ Fuah wrote.”

‘Ridiculous’ Likud Plan Would Bar Sharansky, Not Just Feiglin

The Jerusalem Post followed suit on the heels of the Israel National News story by posting it’s account of Fuah’s open letter to Netanyahu and the Likud Central Committee which makes one other obvious point;

“‘A Likud member who has been convicted of a crime and sentenced to at least three months in jail cannot run for the Likud’s Knesset slate or any Likud institutions,’ the proposal states, without differentiating between ‘crimes’ committed in Israel or abroad.”

Excerpts;

“Will the Likud banish from its ranks former Prisoners of Zion Natan Sharansky and Yuli Edelstein and former Knesset speaker Dov Shilansky?”

“Likud activist Moshe Feiglin has posed this question to the Likud central committee members who will be deciding on Sunday at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds whether to approve a proposal designed by new Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu to distance Feiglin from the party. ”

“‘A Likud member who has been convicted of a crime and sentenced to at least three months in jail cannot run for the Likud’s Knesset slate or any Likud institutions,’ the proposal states, without differentiating between ‘crimes’ committed in Israel or abroad.”

“The proposal makes an exception for people who committed crimes deemed to not involve ‘moral turpitude.’ But it forces them to face a hearing with the head of the Likud’s election committee, former Tel Aviv District Court Judge Tzvi Cohen, who will be in charge of deciding what crimes are morally acceptable.”

Commentary;

Actually, a ban on Criminal elements from Likud is a good thing, provided that it sets certain parameters, that banning be confined to those convicted of criminal wrongdoing, i.e. gangsterism, racketeering, counterfeiting, embezzlement, murder (adultery?) and the like and that judicial conviction and imprisonment based on conscience, Jewish conviction and political ideology be excluded from such parameters.

Imagine, the Likud possibly passing an amendment to it’s constitution which lumps former Russian Prisoners of Conscience and Israelis who were imprisoned due to their moral convictions and principles with common crooks and thieves. All of whom would then have to justify themselves to the head of the Likud’s election committee. How demeaning to Sharansky, Edelstein, to Dov Shilansky as well as to Moshe Feiglin and to all of the moral convictions and principles to which they have all stood. MB