From crisis to revival - this is how we will rebuild the State of Israel
What happened on October 7, I will never forget. An unprecedented combination of complete surprise, horrific injury to our brother, inhuman cruelty and defensive failure. And as if the last nail in the coffin was missing, everything happened with detailed digital documentation, sometimes even in real time.
The catastrophe that took place is a historical turning point in Israel's timeline. The consequences? Seismicity - just like the earthquake that occurred.
The State of Israel, and this is not a cliché, as we knew it, changed forever. That day, like many others, I stood in front of the screen and the realization seeped into me: our existence is not self-evident and we must change.
This is a practical and optimistic article
How did we get to this point? How can we prevent the recurrence of such a failure, and even come out strengthened? The answers are complex and many investigations are still ahead of us.
We are in a very difficult time and the future is foggy at best. But that's not what I want to talk about. Instead of complaining and predicting gloom, I want to focus on solutions and what we should do. I want to convince you that we must change: as citizens, as public figures, as a nation and as a country.
This is a practical and optimistic article, the purpose of which is to point out fundamental failures and suggest how we can solve them, strengthen ourselves and prosper.
Israel is a phenomenon! A country is successful in so many areas and all thanks to our human capital. There is no other nation like Israel. This is not a pat on the back, but a sober look at the secret of our strength. Our achievements in 75 years are on a global scale, and the best is yet to come. I am convinced that we have not yet begun to scratch our human potential.
to build a new order for the welfare of the people of Israel
But the State of Israel, as it has been for years and certainly since the last elections, does not work and cannot work under the current conditions. Therefore, we must destroy the existing order and build a new order for the welfare of the people of Israel. An order in which the unity of the people, personal security, personal economic security and other elements are managed by a democratic, professional and efficient government.
In order for us to succeed, we must lead five tectonic changes in the Israeli public:
Changing the system of government, term limits, establishment of a constitution, equality of duties and setting threshold conditions for public figures.
Changing the government system
The political earthquake is already felt. The ceiling chandeliers began to shake, the plaster is slowly falling from the walls, but the great earthquake, which will destroy the existing order, is still waiting for its turn. Recent polls predict a free fall for Likud, an ascent for Gantz, the buds of a comeback for Naftali Bennett, the name of Yossi Cohen is frequently mentioned and Yair Golan is not working on the yeast.
Another round of elections and not much will change over time
"The more things change, the more they stay the same" This immortal sentence was coined in 1849 by the French writer and journalist Alphonse Carr.
Even in Israel, as the political map changes, things are expected to remain roughly the same. How? Well, The reason lies in one of the root problems of the government in Israel - the lack of governmental stability.
Israel is a unique democratic country that faces strategic challenges. There is no need to expand on the security challenge, but there are other challenges such as in the fields of education, health, welfare, civil equality and population growth. These challenges require strategic planning and execution that cannot be carried out without the critical ingredient - time, and we are talking about years. but Time is one of the elements that is always in short supply due to political instability built into the system of government in Israel.
The turnover destroys long-term performance
Pay attention to the following amazing data: in the last 20 years, a government in Israel served on average less than 3 years! And the Knesset of Israel? Served on average a little more than two years, and that's still gross! Reduce the time for taking office, appointing officials, understanding who is against and who, and of course the time spent preparing for the next elections And we understand that the net effective time of office is probably less than half.
Does anyone believe that it is possible to run a country properly like this? of course not! And this is only from the aspect of the length of government and Knesset tenure. in fact, It is possible to liken the structure of the Israeli parliament to a moldy cake, which lost its ice a long time ago. All that changes in the cake is mainly the size of the slices (parties), but the cake itself remains irrelevant.
Therefore, we will not be able to face our strategic challenges as long as Israeli democracy lacks political stability. In other words: Israel is characterized by short-term governments, which prevent the promotion of long-term policies.
