Monday Mar 24, 2008

Crisis of leadership or trust?

Posted by Gidi Grinstein

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.

Read the rest of this post |

Comments (5)

Sunday Feb 10, 2008

Israel's economic problem is politics

Posted by Gidi Grinstein

Last week, the Jerusalem Post reported on Yechezkel Dror's comments about the problems of the parliamentary system. And while I don't necessarily agree with the solution he suggests, his prognosis is spot on. Without strengthening the capacity to govern, Israel will not be able to carry out an economic leapfrog, something essential to achieve Reut's Top 15 Vision.

Israel's macroeconomic policy has received many compliments from the International Monetary Fund and foreign governments. In recent years, Israel has experienced low deficit and inflation as well as decreased unemployment and national debt. Yet despite this, Israel's problem remains in the weakness of its government system.

Read the rest of this post |

Comments (3)

About this blog

A Link in the Chain Founder of the prestigious Reut Institute, Gidi Grinstein, blogs about his vision for Israel and 21st century Zionism.

Search this blog

COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS | READERS' SUBMISSION POLICY

Subscribe to JPost.com blogs

Combined feed for all JPost.com blogs

All Categories

Recent Comments

Joseph, New York City, USA: In the past, Jews brought their tithes on the pilgrimage holidays. Perhaps it is time to revise this idea. Israel has become a developed nation and is past the point of just getting checks in the mail. If going to Israel every pilgrimage holiday is too much, Diaspora Jews could fly there every few years to visit the institutions they support. The travel costs could come from a family's vacation budget instead of the charity budget so worthy causes still get the full tithe.

Alan, Anchorage: Thank you. Looking forward to more.

Galit: While you are waiting for american jews to give and give maybe you have seen to utter lack of commitment and connection many of these mega wealth american to Israel and jewishness and judaism, if fact the american jewish prime idea has been to assimilate and noone has benefited from that idea more than the mega wealthy jews, when these jews give they give all or most of their money to non jewish related charities like hospitals and medcial research and the younger mega wealthy jews give great sums to leftist and pro arab organizawealthy jews die their non jewish spouses get their money.

Tags: