The Movement for Social Justice needs to grow up…

And so it begins…  Tonight the movement or movments for social justice awoke from their slumber, signaling the end of the winter hybernation and the beginning of one more “summer of discontent”.

The old favourites from last year are back at the helm, Dafi, Shmulik and Co. are still the driving force, although in what direction, we wait to see.  With Bibi’s masterclass in how to avoid elections, the people of Israel will have to wait another eighteen months in order to display their malcontent at the ballotbox, which leaves more than enough time for Bibi and his cohorts to bestow yet more carnage on our country and its people.

I gather that Meretz supporters openly displaying political banners were not welcome at tonight’s protest in Tel Aviv as the “movemnet” wishes to remain A-political.

And therin lies the problem…

For those seeking social justice and real change in Israeli society, the fact is that they are going to have to change the way in which the county is run.  There is no getting away form it.  Whether it is affordable housing, comprehensive health care, quality education, proper pensions, the segragation of oligarchs ans state, or peace with our neighbours, the only way any of these things will ever materialise is when the priorities of those who run our country match those of the protestors, ergo when like minded people with integrity are in power.

The movment for social justice has to grow up.  Slogans and hype can awaken even the most dormant ctizens to the possibility that change is possible, but it is simply not enough.  As the protesters correctly state, here we are one year later and nothing has changed.  Some would argue that things are in fact worse now than they were just one year ago.

I’m sorry guys but this means that you are gong to have to get your hands dirty,  either that, or throw your weight behind those who are indeed prepared to do so.  One more summer of protest, tented or otherwise will be great for the news networks and provide a welcome distraction from the everyday hardhsips of life in this country for a minority of the population.  However unless a way is found to harness the energy and conviction of those protests and direct it towards the creation of tangible change on the ground, i.e., the leadership of the country, well excuse me for saying so, but so f***ing what.  Lets face it, Woodstock was more fun and Live Aid had Freddy Mercury.

Filling the street with ordinary and fore sure, some extraordinary; Israelis is indeed a huge achievment and I salute the leaders of last summer’s protests.   But for it to mean something and make a real difference, we have to worry less about filling the streets and more about filling the seats of the Knesset with those who will indeed do the will of the majority of Israelis, not contrive a parliamentary majority in order to thwart any attempt by that same  majority to effect real change.

Perhaps keeping the protests A-political was right, even critical for last  year.  It was the idea and the possibilities which mattered most.  But, and this is a big but… in this time of hardship and dire need, keeping it so is just too damn easy.

Difficult as it is, in order for this summer’s protests to deliver more than a few “social justice celebs”, then it is time for the brave, and perhaps the reluctant, but definitely the hard nosed and thick skinned; to step forward and develop a strategy and a team which can take the movement forward to where it actually delivers on its potential.

Those with prior experience need not apply…

Shelly should offer a big thanks to Shaul Mofaz

 As practiced in Israel, politics is the surely lowest form of self-interest and aggrandisement, but when used by an artist, becomes and art.  Today Bibi has proved himself a true artist, ne, master of the art.

On the other hand…If I am not mistaken, when standing for the leadership of Kadima, Shaul Mofaz stated, that if elected he would not join the Netanyahu government.  When elected leader of Kadima and hence, leader of the opposition, he stated his intention to lead the movement for social justice.  Ah well, not to worry, he now gets to fill in for Bibi as premier, when Bibi is out the country.  In addition to his position as Deputy Prime Minister, and yet one more minister without portfolio.  To be honest, I still cannot for the life of me work out what that is exactly.   The USA manages to run the country with a cabinet of eleven and the UK does so with sixteen.  Why the hell do we need thirty something (sorry, I’ve lost count) individuals to run this tiny state of ours?  Anyway, back to my point.  All Shaul Mofaz has managed to achieve over and above his elevated status, is to be viewed as a second rate, or should that be, “cut price” Ehud Barak, ready to sell himself to the highest, sorry “any” bidder.  The street walkers of Tel Aviv, who make no pretence to be anything other than what they are; surely have more moral fibre and integrity than either of the two ex-generals.  Depending upon how you look at it, Mofaz has also gained a “stay of execution” for the Kadima party, but in the process has surely signed its eventual death warrant.