A system of government that will produce governmental stability
The current system of governance incentivizes elected officials to focus mainly on the short term, on mostly tactical problems and fruits that can be picked quickly. But in order to deal thoroughly and professionally with our strategic problems, it is necessary to create governmental stability in Israel that will buy time. Hence, the solution must begin with changing the governance system. The existing system simply does not work, there is no governmental stability and there is also no proportion between the size of parties and their influence on the public agenda.
1. Alternatives for changing the governance system
The existing system in Israel is the parliamentary (Knesset) and the electoral system is proportional in which the number of votes in the elections is divided by the number of seats in the parliament. This is how the number of mandates for each party in parliament is determined.
There are several alternatives for changing the governance system and without going into details, we will mention key approaches. Proposals were made to change the system to a presidential one, in which the head of the executive authority is elected in separate elections from the Knesset, for a term of office of four years. The head of the executive authority appoints the ministers of the government, who do not serve as members of the Knesset. On the other hand, the Knesset will focus on legislation and parliamentary supervision. The leaders of the proposals were Haim Ramon and Avigdor Lieberman, with the latter even proposing Increasing the percentage of obstruction - a welcome thing in itself to reduce the number of parties in the Knesset.
Governmental stability over time
Other proposals focused on proposed improvements to the existing system up to the creation of a second legislature. In addition, there is the possibility of conducting mixed national and regional elections. In this method, the country is divided into districts and the voters choose their elected representatives in that district and thus a commitment is created between the elected and the voter. The meaning of mixed elections is that a certain part of those elected to the parliament will be elected in regional elections as described, and the other part in national elections as is customary today.
Whatever the new method, its goals are: Creating governmental stability over time, representing the will of the voters according to their relative size in the population and maintaining the values of democracy and equality in the country. We must initiate a public debate on the issue and promote leaders who will commit to changing the governance system.
2. Term limit
Lord Acton was a British historian and politician known for the immortal sentence: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
While Netanyahu's trial is still ongoing, it can be said in general that The longer the term of office of a leader, the greater the chance of the development of phenomena of governmental corruption, coercion and improper behavior.
The explanation for this is that over time there is an increasing dependence of government officials on the same leader. Ministers, officials, consultants and stakeholders understand that in order to advance their status, they must appease and win the leader's affection. This way they can win political appointments, jobs, adequate income and influence. On the other hand, the leader also becomes more dependent on those factors, pressured and obliged to answer the requests of many of his supporters. The place of some of those with the means was also not absent from the celebration, considering capital-government relations and thus may develop give-and-take relations that do not serve the public interest and even go against it.
to limit the term of office bearers
Therefore, the law should limit the term of office of the Prime Minister to two terms. In my opinion, the law should also limit other office bearers such as: heads of parties, mayors and other public office holders.
Limiting the term of office will allow for a healthy and frequent rotation of leaders and will reduce the chance of any of the leaders and their associates abusing their position. The knowledge that the time in power is limited is expected to reduce the suffering and maybe even Dissuade unworthy people from entering politics and motivate deserving people to join. Two terms are enough to implement policy and vision, without allowing too long a time, in which corruption could take root. We must limit power and prevent it from corrupting absolutely, as Lord Acton said.
3. Establishing a constitution with broad consensus
In essence, a constitution is a state's abbreviated operating manual. This is a document that determines the basic principles of the state - the form of the regime, its values, civil rights and more. The document aims to define the rules of the game in the country, limit the power of the legislative authority and protect all citizens equally.
In light of what happened in the country in the ten months leading up to October 7.10, I hope it is clear to most of us that Israel needs a constitution.
In the Declaration of Independence, it was explicitly stated:
"We state that from the moment the mandate ends, tonight... until the establishment of the elected and regular authorities of the state in accordance with the constitution to be established by the Constituent Assembly elected no later than October 1, 1948…”.
As we know, a constitution was not established, instead we have "fundamental laws" that were accepted by a simple majority in the Knesset as regular legislation, and can be changed in the same way. The attempted coup d'état with a narrow parliamentary majority divided the people as we have never seen and the fish loyal How are significant changes not made in general and in the justice system in particular.
A constitution that will anchor Israel's values as a Jewish and democratic state
After we change the system of government and achieve governmental stability, the time will come to establish a constitution that will anchor Israel's values as a Jewish and democratic state. The process of writing the constitution must be done in a respectful and joint manner and include all levels of Israeli society. A broad public discussion should be held, all voices should be heard, and agreements should be reached as broad as possible.
The process of formulating the constitution should be led by a committee that represents the ethnic, religious, gender, and geographic diversity of the Israeli population. The committee will include people whom the Israeli public trusts and respects, people who can represent the wishes and values of the population in a fair way.
The committee will include Knesset members, experts in law, economics, education and history, academic representatives and public representatives. Only a democratic, broad, transparent and respectful process will lead to a proper constitution that will represent the will of the people, protect Israeli democracy and secure our future.
4. Debt equality
On and after the terrible 7.10, we saw a wave of shared fate and social solidarity, volunteerism and a spirit of sacrifice that is second to none. I talked with friends from abroad and they were all amazed by the spirit of volunteering and giving in Israel. It seems that there was no sector in the country that did not get involved and help. Soldiers and reservists left everything to defend the country fiercely. I stood in line with my Israeli brothers to donate blood, citizens donated money, products, hosted , cooked, visited, supported and the list of giving goes on.
Look at how the whole country is eagerly waiting for every abductee to be released. They are part of our family - the Israel family!
Despite the many difficulties, these are times that are blowing strong winds of hope in the sails of the country. This spirit of solidarity was also seen in the past and truly the people of Israel is unique and special. As part of the change in the country, we must work for real equality, in the rights of the citizen, but also in his duties.
The disparities in military service between the country's citizens have grown over the years
These differences are immoral, unfair and unacceptable. These are disparities that rightfully create feelings of deprivation and severely damage social cohesion. The time has come for every citizen to bear the burden and serve the country. Each according to his ability and the needs of the country.
Relying on the constitution that will be established, the government must promote a universal national-civil service law. The law will oblige all citizens of the state: secular, national religious, ultra-Orthodox, Arabs and any group, to serve the state. The service can take the form of military conscription, national service or civil service in the community, provided that every citizen has the same right of service.
I have a wish, I hope that as part of the change in the country, citizens who are not serving today will come, stand up and say "Here I am". They will offer themselves to serve as the state needs. They will do it out of solidarity, understanding and desire and not out of legal compulsion.
Only in this way can we establish a real social commitment, based on sharing and equal carrying of the burden. Together we will build a more just and equal society.
5. Threshold conditions for politicians
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a behavioral pattern in which people with little knowledge estimate their abilities to be significantly better than they really are. As a result, such people conduct themselves from A false sense of superiority. Or in short - politicians. In contrast, the imposter syndrome characterizes people with abilities and achievements, who feel that they do not deserve the recognition they receive.
People who are not suitable for their position manage to be elected to positions of power
When you look at the Knesset in general and the government in particular, and over the years, it is clear that people who are not suitable for their position succeed in being elected to positions of power.
This failure happens for two main reasons:
The first, coalitional constraints (see entry in the section on changing the system of government) and the second, the glaring lack of awareness of some of the public figures as to their unsuitability for the position.
It seems that modesty, humility and recognition of personal limitations are not valued qualities in public figures, certainly not a personal example.
The result is terrible, and we saw a living example of the governmental failure starting on 7.10/XNUMX in which the state systems collapsed and did not function for a long time while civil bodies impressively mobilized to help. For those who have not yet understood, The result of political deals + personal mediocrity (at best) = colossal failure in public service.
Calculate what training a person is required to undergo before being allowed to design a building? How many years and exams does a doctor go through? How much did we learn just to be able to drive on the road? How many years of study is required for an Israeli, just to get a matriculation certificate?
