The Personality Syndrome
Periodic multiparty elections have given rise to a widespread democratic prejudice, namely, that the basic problems of society can be more or less solved by changing the person or party in power (or by creating a new party).а This prejudice is rampant in Israel, and will be found among the educated and uneducated, among religious as well as secular Jews regardless of their political leanings.а But is what especially troublesome is that this personality syndrome induces right-minded philanthropists abroad to invest heavily in this or that supposedly right-wing prime ministerial candidate.
ааааааааааа That
religious Jews harbor this prejudice is rather anomalous, if only because
Moses, the wisest and most virtuous Jewish statesman, was repeatedly rebuffed
by his people.а Moreover, despite his
superlative character, Moses would have failed as a leader had he not heeded
Jethro, his father-in-law, who advised him to establish a representative and
decentralized system of government to deal efficiently with his peopleТs
disputes and problems. аУSelect for
yourselves men who are wise, understanding, and known to your tribes and I will appoint them as your leadersФ
(Deut. 1:13). а
The operative words in the present context are:а Уmen ... known to your tribes.Фа Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch comments that each tribe (shevet) is to choose out of its own midst men whose Уcharacter can only be known by their lives, which is known only to those who have associated with them.Фа (Incidentally, apropos of IsraelТs desperate need for regional or multi-district elections, what is here called a shevet was called a district (felech) after the Second Temple.)а
ааааааааааа We see here three factors required for the exercise of Jewish statesmanship:а (1) an exemplary Jewish personalityЧsay a person who knows how to apply Jewish wisdom to action; (2) a governmental system that facilitates rather than thwarts Jewish leadership; and (3) a people sufficiently refined and deferential to accept such leadership.
ааааааааааа It follows that exemplary personality is a necessary but not sufficient condition of good government.а Similarly, well-designed political institutions are a necessary but insufficient condition of good government.а Both factors are necessary.
ааааааааааа That religious Jews overlook this obvious fact is remarkable.а But this is not all.аа The religious Jew who succumbs to the democratic prejudice that outstanding personality is the key to political success also forgets that God had a rather difficult time persuading Moses to assume the leadership of the Jewish people.а Again and again Moses, the most humble man on earth, declined the position.аа УHow can I, a person who stammers, persuade a stiff-necked people to accept my leadership and pursue a godly way of life?Фа
ааааааааааа Here Moses exemplifies the antithesis of the politician, who promises to solve all our problems.а Arrogance is the politicianТs calling card, and democratic elections makes this arrogance inevitable.а Such elections have become personality contests.а There was a time, of course, when office-seekers debated controversial political and even constitutional issues; and they appealed as much to the reason as to the interests and emotions of the voters.а
Those were the days of classical democracy, when truth was not relative.а However, in contemporary democracy, where truth is merely a matter of personal opinion, office-seekers genuflect to Уopinion pollsФ and avoid controversial issues.а But this also makes personality all the more crucial in democratic elections.аа Hence the ascendancy of PR-men or Уspin-doctors.Ф
ааааааааааа Returning to Israel, it has had quite a variety of personalities at the head of its government during the last three decades.а Yet all of them have pursued the same policy of yielding Jewish land for nothing, or rather, for what Anwar Sadat scornfully termed Уa piece of paper.Фа This prompted some Jews to establish the Jewish Leadership Movement.а This they did in the (correct) belief that Israel lacked authentic Jewish leadership.а But they, too, failed to see that an authentic Jewish prime minister is not sufficient for IsraelТs salvation.а Also necessary are well-designed political institutions.
ааааааааааа If proof is wanted, the Oslo or Israel-PLO Agreement of September 1993 would never have occurred were it not for IsraelТs absurd parliamentary electoral system, whereby the entire country constitutes a single district and where, as a consequence of proportional representation,а Jewish parties compete for Arab as well as Jewish votes.аа It was the Arab vote that produced the Labor-Meretz Government or 1992, which paid for that vote at Oslo.а
True, that Government would not have been formed were it not for the ultra-orthodox Shas Party, which betrayed its voters by joining the ultra-secular Rabin-Aloni coalition.а But if the Knesset had had a 5% electoral threshold, Shas, with only five seats prior to the 1992 elections, would not have then run as an independent party, fearing it would not reach the electoral threshold!
ааааааааааа Furthermore, if Israel had a Jewish constitution comparable to that designed by the present author and subsequently adopted by the Yamin Israel Party, no government of Israel could have yielded Jewish land to any foreign power, let alone to a terrorist organization like the PLO.аа Quite apart from other limitations on the powers of government, this constitution requires a two-thirds vote of parliament to ratify agreements with any foreign entity.а End of the Уpeace processФ nightmare!
ааааааааааа Unfortunately, many religious people oppose a constitution as an anti-religious scheme of the Left.а But if a known religiously oriented party advocated a truly Jewish constitution, much of that opposition would evaporate.а Besides, there are hundreds of thousands of non-religious IsraelisЧespecially among immigrants from RussiaЧthat would be amenable to a Jewish constitution.
ааааааааааа In any event, no prime minister, however exemplary his personality, will save Israel from its current malaise so long as his cabinet consists of a multiplicity of parties each pursuing its own agenda.аа Needed is a prime minister with courage enough to advocate fundamental change in the country's political institutions and, at the same, with wisdom enough to make his message comprehensible to the ordinary citizen.а
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