Don’t despair of politics – protect the gatekeepers
Op-ed: When it comes to honest gatekeepers the likes of the attorney general, the police commissioner, they deserve our full trust and support. This is material in enabling them to become even better protectors of democracy.
“All is lost,” “The country has been snatched right out of our hands,” “Israel is going to the dogs,” “Maybe we should just find a better place for our kids to grow up in” – such increasingly prevalent jeremiads are nearly as exasperating as the embittered people who utter them.
In the war over Israel’s character, values and ideals, we might have suffered a few painful defeats, but it has not been lost as yet. Far from it. Even if the recent years have been riddled with strife, they weren’t so bad as to put the lid on the 68-year miracle that is Israel.
So let’s take a deep breath and put things into perspective, and I have several suggestions to help us do just that.
Suggestion number one: Don’t leave politics to the politicians. Anyone who cares about Israel’s future ought to join some kind of political body or movement, as he or she deems fit. It does not necessarily mean joining a political party. Each should act according to his or her ability, be it participating in political house gatherings, signing petitions or lending one’s voice to public protest and marching in demonstrations. We can’t leave the town squares to rapper The Shadow and his accomplices. Those who fear a possible outbreak of violence in the streets can help by making themselves heard on social media.
Most importantly – never say die and lament the demise of democracy. Living in one requires a measure of active political involvement. After all, without politics there can be no democracy.
Suggestion number two: Beneath the politicians is a vast stratum of civil servants, gatekeepers and regulators. Granted, not all of them are promising and some were probably appointed precisely due to their inaptitude. But there are many who honestly endeavor to do the right thing. They are the gatekeepers who need our undivided support. They are our last bastion against the forces plotting to destroy democracy—among them several politicians who are outright committed to the demise thereof.
Take Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh, for instance. Since his appointment, he had several slips of the tongue. Nevertheless, he is known to be an honest and fair man, who is in charge of a vital branch of law enforcement. Does this mean we should seek to undermine his position because of a few lapses? Or rather, should we, in the public’s interest, support him so that one day he will have the power to stand up to rogue politicians?
Or take Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit: In the past, he worked closely with the current prime minister. Does this mean we ought to question his motives as he conducts an investigation into the supersensitive findings regarding the Netanyahu family? Mandelblit is known for the integrity with which he stands at the top of the law-enforcement pyramid. Should we undermine him solely because of his previous position? Or perhaps, here too, the broader public interest merits our support and trust that will fortify his resolve when making decisions on such matters to the best of his professional and ethical abilities, whatever they are?
Members of our business community tend to assert that Israel is encumbered by over-regulation. This is also the opinion in the international business community, where Israel is regarded as less than attractive business destination. I, for one, think Israel tends to over-regulate some areas.
Yet perhaps we should take a better look at the concept of gatekeepers in its broader sense: when a gatekeeper or regulator consistently makes decisions that prove he is nothing but a puppet on a string in the hands of his political master—and unfortunately there are more than a few of these in the corridors of power—than he should be dealt with summarily, needless to say. However, when it comes to honest gatekeepers the likes of the attorney general, the police commissioner and champions of integrity and professionalism at the Bank of Israel, the Israel Securities Authority, the Anti-Trust Authority and many more agencies of civil service—they deserve our full trust and support. This is material in enabling them to become even better protectors of democracy.
Suggestion number three: A country’s prosperity does not solely depend upon its public representatives and civil sector. Whether in business, academia, industry or trade—each and every one of us can lend a hand to better our community. We can instill values, promote social equality and cohesion and choose progress. Each of us can find a worthy cause. There are literally hundreds of organizations that offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities from which to choose. The enclaves of excellence in science and high-tech will not prevail for long in a divided and conflicted society, awash with ignorance reminiscent of the third world. To preserve these beacons of excellence, Israel needs a healthy, egalitarian and modern society.
Finally, we all—not just the media—must understand that the wanton attacks against the press in recent years are extremely dangerous. Unfortunately, the prime minister and his footmen are the biggest instigators of hostility towards the free press. It’s true that the Israeli press is far from fault-free, and at times it can be prone to mistakes. But the public interest calls for the support and protection of a free press, just as we must do for our public gatekeepers—after all, the free press is integral to their mission.
Yoel Esteron is the editor-in-chief of Yedioth Ahronoth's financial publication Calcalist.
