"Enough!" was the voters' verdict in the local elections. The results show that there has been a profound change in the public spirit. It has tired of all those stammering parties that are for and against anything and everything, that change their positions every morning according to the latest polls. It is sick and tired of the politicians who are ready to make loud proclamations about anything and to perform any trick just to gain a small headline or a couple of minutes on a talk show.

This entire structure is about to collapse. The public yearns for parties which stick to their objectives and for individuals who are true to an idea. It does not want professional politicians with inflated egos and minuscule intellects. It wants trustworthy individuals. Netanyahu and his cohorts are not necessarily the only ones responsible for the public's reaction. But they have certainly exacerbated it greatly. This is the first conclusion.

The second conclusion is that the struggle between the religious and secular sectors for the soul of the country has now taken center stage in our lives. The chasm between the two is steadily widening and deepening, despite the blather about "bringing hearts together" and "mutual understanding."

In spite of their internal squabbles, the haredi-religious-messianic camp is closing ranks, becoming a united crushing force, threatening the democratic, liberal and secular state established by us. Shaping up against it (finally) is a ready-to-fight secular camp, reacting to the aggressive gall of the religious camp. Safi Rakhlevsky's eye-opening book "The Messiah's Donkey" has come in the nick of time.

All of this is particularly evident in Jerusalem. The religious block has gained 15 out of 31 mandates on the Council. Even though Ehud Olmert, a politician with no scruples or inhibitions, has been elected Mayor (for the last time), he has lost all of his power on the Council. So, too, is the case with the Labor Party. In contrast, the small faction of Ornan Yekutieli, a fighting secularist, along with Meretz, have gained 7 mandates -- more than Likud and Labor combined.

In Tel Aviv, three small, strictly secularist factions have gained nine mandates, in contrast to the losses of the two "big" parties.

In the next elections to the Knesset, there is a tremendous chance for a new, secular, fighting party which will wage a no-holds-barred struggle to wipe out "the black revolution" of the messianic-haredi-nationalist extremists. No more Roni Milos, no more Lipkin-Schachaks, no more politicians trying to hitch a quick ride on a popular theme, but rather a party of energetic young people who will propose an unequivocal platform, at its core the absolute separation of religion and state, in the spirit of the American constitution.

This would mean: Establishing a uniform educational system for all of Israel's children, one which would impart elementary values to all, where the particular message of each sector (humanist, religious, Arab, etc.) would be merely an addition. The abolition of the exemption of Yeshiva scholars from military duty. The abolition of state-funding for yeshiva students and for the myriad parasitic institutions which have been milking us. Operating public transportation seven days a week. Operating state-run airlines without interruption. Civil marriage and divorce. The dismantling of the "religious councils" financed by the local authorities and the establishment, instead, of volunteer institutions which would provide religious services on a pay-per-service basis. The abolition of religious restrictions on food, autopsies, etc.

The struggle for peace is part of the struggle for the soul of the nation. The messianic-religious camp, which is the body controlling the aggressive settler movement, is now leading the struggle against peace. It is this movement which supplies the extreme Right with its ideology and political force. Here, too, we need a fighting secular party to state things emphatically, without stuttering and side glances. Most of the public already understands that there will be a Palestinian state, side by side with the State of Israel. It needs to be stated clearly: The settlements are a danger to the survival of the State, and they must be dismantled. The end of the war dictates the return of all territory occupied in 1967. Jerusalem, the symbol of peace and reconciliation, must serve as the capital of both states.

Half-truths, evasions, or clever tricks will no longer work. No more declarations of Ehud Barak that are neither fish nor fowl. No more statements by Yossi Sarid that "blocs of settlements" must stay under Israeli control, that the Palestinian state has to be established on "more than 90% of the West Bank," or that he "will not voluntarily declare the intention of dividing Jerusalem". The public wants courage. The public wants truth.

Were I younger by a few years, I would found such a party myself. But it is a task for the young generation. Our role is to provide support. The young people should be the ones to unfurl its banner, and it is from their ranks that an aggressive faction in the next Knesset could carry on the fight.