Meet the New Messiah by Shmuel Sackett

I couldn't agree more! I've been writing against Ya'alon on Shiloh Musings, so it's nice to have company.

A new Messiah has arrived for the right wing and every body is jumping for joy. "We are saved!" says one. "This guy will destroy Hamas and Hezzbollah!" says another. "No more land deals, no more Gush Katif betrayals!" says a third.

Who is this new savior? Who is this great man riding into Jerusalem to save the day, end the peace process, build more settlements, rid the country of terror and make us all live happily-ever-after? Haven't you heard? It's General Moshe "Boogey" Ya'alon... so stand up and shout "HOORAY!!!"

I can see it now. The YESHA council will quickly endorse him, assuring every one that this is the man we must elect to end all of our problems. Bibi Netanyahu will rush to embrace him and will promise to appoint him as his Defense Minister in a Bibi-led coalition and finally, Jewish American right-wing groups will have him as their guest speaker in their Manhattan fundraising dinners.

Sounds good? Want to start partying? If so, please do it without me. I have been down that road before, or as they say; "Been there, done that!"

Boogey Ya'alon is a very nice guy and does indeed talk tough. He has been on the American talk-show circuit these past few months and has said all of the right things. There's only one problem... and it's a big one. Boogey Ya'alon is not connected to G-d and will therefore fail miserably as his predecessors did before him.

If you think Ya'alon will be any different consider the following; Is he as tough as Ariel Sharon? Did he build as many settlements as Sharon? Does the left-wing in Israel hate him as much as they did Sharon? Let me say it as clearly as I can: If Ariel Sharon failed, Boogey Ya'alon will fail ten times more... and shame on you if you haven't figured that out by now!

When Rabin and Peres were running the show, nobody spoke tougher than Bibi... and what happened?

When terror was raining down on Israel, General Shaul Mofaz assured every one that he would enter politics and stop the terrorists, yet terrorism is growing and Mofaz is fading.

When the Gaza Disengagement Plan was being debated, nobody fought against it harder than Uzi Landau yet he still spoke about -- and advocated -- "painful concessions" (just for a higher "price")

When Oslo was signed, nobody screamed louder than Limor Livnat and Silvan Shalom, yet BOTH today SUPPORT the creation of a Palestinian State!

Even Natan Sharansky, another fan favorite, loudly criticized the Peace Process yet as minister in the government he SUPPORTED the plan to give away 90% of Hebron!

All of these people listed above -- as well as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert -- were once the "darlings" of the right wing. Every single one of them, including Olmert, spoke at right wing dinners in New York and received thunderous applause from the crowd. Yet, where are they today? Bibi hugged Arafat and gave him 30,000 more guns than Peres. Limor Livnat and Silvan Shalom are advocating a terror state in the heart of Israel. Mofaz left Likud for the Kadima party and is desperately trying to give away as much of YESHA as possible. And Olmert? Well, you know all about him...

Don't fool yourself. I BEG YOU not to fool yourself! General Ya'alon will be no different! His tough speeches will quickly be forgotten and we will be back at "square one". His lack of devotion to G-d will cause him to fail and buckle under the pressure. This has been shown and proven time and time again. Ya'alon will be no different.

Israel needs a real Jewish leader, even if he doesn't have high IDF credentials, a degree from MIT or eloquent speaking skills. That leader needs to be connected to G-d with all his heart and soul. He needs to understand the unique role the Jewish people play in the world and accept the obligations and responsibilities of being part of G-d's Chosen People. He needs to meticulously follow the Torah, especially those parts that pertain to a Jewish leader; "(The Torah) shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear G-d, his G-d, to observe all the words of the Torah... to perform them, so that his heart does not become haughty over his brethren..." (Devarim 17:19-20) He needs to fight the Jewish enemy with no mercy, reserving his compassion for his own people. He needs to lead with faith and trust in the G-d of his forefathers. He needs to educate his people in the values and concepts of Judaism and connect them to their Father in Heaven with love and happiness.

THIS is what the Jewish People need... and this is why Moshe "Boogey" Ya'alon is not the man. Don't be fooled by his IDF credentials or strong statements. Following and trusting in him is like running after -- yet another -- false Messiah. Don't make that mistake again.