The recent elections in Israel exposed a new low point in its prolonged crisis of governance and leadership.
By GIDI GRINSTEINGidi Grinstein(photo credit: Courtesy) A crisis for Zionism?
The recent elections in Israel exposed a new low point in its prolonged crisis of governance and leadership - a crisis rooted in an electoral system which generates constant instability, a fragmented Knesset and ineffective governance.
Reforming the electoral system should be a top priority for the next government. The first step is simple: the head of the largest party should be the prime minister without needing a vote of confidence from the Knesset.
The symptoms of Israel's crisis are evident. In the past decade, approximately ten different people served as ministers with major portfolios such as finance, infrastructure, transportation or communications. These short tenures compromised the ability to design and implement policy. As General Giora Eiland, former national security adviser, frames it: "designing policy in Israel is like writing poetry while standing on a ball."
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