that any country can afford it – least of all Israel, which is, inter alia, lumbered with existential burdens unequalled anywhere."} 68:T48c,Decades ago, late finance minister Yigal Hurwitz responded to demands for exorbitant welfare expenditures by turning his pockets inside-out and shouting “I’ve got nothing!” He also called on “all crazies” to “get down off the roof.” Today, there’s nobody in high places with his fearless straight-talking and earthy grit. Even if many current higher-ups feel Hurvitz’s outspoken pronouncements remain valid, they won’t dare say so.

67:{"position":11,"content":"$68"} 69:{"position":12,"content":"The current spate of social protest is so intrinsically populist and has been so hyped by the media that anyone who dares to object will be commiting PR suicide. Entertainer Margalit Tzan’ani, who boldly questioned the protest instigators’ goals, was so pilloried that she had to backtrack just a day later. No politician missed the message."} 6a:{"position":13,"content":"By definition, populism is popular, but it is frequently irrational and introduces instability into the political process, no matter how enticing or compelling its rhetoric appears on first hearing."} 6b:{"position":14,"content":"Critical appraisal is mandated from us all, and especially from the go

The protesters’ demands

The protesters’ demands fit snugly into the populist empowerment-polemics rubric.