Majority of Israelis believe money taking over government
Investigations of prime minister, Tax Authority executives shake public faith in government. New survey reveals bleak facts: Eighty-nine percent of Israelis displeased with government activities; 60 percent blame instability on collapse of leadership
The majority of Israeli citizens (86 percent) believe that there is a pressing risk of money tycoons taking over the political parties and government in Israel, a Market Watch poll revealed.
Thirty-five percent of those questioned said that wealthy people are already gaining control over the government. The rest said they believe that the risk does indeed exist to some degree. The survey also revealed that 89 percent of Israeli public are disappointed with the performance of the government.
The poll, which was conducted for the Ideological Education Center of the Berl Katznelson Foundation, was taken on account of the Tax Authority affair and the looming investigation against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The subjects were asked to comment about governmental instability in Israel. Approximately 60 percent said it was due to a breakdown in leadership, while 34 percent claimed that the governmental structure is the cause for the insecurity.
'Warning bells ringing'
Only 43 percent thought that law-enforcement agencies and the state comptroller strengthen the stability; 31 percent noted that these institutions have no influence on the stability and 16 percent even thought they hinder it.
Twenty-two percent of those questioned thought that direct elections for prime minister should be reinstituted and a similar percentage thought that the solution lies in introducing a presidential regime, similar to the one in the United States.
"Warning bells are ringing," said Yigal Tzahor, Director of the Ideological Education Center of the Berl Katznelson Foundation.
"Such a high percent of Israelis who are not satisfied with the performance of the government requires an immediate re-evaluation of the system and its weak points as soon as possible. Any delay will put Israeli society in a risk of collapse."
The survey covered a representative sample of 492 subjects.
