Why should Israelis care

As I mentioned in the first post of this series, my perspective in writing this series is that of a Jew and an Israeli, in that order. I am also a grantee that has realized a dream and a vision due to the generosity of time, spirit, trust and money by lay leaders, Jewish professional, rabbis, communities and organizations from across the Jewish world.

Why should we - Israelis - care? My answer is that we should care as both as Israelis and as Jews for a number of reasons (with no particular order of importance).

First, as Israelis we should have the most practical urge to see a billion dollars per annum of philanthropic giving being put to the best possible use in the service of prosperity and security of our country. A billion dollars of do-good money is a lot even in our present economic state.

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Crisis of leadership or trust?

Is Israel suffering a crisis of leadership? For many, the long list of politicians and public servants under investigation gives a clear positive answer. I argue that our current crisis is not a crisis of leadership; it's a crisis of trust between the general public and the elected officials chosen to exercise authority. The distinction is essential for designing the remedy.

Ronald Heifetz of Harvard University defines authority as conferred power to perform a service. Authority rests on the contract between the authority figure and his or her constituents. It is given and can be taken away.

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The Reut Policy Network

Jewish communities around the world represent a massive untapped intellectual potential for Israel. This potential is compounded by many Israelis who wish to make a substantive contribution to our wellbeing and security. The goal of the Reut Policy Network - RPN - is to provide an outlet for all of this energy and to allow the Government of Israel (GOI) to tap into this resource.

The Web 2.0 technologies have opened up new possibilities of connections and interaction. They allow for content and substance to be created through the inputs of many contributors who form virtual communities. Of the prominent examples for web 2.0 platforms are youtube, Myspace, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

The Jewish world has been impacted by these trends as well. A while back Amiram Barkat of Ha'aretz reported on the emergence of a new virtual culture centered around the internet. One such example, JewTube, is trying to create an online Jewish community based around videos of Jewish interest.

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The current negotiation agenda

In the aftermath of the Annapolis Summit, negotiations over a Permanent Status Agreement (PSA) are expected to continue apace. The current negotiations agenda over a PSA are comprised of several issues: borders and territorial arrangements, Jerusalem, refugees, security and the establishment of a Palestinian state. This agenda is unsuitable for the future challenges facing the two sides and doesn?t serve Israel's interests.

The current negotiations agenda is based on the agenda of the Lausanne Conciliation Commission (5/49) which convened after Israel's War of Independence. The Commission established that the issues of territories, refugees and the status of Jerusalem, were the key issues for the resolution of the Israeli-Arab conflict. This typology was endorsed and expanded by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 (11/67, 10/73 respectively), the 1978 Camp David Accords (9/78), the Madrid Peace Conference (10/91), the Oslo Process leading up to the Taba Talks (9/93, 1/01), as well as by non-governmental efforts such as the Geneva Initiative (10/03). The different drafts dealing with permanent status (Beilin Abu Mazen agreement, Ayalon-Nusseibeh, etc) were also based on this typology, as were the negotiation working groups for permanent status between 1999-2001.

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Reforming the electroral system

A recent article reported that the Knesset Constitution Committee will soon begin discussing a shift from straight proportional representation to a mixed system in which some Knesset members are elected via districts. This legislation is designed to reform Israel's electoral system so as to improve the Government's capacity to govern.

In previous posts on my personal blog, I've written that the weakness of the Israeli Government and its inability to govern is the most pressing issue on Israel's agenda today. This reform may turn out to be the most important legislation introduced during the term of this Knesset, and possibly since the establishment of the State. In this post, I will write about the System of Government I believe is required for the State of Israel.

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