The real losers are the people of Israel, as Bibi and his “poodles” circumvent the democratic process for the sake of self-interest and control.  Late night, secret meetings and backroom deals are surely the antithesis of true democracy.

However commentators, still in shock from the news, point to Yair Lapid and his new party as the big loser in this deal.  Having had the wind knocked out of him, Mr Lapid has to work out how to stay relevant for the next eighteen months.  Perhaps however it may provide our newest “wannabe” politician with an opportunity to review his performance thus far.  Stamping his feet like a spoilt child who doesn’t get what she wants, Lapid has attacked the deal as “old politics”.  Perhaps he should reflect more upon the structure and charter of his own party which far more resembles that of Yisrael Beitenu, with Lapid in the role of Avigdor Lieberman.  Old politics indeed!  Yair Lapid is surely smart enough to understand that if indeed he wishes to reinvent politics in the country, then there is no place for a demagogue, even a benevolent and well intentioned one; in the democratic process.  Perhaps this new situation will give him the time and opportunity to get his ego under check, address his considerable insecurities (why else would he make himself “Supreme Leader” of his party) and fix a severely flawed first step.

And then we come to Shelly Yacimovich and the Labour Party.  While railing against the move, hardly able to hide their shock and surprise, the leaders of the Labour party, need to understand that Shaul Mofaz has in fact handed them a precious gift, and I am not talking about Shelly’s new elevated status as leader of the opposition. 

In joining Bibi and his right wing government, Mofaz has cleared the middle ground for Ms Yachimovitch and the Labour party.  Where the elections to have taken place in September, Bibi would have romped home with an increased majority and Shelly may well be looking for a new job.  Let’s face it the Labour party under new management is just not ready to go to the country.

With the new political reality, the Labour party now has eighteen months and  a golden opportunity to establish itself as the true leader of the centre left and the movement for real change and social justice, in the process turning itself into a genuine and credible alternative for government. 

Shelly should say thank you to Mofaz and get on with the job, but get on with it in the right and proper manner.

In order to establish credibility with the electorate, the Labour party must develop and effectively communicate a full range of policies on all the issues.  Here is an opportunity for Shelly Yachimovitch to display real courage and true leadership.  A true leader has the confidence and self- awareness to surround themselves with the very best possible people available.  Shelly needs to acknowledge her own shortcomings and fully exploit the wealth and depth of knowledge and experience in her party, as well as others on the centre left. 

As “Leader of the Opposition” Shelly should immediately establish a “shadow Cabinet”, where responsibility is delegated to those most able and competent to speak out and develop policies in opposition to those of the current administration.  Shelly is viewed (rightly or wrongly) as weak on Diplomacy, Security and Economics, as well as other areas.  She has excellent and experienced colleagues to call upon.  As the leader, Shelly needs to take control, sweep away the self-destructive infighting and cronyism and make it clear that she intends to build a winning team, utilising the very best within the party.   A talented and credible Shadow Cabinet led effectively by Shelly; can present a fresh, new, united approach to addressing the genuine concerns and pressing issues facing the country, which can resonate with the people.  That is how you most effectively combat the current leadership (or should I say lack of). 

Behind the scenes each “Shadow minister” can call upon the vast human capital of the party and wider afield to develop a new, innovative and credible manifesto to take to the people in October 2013.  People want to get involved.  Empower them to do so and there is no limit to what can be achieved.  

So Shelly, say thank you and get on with the job.  Prove that you are indeed worthy of the title “Leader”.         

 

 

 

Only Israel…and we should be proud…

Gilad is home!

After five years and four months, the Shalit family’s nightmare is at an end.  Their hopes and prayers, along with those of most of the country have been answered.
Gilad Shalit is home and today he begins his road to recovery from a hell that we cannot begin to imagine. We can only wish him and his family well as they regain their lives once more.

Only Israel would pay such a heavy and truly painful price for the return of one
soldier.  One thousand and twenty seven convicted terrorists, many of whom are responsible for some of the worst acts of terror and cold blooded murder of many Israelis, men, women and children; were released in exchange for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

The Americans would never have done such a deal, or the British, or the French or
any other country in the world. Interestingly, one Palestinian who was interviewed on Israeli TV in the lead up to the exchange wondered aloud, if the shoe was on the other foot where Israel was holding one Palestinian prisoner and Hamas was holding thousands of Israeli prisoners.  Would Hamas be prepared to exchange one
thousand and twenty seven Israelis for one Palestinian?  Almost laughingly, he concluded they would not, they would never entertain such a thing… and that is exactly the point.

