Likud Celebrates Jabotinsky Yet Ignores His Core Teachings on Morality and Responsibility

In a recent reflection, columnist Carmit Sapir-Weitz critiques the Likud party for celebrating Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky while neglecting the fundamental moral and ethical lessons he championed. Sapir-Weitz laments the erosion of internal moral boundaries in contemporary politics, emphasizing the loss of a deep, intrinsic sense of what is forbidden or unacceptable. She argues that society today lacks the steadfast principles and moral discipline that once guided behavior, leading to a culture where success is pursued at any cost and ethical limits are questioned or dismissed.

The article recalls Jabotinsky's 1921 speech at the Zionist Executive in Prague, where he condemned any group's refusal to share the burden of physical defense, warning against arming undisciplined youth and stressing the necessity of collective responsibility for security. Sapir-Weitz highlights Jabotinsky's insistence that security and order cannot be left to hope or vague assurances but require disciplined, committed action.

She contrasts this with the current political climate, where the Likud party, which claims Jabotinsky as its spiritual and ideological founder, appears to have abandoned these core values. The columnist expresses concern that without adherence to these principles, the party loses its identity and moral compass. She underscores the importance of an internal sense of moral repulsion that guides individuals beyond rational debate, suggesting that this is essential for maintaining societal integrity.

Sapir-Weitz concludes by questioning what remains of the legacy of those who suffered and upheld these values if modern politics continues to disregard them, implying a call for a return to the ethical foundations that Jabotinsky embodied.