The Foundation for Constitutional Democracy

Edited transcript of the Eidelberg, Israel National Radio, February 18, 2008.

Part I. The Third Commonwealth

There is no shortage of prophets of doom and gloom in Israel today. What is one to expect from a prime minister who, speaking for himself and his political colleagues, said in New York in June 2005, “We are tired of being courageous.” One has to be a total jackass to make such as statement—surely heard or read by Israel’s enemies. What does this confession of moral and intellectual bankruptcy indicate?

That such a dangerous fool—a blabbermouth—remains in power is enough evidence to indicate that Israeli politicians not only lack genuine patriotism, but have also raised the white flag to the enemy. (more…)

Edited transcript of the Eidelberg Report, Israel National Radio, January 28, 2008.

Let us first define statesmanship. Statesmanship is the application of philosophy to action. Jewish statesmanship is simply the application of Jewish philosophy to action. Jewish philosophy is grounded in the rationality and ethics of Jewish law.

Second, let us define the Jewish statesman. The Jewish statesman is first and foremost an educator whose power is less political than intellectual and moral. The Jewish statesman must therefore be well educated in the heritage and history of the Jewish People. This is a formidable task, since the knowledge Jews have accumulated during the past four millennia is vast and unsurpassed.

Jews have excelled in virtually every discipline, especially in the domain of law. Consider Jewish law (Halakha) only so far as concerns the relations between man and man (in contradistinction to the relation between man and God). That we should discuss Jewish law is appropriate if only because Jewish law is the one thing that has preserved the Jewish people and their national identity. (more…)