No other country would allow itself to pay such a terrible price in order to
recover one of its own.  Only Israel would dare do such a thing and of that very fact we should be very proud indeed.  Our preparedness to put aside all the pain, anger and sense of injustice, not to mention the considerable risk; in order to bring home our soldiers is to be commended.  The risk has by no means been ignored.  Those at the highest levels of the security apparatus supported the deal and have stated that while the release of such terrorists does indeed present a certain danger, they are confident in Israel’s ability to contain the situation.

The Shalit deal has been attacked by detractors as “giving in to terror” and as a
display of weakness.  Quite the opposite, the difficult and brave decision to sign this deal is a sign of our strength, of our commitment to our soldiers, the young people who are drafted and put in harm’s way in order to defend and protect our country and our people.  It confirms firstly to ourselves and to the world that the lives and welfare of Israeli soldiers are above all other considerations.  It is imperative for those who serve and those who will serve in the future that they have the utmost confidence that their country is behind them and will be there for them in every manner possible, no matter what.

Whereby we deeply regret the painful price we have had to pay, and in particular the grief and anguish this deal has caused those families of the many victims of terror
who are horrified and bemused by the release of those who cruelly murdered their loved ones, we have demonstrated loud and clear that the government of Israel and the people of Israel will not abandon our own.  We have demonstrated our strength of will and determination to maintain our commitment to our young men and woman in uniform and that is the greatest show of strength possible.

In bringing Gilad Shalit home to his family, we have shown the very best of
ourselves. We have displayed our love of life and our value for life above all.  We have confirmed and acted upon our core values and beliefs in order to do that which is right and proper, despite the very real and painful cost.  In the process we
have also displayed our ability and willingness to endure the seemingly unendurable
when absolutely necessary.

This was indeed such a time.

Shelly is Simply Out of Her Depth…

Once more reality bites with a vengeance as the security and diplomatic realities of our region take centre stage, with the struggle for social justice under threat of being sidelined if not forgotten altogether.

There are those however who argue that the issues of security, diplomacy and social justice in this country are inextricably linked and that you will not achieve genuine success in any one of them, without addressing all of them. This is indeed a monumental task however such is the harsh reality of the region in which we live.

Over the past six weeks, perhaps the main political beneficiary of the protest for social justice and focus on social issues has been Shelly Yachimovich, one of the candidates and some say favourite; in the upcoming election for leadership of the Labour Party. Cynically exploiting the wave of popular support for social issues and hatred of Israel’s oligarchs, Shelly has presented herself as “Ms Social Justice”. As an ex TV journalist and slick media operator, Shelly has stopped at nothing to exploit the protests for her own narrow interests. Focusing on the easy targets of the oligarchs and what is known as “Swinish Capitalism”, Shelly has promoted popular, although simplistic and naive policies to address the social ills of the country while at the same time, steadfastly refusing to comment on security and diplomatic issues. It would be fair to say that up until now, for Shelly Yachimovich, silence has been golden.

Last week however, Shelly finally opened her mouth on a range of issues and perhaps today she is wishing she had remained silent. In an interview in Haaretz, Shelly stunned supporters and detractors alike, as she stated that she did not see the settlements as “a sin or a crime” she went on to say that “In its time, it was a completely consensual move. And it was the Labor Party that founded the settlement enterprise in the territories. That is a fact a historical fact.” A fact maybe, however the majority of her supporters and her party for that matter; see the settlements very differently and although still trying to keep politics out of their campaign, most people involved in the “social justice” protests throughout the country tend to see settlements as a major obstacle. It appears that Shelly has only managed to further confuse people in regard to her stance on diplomatic matters. In her interview Shelly went on to deny that there is any connection between funds allocated to settlements and the lack of funds allocated to social issues. Neither in her opinion is there any connection to the security and defence budget. For Shelly it is all about the flawed capitalist system. If we raise taxes and take away from the rich, then everything apparently will be fine.

And herein lies the problem. It would appear that Shelly Yachimovich is after all a “one trick pony”. She may have an in-depth knowledge of the social issues facing the country however that seems to be about it. She displays a naive and almost irresponsible lack of interest in the security and diplomatic issues facing the country maintaining that the social agenda can and should be addressed in isolation. Shelly’s unwillingness or perhaps inability to engage on the issues of diplomacy and security leave her sadly lacking as a credible candidate for leadership of the Labour Party. Her refusal to debate the issues with her fellow candidates (she has refused several invitations to share a stage with the other Labour leadership contenders) points to a deep insecurity and raises legitimate questions regarding her ability to make her arguments, that is if she has arguments to make. To this day, nobody really knows where Shelly stand on many key issues.

Recent events delivered a cruel reminder of the extreme nature and very real danger of the neighbourhood in which we live. The tragic and murderous events in Southern Israel over the weekend, and the increased rocket attacks from Gaza, along with the deteriorating situation along the Egyptian border both physically and diplomatically; cast a dark shadow across the whole country. Furthermore, these terrible events highlight our need for genuine leadership committed to tackling each of the issues based upon its merits, while ensuring that all are addressed in good measure.

The Social Justice protests of the summer have drastically altered the political map of Israel to a point where social and economic issues are now on a par with security and diplomacy and rightly so. Even in the face of the greatest security and diplomatic challenges, they must remain so. But none can be addressed in isolation.

Guaranteed security for all Israelis, improved diplomatic standing and greater social justice in the country are all imperatives. Those aspiring to lead this country need to appreciate and comprehend the connection between the issues and most importantly, possess the will and capacity to deliver on all three.

I am afraid that in this regard, Shelly Yachimovich is simply out of her depth.

These Protests are no Media Hype

I enjoy reading the wide variety of opinions in the Jerusalem Post and elsewhere.   Particularly interesting for me are the “dyed in the wool” , true blue conservative pieces which for me would be mildly entertaining, if indeed  it were not so worrying, as it appears many of you identify with such approaches to life here in Israel.  However in regard to the current protests in the country, even for the most avid free marketeer, anger, denial
and what appears to be the inability to grasp the basic problems within the financial makeup of our country is frankly inexcusable.

If we look at Israel’s record of privatisation and supposed deregulation over the years, we will see that the manner in which this was done has been disastrous for the country, while
admittedly extremely profitable for a fortunate and unscrupulous few.  The old government monopolies where privatised with the aim of making them more efficient.  Indeed in private hands they are more efficient and more profitable however, they are still monopolies ensuring that the market is anything but free.   One example of
this is the privatised and  “sole” cement manufacturer in Israel.  For some inexplicable reason cement is still labelled as a “strategic” product in Israel, thus a monopoly is maintained, where our now privately owned cement producer can charge artificially high
prices and exercise undue control over the building industry.  This is the sad reality of the free market in Israel.

If you or I want to borrow money from a bank in this country we will be expected to secure any such loan with all our worldly goods as well as getting our four best friends to sign as
guarantors.  If we get into difficulty and find ourselves unable to repay the loan, our goods will be taken from us.  We will be turfed out of our homes and our friends will never speak to us again, as they too will have been called upon to cover our outstanding debts.  We
will also be blacklisted by the banks for the rest of our lives, making it almost impossible to recover.    The bank on the other hand will have charged us exorbitant fees in the process while having taken no risk whatsoever.  It is little wonder the banks are so “strong” in this country.  Then again, if you are one of the “chosen few” in the country who control business in this “anything but free” economy, you can borrow as much as you like from the banks, provide no personal guarantees whatsoever, make hay while the sun shines and then decide not to repay the loan, when it all goes wrong.  You will keep your “ill gotten” gains, your friends will continue to laud your brilliance and seek your favour, while the
supposedly free market investors, i.e. you and I (the suckers) through our savings schemes and pension funds, will foot the cost of this apparently legal exercise, just one more example of the free market at work in Israel today.   When a business “tycoon” can
announce his intention not to repay outstanding loans of NIS2 billion in one company and in the same week borrow another NIS 300 million for another of his companies, you know that the system is sick if not wholly corrupt.