And what does it take to be elected to the Knesset and influence the lives of all of us? Generally, to be an Israeli citizen and at the age of 21 or older.
(There are a number of other stipulations such as: prison sentences, defamation, denial of the existence of the State of Israel and incitement to racism).
Since those appointed to the Knesset and to the positions of ministers (who do not have to be MKs) have a decisive influence on the lives of all of us and the functioning of the state, the threshold conditions must be tightened. The purpose of the conditions is to increase the chance that deserving people will enter Israeli politics while maintaining the capabilities of democratic selection and election.
Suggested threshold conditions:
- Minimum age - 25. To ensure (aspirational) maturity and a certain life experience.
- Education - Bachelor's degree from a recognized institution. Attests to knowledge, learning skills and perseverance.
- Work experience - minimum 3 years of experience in a managerial or public position.
- Absence of a criminal record - without reservations or statute of limitations. necessary for public trust. Whoever is convicted is permanently disqualified.
- Knowledge test - successfully passing a basic exam in the fields of: citizenship, public policy, economics, law.
- Cooling off period - 5 years, without reservations, from any security system or senior public service.
- Obligation of due disclosure - to prevent conflict of interest. Every candidate for the Knesset, ministerial position or senior public administration will be required to disclose his financial affairs and relationships with interested parties.
The time has come for the public in Israel to benefit from worthy elected officials who will work for them. The threshold conditions do not guarantee success, but help with the minimum requirements for competence and knowledge from our elected officials. In the hope that we will have a professional political system and a better public service.
From national crisis to revival - it's in our hands!
Beyond changing the system of government, term limits, constitution, equality of duties and threshold conditions for tenure, We must raise a generation of real leaders who will be worthy of this nation.
Leaders with necessary character traits:
Leading by personal example, taking responsibility, humility, justice, and empathy. Professional leaders with experience in management, whose driving force is one: the good of the country and the people. We must encourage and choose smart, brave and honest people, who have a vision and the ability to execute, with appropriate leadership skills. Those who will unite the people and move them to action.
Each of us should be politically involved
Passivity, pessimism, explaining that everything is over and there is nothing to do are all approaches that do not promote us as such and do not offer a worthy alternative. On the contrary, we must take an active approach and make sure that each of us is politically involved.
Of course you have to go out and vote on election day, but before and after it you have to be politically aware. The general public must act as a supreme supervisor of its elected officials and make its voice heard whenever necessary. No one else will do it for us and we as a people have no better alternative.
Together we will create a better society
The nation of Israel rises, recovers and prospers during severe crises. We must unite and change the country, and together we will create a better society for all the citizens of Israel. With a clear understanding of the path and while learning the lessons of the past, we will go through this crisis together to revival. From it we will grow into a better and more just society, in which we all want to live.
https://youtu.be/K3WX2hBtewM?si=HqHczsLzKyLJkSkq
Every moral person will demand to wipe out and cleanly annex the Gaza Strip and Lebanon to Israel so that Jews will never be slaughtered from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, and Iran will be sent back 1000 years so that they will never fire rockets at Israel!
Shiite Iran is aggressive and it is clear that Russia and China, as well as the other Western powers, and the countries of the region will benefit if it returns to the stone age without electricity and does not pose a threat to the rest of the world. Not for a Palestinian state, we saw in Gaza what happens when they have a place under their control. Yes to eliminate Gaza and expel the Gazans who support them, yes to expel the terrorist Arabs from Judea and Samaria to those who support them. The West threw billions and the Iranians armed themselves with millions of dollars for an Islamo-Nazi massacre of Jews, when Jordan is the Palestinian state and the establishment of another state will overthrow Jordan and bring Iran into Jordan, just as Iran entered Gaza, Lebanon. , and Yemen.
A utopian vision like the prophet Isaiah's vision of the latter days
Governmental stability? Are you real?
