Israel's Political Solution: Shelanu

It feels good to help Israel : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN It feels good to help Israel 1

Sometimes, you have to wonder, : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Sometimes, you have to wonder, 2

Why has Israel stopped helping herself? : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Why has Israel stopped helping herself? 3

Why the mediocrity? : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Why the mediocrity? Only 2 out of 31 Israeli governments in 60 years have completed their terms. 4 Why the instability? Israel listed by the World Bank as among most corrupt Western democracies. Why the corruption? Seven years of rocket attacks on Sderot. Why the incompetence? Citizen confidence in government at an all-time low. Why the decay?

Do Israelis choose mediocrity? : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN NO Do Israelis choose mediocrity? Do Israelis elect mediocre governments… because they are stupid? because they don’t care? because they are unsuited for democracy? Israelis have mediocre governments… 5 … because their systems of elections and leadership are a recipe for bad governance.

Israel’s Recipe for Bad Governance : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Israel’s Recipe for Bad Governance A proportional representation system a rejection of individual accountability to citizens A weak parliamentary executive with built-in conflicts of interest An artificial status quo preventing the development of a political mainstream A self-selecting, activist High Court legislating from the bench with institutional bias Ineffective checks against abuses of power inviting corruption, waste, and incompetence 6

Israel's Proportional Representation : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Israel's Proportional Representation A voter votes for a single party on a national basis. The party leadership allocates Knesset seats in proportion to votes the party receives. Results of Proportionalism: 7 MKs not directly accountable to public constituencies. Prevention of a national mainstream majority No one party ever achieves a legislative majority Small, narrow-interest parties benefit from niche voting A lack of organized public debate. Citizens lack access to MKs Patronage defeats real public service

The Parliamentary Executive : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN The Parliamentary Executive The party with the most MKs forms the executive. With no single-party majority, a coalition is formed. Coalition MKs become ministers with lucrative portfolios. If the coalition disbands, the executive falls to no-confidence votes. Results: 8 Conflict of interests: MKs supposedly check executive abuse while they themselves serve as executive ministers. Abuse: Coalition parties can extort the executive. Waste: ministries are created to buy coalition support. Instability: 29 of 31 governments toppled in no-confidence votes. NO CHECKS AND BALANCES as the executive and legislative branches are NOT separated

A Self-Selected Supreme Court : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN A Self-Selected Supreme Court Supreme Court Justices are selected by a 9-member committee in which at least 5 are either sitting Supreme Court justices or may be subject to their influence. 9 Results: Appointees tend to fit a political profile of sitting judges Ongoing judicial “dynasties” Greater probability of political bias in judgements.

An Activist Supreme Court : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN An Activist Supreme Court In 1995, the Supreme Court effectively declared the Basic Laws, from the British Mandate, a constitution, granting itself judicial review over any new laws. But as they lacked key educational, civic, and political functions, 10 Results: Basic Laws were never written to be a constitution. The Supreme Court routinely interferes in matters of executive and legislative discretion. A popularly elected legislature is regularly hobbled as the Supreme Court “legislates from the bench.” Everything and anything becomes “justiceable.”

The Artificial Status Quo : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN The Artificial Status Quo Small parties don’t address key issues on the national agenda. Little public influence on MK selection: < 5% of voters vote in primaries; many parties don't have primaries. Small party MKs peddle legislative votes for influence. Results: 11 Citizen alienation from the political process Extreme swings in election outcomes Erosion of shared national values Public sentiment either misinterpreted or ignored in legislation

Consequences of this System : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Consequences of this System It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Incompetence Waste Abuses of Power Instability Corruption National Disintegration 12

David Ben-Gurion’s Vision : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN David Ben-Gurion’s Vision Ben-Gurion wanted to move to a U.S.-type system in which legislators would be individually elected from public constituencies. Ben-Gurion wanted to reform the system that produced a corrupt, wasteful, ineffective "nation of Prime Ministers.“ 13 We can achieve this vision

Our Vision: Good Governance : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Our Vision: Good Governance A constituency system based on individual responsibility and public service Real separation of branches with checks and balances, including a separately elected chief executive Supreme court appointment that avoids judicial self-selection Formation of a political mainstream majority and a strong national identity in Israel An empowered public with healthy national values 14

How We'll Get There : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN How We'll Get There Shelanu: A cultural movement to promote civic empowerment and individual responsibility in government and society. 15 Education, organization, mobilization: resources to help citizens achieve government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” The Virtual Knesset national simulation A nationwide project to showcase direct representation A way for citizens to express their political will Preparation for a new generation of responsible politicians

Shelanu, Me‘itanu, Avureinu : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Shelanu, Me‘itanu, Avureinu Our Hebrew name is “Shelanu, Me’itanu, Avureini” Of Us, By Us, For Us “... government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address 16 Israel can apply principles of accountability and true public service in government. Israel can choose Excellence over Status Quo. Israelis can have government of public service or patronage. We can’t have both. It is up to us.

What YOU Can Do : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN What YOU Can Do Visit our web site at http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Subscribe up to our email list at http://www.directrepisrael.org/EnglishLists/ Have us address your synagogue, church, school, college, or other organization. Forward this presentation to anyone who cares about Israel Become a Shelanu volunteer Make a donation to help us carry on our activities 17

Contact Shelanu : 

© 2008 Shelanu  +972 4 6398160  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Contact Shelanu Web site: http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN Phone: +972 4 6398160 (Israel) Email: info@directrepisrael.org Fax: +972 153 4 6398160 (Israel) Fax: (419) 781 - 4486 (U.S.) Contact Shelanu to obtain this presentation as a slide show. 18