All you “free marketers” out there need to take a long hard look at yourselves and the country.  Perhaps you may also like to take a look at the wider world.  The free market system and here I mean the under regulated “laissez-faire” free market; has failed.  For those of you, who claim to abhor any form of government intervention in the economy, let me remind you that it was the mass intervention of governments in the economy and their
readiness to come to the rescue of the banking system that saved your sorry asses and the world economy as a whole.  Free market practices in the hands of greedy and unscrupulous individuals led the world to the brink of disaster, and a recession from which
it may take a generation to recover.

Unfortunately the rescue is now resulting in the failure of national economies across the world.  The free market and the banks in particular; gave us the debt crisis, however the banks have now recovered, paid back their loans to government and resumed their over inflated bonus cultures.  All’s well that ends well, I suppose.  However, as a result of the debt crisis countries in Europe are now failing financially and America, that bastion of
free market economics; is essentially bankrupt.  The consequences of the free market running riot are now being paid for by ordinary working people throughout the world.

Despite the fact that we may not be bankrupt, this is also the case in Israel today.  We are forced to pay artificially high and unjustifiable prices for just about every aspect of our lives as a result of the ludicrous concentration of wealth in the country and consequent lack of competition in the economy, caused by a host of flawed and negligent (I’m being
kind) policies introduced by recent governments who blindly followed the gospel
according to that false messiah Milton Friedman.  This is why ordinary people across the board, are standing up and joining the protests.

The irresponsible and unregulated nature of the free market in Israel has led to an unsustainable situation where between 60% to 70% of bank lending capacity is swallowed up by a very small number of families, or organizations if you prefer.  What does that leave for the rest of us?  Cross ownership of industrial, manufacturing, consumer and financial services companies gives a very few a strangle hold onour economy.  It leads to situations
where supposedly independent investment decisions are anything but and where tycoons are in effect lending money to themselves, our money by the way, again via our savings, investments or pensions.  Adding insult to injury, this also perpetuates the woeful lack of genuine competition across the economy.

It is this lack of any meaningful or effective regulation in our country which has led to this mess and to a situation where the illusion of a healthy economy can be sold by ministers and conservative commentators, lauding our low unemployment figures and healthy
balance of payments and the strength of the shekel.  However like most statistics, these can be manipulated and made to say whatever you want.

Low unemployment means very little when those working and working hard; are still unable to make it through the month.  A healthy balance of payments is of little consequence to a family who are unable to buy their own home or pay the exorbitantly high rent being asked in this supposed free market.  Statistics and government spin does not help ordinary hard working people feed, clothe and educate their children.  Here we are not talking about the 25% of Israeli families living beneath the poverty line.  We are speaking about the supposedly middle class, middle income families, who make up the majority of our taxpaying citizens.

For any out there still in doubt the current protests which indeed began with less than one hundred protestors setting up camp in Rothschild Boulevard, but which can now attract over 5% of the population to come out on to the streets to protest; are no invention of
the media.  They are genuine protests which have captured the imagination of the vast majority of people in the country across the political spectrum.  They have captured the imagination because the issues raised in the protests are those which affect almost every person in this country, man women and child on a daily basis.  The issues
of housing, education, health and the right to earn a living wage and live with
dignity are not a media invention.  They are the very basis of a modern democratic and free, yes free society.  It is incumbent upon our government to ensure that the needs of the people are addressed and not to leave the vast majority of us to the mercy of the markets.

Reducing the tax burden on the rich, while increasing the tax burden on the middle class is not a recipe for economic success, it is a fraudulent exercise in economic apartheid, where the interests of the few are separated and prioritised over those of the country as a whole.  The government’s reluctance to tackle the concentration of wealth in this country has had dire consequences and raises suspicion of collusion.  The people who suffer these consequences have finally had enough.  In the absence of responsible and effective
leadership, the people have decided to stand up and take action.  I have rarely been prouder to be Israeli.

In Israel today we need genuine freedom, freedom from irresponsible and ineffective government, freedom from the tycoons, freedom from the monopolies and freedom from a broken system which does not serve the interests of the country as a whole.  Without the intervention of international governments in the recent past, the free market would have led to the end of society as we know it.  Socially responsible capitalism can only work where there is an effective and efficient system of regulation to correct the anomalies and the excesses of the free market.

That is not media hype.  That is the people taking action to reassert their authority over their elected representatives and control over their lives.