After all, there isn't a single week here without demonstrations, without slandering politicians, they can't even go to cemeteries, and whoever thinks that this will change if another government comes to power, in my opinion, doesn't understand the processes that are happening here. That people allow themselves anything at any time, even in war as we see .
In my opinion, the solution is a permanent state of elections every two years and a reduction in the scope of the ability to demonstrate (determine, for example, an agreed-upon remote location)
Hello Dodari,
Not only am I serious but I have substantiated my claims. Israel lacks governmental stability and we must create such.
The reality you describe of demonstrations every week - what is their source? Why do they occur? Has it always been like this in the country?
A solution in the form of elections every two years is a wrong solution because de facto this is what is happening today and I am guessing that you will agree with me that the situation is not good.
Indeed, it is not a good situation, but it is the optimal situation.
You are asking a question why the demonstrations are happening and supposedly aimed at the leadership, and I am referring to the anarchists who do not accept the voter's voice (we are talking about demonstrations that started with black flags each time on a different background) but let's face it even in Bennett's change government, which was considered a leftist government, some of the right-wing demonstrators acted in a way disgraceful
I hope I'm wrong, but you will argue in the future that the same candidate who supposedly leads the polls today will suffer from the same problem within a year of being in power if elected.
A solution of permanent elections every two years is ideal in my opinion because at least it reduces the fuel for the protesters on both sides a little because here, automatically, there are elections every time.
I agree with you in everything. But how to start it? I hear that over time Gantz is going down in the polls and even mercifully Netanyahu will win again! You cannot change the composition of the Knesset in one go and there are no people there who want change because the system serves them..only a revolution will change that and a revolution often causes chaos and the takeover of negative elements. So where to start?
Thank you Yael. I believe that we start from a comprehensive and thorough thinking about how we got to our situation, what needs to be fixed and how. In the article I propose an initial direction which of course needs to be developed and promoted.
That's why I think that, as with any change in reality, you have to start by thinking about what the goal is that you want to achieve and then how to achieve it. An action plan must be built and citizens must be harnessed. I hope the article gives food for thought and may motivate people to unite and act.
Thanks Hanan, very interesting. At the time I was exposed to the criteria required to be part of the Sanhedrin. These criteria are stricter than yours and they also refer to the life experience the person has gained, the amount of sadness in his life (without traumas that will harden his heart), his education (required to know 70 languages) and more. I wish we could succeed at least in this matter. I think this is one of the most important changes. From here the positive change will begin to move.
Thank you Yael, indeed it is written: ""Rabbi Yochanan said: There are no sitters in the Sanhedrin except those who are wise, those who are good-looking, those who are tall, those who are old, those who are magicians and know a lot of languages, lest the Sanhedrin hear from the mouth of the interpreter..."
The purpose of the article is to provoke thought on a subject that may motivate action.
I wish, but I hear in the background voices of laughter from some Egyptians in the government from the ultra-Orthodox ranks of the Knesset.
And again, I wish it would happen.
Thanks Mordi. Whoever wants to laugh, while we work for change.
The main goal of any organization is to preserve its existence.
These things are reflected in the organization's internal code of ethics.
It will be very difficult to change the key elements you mentioned here. Difficult to the point of impossible because of the "gatekeeper" organizations around us - which are the Knesset of Israel and the connections between the parties in the Knesset. The preservation of the organization they lead is their top priority. It doesn't matter that much the essence (unfortunately) doesn't matter that much the external and internal destruction. It matters that the organization continues to exist.
Unfortunately, the wisdom of the organizations and their abilities exceeds justice and the right. God willing, what you wrote will be possible to realize.
thanks, David. The purpose of the article is to offer solutions, ways of acting and thinking in order to improve our situation. In my opinion, Israeli politics needs a change in the quality and mix of politicians and the rules of the game themselves. It's true that it's hard to change, but I'm not a better option.