Dagan: Israel faces no existential threat

Former Mossad chief presents plan to change Israel's form of government, aiming to repair current situation where minority groups hold excessive power over decision makers; claims Israel's government should be no bigger than that of US, China

Aviel Magnezi|Published: 02.08.12 , 15:07

Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan on Wednesday presented a plan to change Israel's governing system, while criticizing the excessive power of minority groups on politicians.

"The system must be changed now, we need a prime minister who will not be subject to political pressures when deciding on such issues as an attack on Iran or a peace agreement," he said. "The State of Israel is at a critical point in time of great challenges both foreign and domestic. Minority groups are controlling the state and the majority is not being heard."

Related strories:

Dagan presented his foundation's plan to change Israel's form of government in Tel Aviv. He criticized the excessive number of cabinet ministers compared with such countries as China and the US. When challenged with the claim that those countries are not under existential threats, he said Israel was no different.

דגן בכנס. ממשלה מצומצמת וראש ממשלה חזק (צילום: עופר עמרם)

Dagan wants small government, strong PM (Photo: Ofer Amram)

Dagan is proposing to limit the prime minister's term to two consecutive tenures with a 16-minister cabinet. According to the plan, the prime minister will be the head of the largest party by a majority of at least 40% of the votes and could only be impeached by a majority of 61% of Knesset members.

He is also advocating raising the election threshold to 3% and holding regional elections with proportional representation. The government, as he sees it, should be comprised of non-MK professionals with the prime minister appointing ministers subject to public approval. Dagan said the plan will be presented as a bill soon.

He claimed that domestic pressure by minority groups is making Israel lose its path. His proposal aims to protect the prime minister and help him do his job. The bill's initiators believe that the plan will stabilize the political system by bolstering the large parties and creating strong political blocs.