Israeli Society Suffers from a Solidarity Deficit

First published in the Jerusalem Post 29/07/11

A good friend of mine is mourning the loss of her elderly neighbor. David lived  upstairs from her in Ramat Gan. His body was only discovered after my friend  complained about a smell in the communal stairwell. It turned out that David had  died about two weeks previously, but nobody knew. My friend feels guilty that  she didn’t notice. She feels responsible in some way. She fails to understand  how in this day and age, it’s possible for someone to be so alone that such a  thing can happen.

What does it say about Israel today, when in a  reasonably comfortable building in a leafy suburb, it takes two weeks to realize  a man has died? What kind of society have we created? On a tangent, I was  driving past the Ra’anana junction with my father recently.

He commented  that the trempiada (hitchhiking stop) had been closed. Established by volunteers  in 1982 during the first Lebanon war, it had been a welcome oasis, providing  drinks and sandwiches to hitchhiking soldiers making their way to and from the  front. This got me thinking about the time when hitchhiking soldiers were a  common sight. As a soldier, I remember catching a lift with many a driver, all  of them only too happy to help me out. As a driver, I have always been keen to  stop and give someone a lift, perhaps in an attempt to return the  favor.

Alas, today soldiers are not allowed to hitchhike, and the country  is much the worse for it. When our young men and women were out on the streets  for all to see, in a manner of speaking they were our kids. We felt  obliged to help out, and were happy to do so. Whether we had served or not, we  felt connected, part of something bigger than ourselves. We didn’t stop to  think, what is in it for us? We saw it as an integral part of living in this  country.

As the need to ferry our young heroes across the nation  disappeared, so, apparently, did the need to worry about anything but  ourselves. Today the obsession with self permeates Israeli society. At  the top of the socioeconomic ladder, the few who control so much of the wealth  continue their obsession with acquiring the little they don’t already own,  regardless of the cost in all its guises to the rest of the country. Alarmingly  the government is all too willing to assist them in this pursuit. In the  Knesset, where MKs are supposed to represent all the people, special-interest  groups think nothing of holding the country to ransom to advance their own  agendas, regardless of the impact on their fellow citizens.

Hanging on by  their fingernails, the middle classes who are being squeezed so hard from all  angles find they have little time for others as they struggle to pay the rent or  the mortgage and battle against the ever-increasing cost of living.

The  poor and disenfranchised feel as if they have less and less of a stake in  society, so they think only about survival in a harsh and uncaring society that  has abandoned them. It is no wonder that they have little time or sympathy for  foreign workers and refugees, who find themselves at the bottom of this  collapsing society that today is anything but civil.

Our young look at  the society they are supposedly going to inherit and wonder about the point of  it all. What role models can they hope to emulate? What future should they  expect? What is their incentive to serve in the army if, as they see it, Israel  today is all about looking out for “No. 1”?

It’s true that many of these  problems are common throughout the developed world, but Israel is no ordinary  country. Indeed, perhaps it’s our obsession with becoming an ordinary country  that has led us astray. We need to take a serious look at ourselves and decide  what we want to be, because (in case you hadn’t noticed) we already have a host  of very grown-up problems to deal with.

I do not crave times gone by for  the sake of nostalgia. I just believe that in our race to “progress,” we have  discarded some of the best things about us. These elements need to be  reintroduced for the 21st century.

It’s time to recapture the spirit that  built this country. It’s time that the word Zionism stopped being perverted to  serve the interests of narrow and extreme minorities. True Zionism is about  ensuring a Jewish democracy for all its citizens, where the values and  traditions that represent the best of Judaism direct our actions and behavior to  the betterment of humanity. Israel is a small country living under difficult  circumstances, with a diverse, multifaceted character. We need each other in  order to flourish. If so few succeed while the majority can only struggle to  survive, we will all fail. If we work together, with success for all as a  genuine goal, there is no end to what we can achieve. For such achievements to  mean something, however, they have to serve society as a whole.

The  erosion of our core values and of our civil society is not irreversible, but it  must be addressed. It may take our leaders some time to catch up and understand  that they work for us, and not the other way around. They will no doubt need to  be pushed. However, we all have a part to play. For starters, we can pay more  attention to what goes on around us and how events affect others. It may not  sound like a great deal, but you’d be surprised how much can be achieved with  just a little.

No more people like David should die alone.

