The Consummate Centrist - January 12, 1999
	MK Alex Lubotsky is the consummate centrist.  He is a settler, but supports territorial cowardice in Judea and Samaria.  He is Orthodox, but supports religious pluralism which aims to dilute Jewish identity in Israel.  He observes Shabbat, but is prepared to allow for public transportation on Shabbat.  Above all, he is an Israeli politician who is a nice guy.  He is the darling of the media for his reasonable sounding suggestions, and refuses to use his exposure to the benefit of the ideals that his position as a religious resident of Judea should dictate. This week, Lubotsky added to the list of contradictions that centrists almost necessarily must support.  The first was a statement that, "it is problematic that there are so many small parties" in Israel.  Yet the party to which he belongs, the Third Way, is the smallest party in the coalition, and the second smallest in the Knesset. But more importantly was Lubotsky's announcement that he will support Dan Meridor for Prime Minister.  Meridor is also an Israeli politician who is a nice guy.  He is also the consummate centrist.  He comes from a right-wing family, one of the leading families of the Irgun and the Herut party of Menachem Begin z'l.  He was one of the rising stars, the princes, of the Likud, when it was still a right-wing powerhouse.  He is charismatic in an offhand sort of way and attracts a lot of respect.  He also supports territorial cowardice in Judea and Samaria, and in the Golan Heights, and will likely be no stronger in the face of withering US pressure than Netanyahu was. What is confusing about Lubotsky's position is that he supports Meridor despite Meridor's willingness to give away the Golan Heights for a worthless piece of paper from Damascus.  Lubotsky belongs to a party whose only policy is retention of the Golan Heights under all circumstances. Perhaps to solve this confusion, we should look at another quote from Lubotsky. In announcing his support for Meridor, Lubotsky explained that Meridor "is the candidate of national appeasement." This, in a nutshell, is the problem with the center.  They want so badly to be everyone else's friend that they do nothing but damage their own home interests.  They are such nice guys that they allow the rest of the world to run them over and then look the other way.  They are candidates of appeasement. We all know what appeasement means.  Munich in 1938 is the prime example of history.  And just like the Israeli left and center of today, Neville Chamberlain returned from that conference announcing the arrival of "peace in our time". Well, our time is not one in which appeasors should be given the power to rule.  Our time is one where tough decisions must be taken, where we must prepare for the war that will come with the Palestinian declaration of independence, where we must clarify in strong and solid terms that Israel is a state of the Jews run for the Jews by the Jews, and to no longer be apologetic about any of this.  Our time is one that cries out for strong, true, solid, and fearless leadership.  Candidates of national appeasement will fast become candidates of national tragedy if they are elected. Copyright 1999.  Reproduction in print or electronic format by permission only.