Do Jews Consider "Right-Wing" to be a Dirty Word?

 י״א לחודש השמיני תשע״ה

These are two words actually, but no matter.

"Right-wing" does not comprise two little dirty words. The term is simply imprecise.

Much better questions to ask, when considering how to identify Jews, would be...

Are you pro-Torah? Or are you anti-Torah?

However, there are many Jews with vastly different points of view who claim to be pro-Torah. So who is, and who isn't?

We all need to ask ourselves if we have the halachic (Jewish legal) sources to back up our positions, which we claim are "pro-Torah."

MK Moshe Feiglin is not the only Jew who believes that he has such halachic backing to ascend the Har HaBayith (Temple Mount). Neither is Yehudah Glick, Har HaBayith activist, and the target of a murder attempt only last week.

Rabbi Moshe Tendler, Rabbi Yosef Elboim (Belz), and Rabbi Yisra'el Ariel are among them as well.



Can Ma'aleh Adumim Rabbi Mordechai Negari, a fierce critic of Jews ascending Har HaBayith, back up his position that ascending Har HaBayith is a provocation? I would like to see him try.

Appeasement can be shown to be a Torah position. However, anyone with some sekhel (reason) can see from history, beginning with events recorded in the Tana"kh (Bible), that this has never worked with Yishma'elim (Arabs/Muslims), and so it is dead in the water. It is high time that we return to the strategies which have historically worked for us against the Yishma'elim, again, beginning with the events recorded in Tana"kh.

Is it that those ascending Har HaBayith are provocateurs? Or is it that their critics lack emunah (faith) that The Almighty is on our side?

The term "right-wing" is used to demonize those Jews with the "hutzpah," the gall (sarcasm) to expect that they should be able to visit, and even pray, on Har HaBayith. Those throwing this term around may want to take a good, hard look at themselves, and ask themselves what they are so afraid of? What is making them so insecure?

Har HaBayith is either ours, or it is not ours.

You can decide. Just remember that whether you agree with MK Feiglin or Rabbi Negari, you need to back up your position with halachic sources. "Feelings" about the issue are irrelevant. Using "feelings" as a primary reason behind our actions is a remnant of the influence of the foreign lands in the West, in which we once [and, unfortunately, some of us still] dwelt.

Is it either within our capabilities to take control of Har HaBayith or not? This is a strategic question.

However, the opinions of those outside of Israel should be considered absolutely irrelevant.

Unfortunately, our prime minister apparently believes that such opinions of our non-Jewish, global neighbors take precedence over those of his constituents, not to mention that of The Holy One, Blessed Be He, Himself.

Many thought that we could not fend off the Yishma'elim who wanted to annihilate us in 1948/תש״ח, as we dared to declare our independence within our God-given Homeland. But, we did.

Many thought that we could not fend off the Yishma'elim who wanted to annihilate us again in 1967/תשכ״ז. Not only did we succeed, but we also succeeded in pushing back the Yishma'elim even farther than before, retaking even more of our God-given Homeland, which included the unification of our eternal capital of Jerusalem.

Many thought that we could not fend off the Yishma'elim who wanted to annihilate us, yet again, in 1973/תשל״ד, as we dared to declare our independence within our God-given Homeland. But, we did. This time, we even took land extending beyond our God-given boundaries, as in the time of Shlomo HaMelekh (King Solomon).

Har HaBayith belongs to the Jewish People, as does the rest of Eretz Yisra'el (Land of Israel), not because we say so, not because of history, who was here first, or happens to be in control of it currently.

Har HaBayith belongs to the Jewish People because The Holy One, Blessed Be He, says that it does.

If people want to call me "right-wing" for this strong belief of mine, then so be it.

Now, what are we going to do about it?

What are YOU going to do about it?