We need to get involved!

First Published in the jerusalem Post on July 6th 2011

OK, let’s get the disclaimer out the
way…I am an adviser to Isaac “Bougie” Herzog in his campaign for leadership
of the Labour Party.  I want Bougie to
win the leadership in order that he can reform and rebuild the Labour party and
establish a viable alternative to the current administration.  There, now you know where I stand…but
before you discount me as a naive dreamer, totally out of touch with reality,
allow me to explain why I am involved.

I moved back to Israel from the UK
three years ago with my three children.
I did so because of my love of this country and my conviction that this
is by far the best place to bring up my children.  In general, I am happy with my decision and
feel that we do indeed have a better life here than in the UK.  However, over the past three years, I have
become increasingly concerned and frustrated.
I am concerned about the erosion of democratic values in our
country.  I am frustrated by the ongoing
assaults on our freedom of expression.  I
am angered by the acute concentration of wealth in the country, by the huge par
between rich and poor and with the shameful levels of poverty in the nation, where
one in four children now lives beneath the poverty line.  I am incensed at what I see as the sacrifice
of national interests for the sake of personal interests and political survival
and I am dumbfounded by the seemingly complete lack of vision or leadership in
the current administration.  In short the
country is headed in the wrong direction, which puts my children’s future at
risk and brings into question the wisdom of my decision to bring them
here.  So, what to do?

I have always been politically aware
with an interest in current affairs.  I
suppose that’s why I make documentary films.
However I have always avoided politics and political activism like the
plague, employing the familiar and perhaps logical arguments, politics is
corrupt, politics is no place for an idealist, politicians would eat me alive,
what can one man do?  It’s a waste of
time.

Then I stopped myself and took a
long hard look.  The simple fact is that
politics in this country is corrupt.  How
corrupt as compared to mature western democracies, to be honest, I don’t
know.  Let’s just say that the quality of
human capital involved in politics in this country could do with
improvement.  But, and it’s a big but; if
all I do is complain while leaving politics to the “jackals” who currently
reside in the Knesset, then well, as they say, a people tends to get the government
it deserves.  One thing clear to me
however is that we as a people need to deserve much, much better.

So I said to myself,” stop
complaining.  Do something!”  And, I am.
Now agree or disagree with me, whatever your political stance, I am sure
you will agree that the strength of a democracy is measured not by the strength
of those in power, rather by the strength of its opposition, one thing that for
me is all too conspicuous by its absence over recent years.

We in the English speaking community
(Americans too) understand what democracy is and how it is supposed to
work.  We come from mature and stable
democracies.  We come from civil
societies where the basic freedoms are a matter of course.  We moved to this country out of ideology and
believe (most of us) in the Jewish democratic values set out in the declaration
of independence.  We are involved in
every element of Israeli society from high tech to education, finance to the
arts.  We run charities and volunteer
with immigrants, disenfranchised youth, battered women, drug addicts and a host
deserving causes.  As a group we have no
particular special interest, we just want to see the country flourish, to succeed
across the board, to ensure that the country we chose to bring our children to
provides them with a promising future.

But what we don’t do is get involved
with politics.  In the past there have
been several efforts to get the English speaking community involved in
politics, however with little success.  I
see the English speaking community as perhaps the greatest untapped resource
for politics in this country, with a great deal to contribute.  The cynicism and apathy with which we
approach politics must be overcome.
There are many of us who have the skills and ability as well as the
language skills to make a difference.  As
long as we leave the world of politics to the corrupt, the self interested and
the mediocre, we will continue to get far less than we deserve, but deserve no
better unless we are willing to get involved.
If we want things to change we have to change them.  Perhaps for starters we need to change our
attitude?

Regardless of whether you agree or
disagree with my personal mission to return Labour to a prominent position in
politics in this country, or perhaps precisely because you strongly disagree,
get involved.  Join a political party,
become an activist, start a pressure group.
If you want to be a Member of Knesset, maybe even a Minister or a local
councillor or just be involved in some manner, on a local or national level it
doesn’t matter.   As they say, it’s
taking part that counts and in this particular matter it counts for a great
deal.  To my mind this is the best way in
which the English speaking community can truly make a difference, influence
events and help this country earn the kind of political system and government,
which at the moment we can only hope to deserve.