"Beating the system" has always been a diaspora feature of Jewish political culture. In the Shtetl, there were the machers, the "fixers" and the "freiers". Illegality was the normative way to survive. This feature still remains with us as normative in a supposedly modern state. Children cheat at school and go on to cheat as students at the university...downloading seminar papers from internet websites. These are the people who will go on to "run the country" and in order not to be "freierim", they will cheat and beat the system in whatever jobs they hold. The problem is not in changing the system, but rather in changing the thought processes of the culture, which, unfortunately is a far harder task.

Corruption is more of a danger to Israel than terror.

As a diaspora Jew I am shocked at the corruption, sex scandals and insults made by politicians in Israel.

What has been hidden that we don't know about? Honesty, Integrity and Morality are simply not part of the current Israeli scene as it was in the early 50's. Is it the influence of immigrants from corrupt regimes or is it the lust for money, wealth and fame? It ranges throughout all stratas of society.

I am surprised at how much Israeli's turn a blind eye when they are victims to curruption themselves. "you shall be a nation of judges" or so the Torah law goes. It appears more like "judge not lest ye be judged" which is Christian. People need to stand up to evils in their society and say "No!" whether or not they themselves are guilty.

For some of the people who wrote talkbacks here and find it shocking that in Israel, such things as theft, lies, cheating, violence, and a general acceptance of corruption in society, the government, and big companies, can actually exist: This is only a small part of it. I find it very difficult to remain a tax-paying, hard working, and honest Israeli citizen, when all around me, all I see are Israelis who cheat, lie and steal. The lame excuse of using past instincts of survival (as noted in talkback # 1) in order to get by is still used today in Israel, and most people here have absolutely no qualms dishonest behavior, if they can excuse it as not being a "friar". This has become rather tiring and disgusting, after living here for over 36 years. Of course, Israelis also have another built-in excuse, saying that if the government cheats, what can they expect from us? I am not at all surprised that most Israelis have a very bad name in the USA, after trying out their smooth tactics there too, only to discover that one cannot get by on lies and stealing in the US for very long, (unless you are a politician of course!). I hereby invite all Diaspora Jews to come to Israel, and spend a year living in this country, and then let me know what you think about life in the great Jewish homeland.

Around 1990 I inherited an investment in Israel. It soon became evident that the managers were ripping off the investors, mostly elderly Jews who wanted to help Israel. When I tried to get help from various Israeli government agencies, two things happened, either no response or take it to some other government department. There was no open market for these securities so that selling them was almost impossible. The terms of the contract, which would be illegal in the US, were such that investors and their heirs had no rights. My conclusion: never make an investment subject to Israeli law.

I agree with Michael #1. Israel has allways been corrupt, so what else is new? The corruption also stands in the way of true peace because the politicians arent really interested in peace with their neighbours. Honesty went out the window along time ago my friends. If you build a house on sand it will surely sink. Israel is a failure in many ways. Light amoungst the nations? Not too sure about that. Herzel did not have this sort of thing in mind.

Because there is NO JUSTICE Go and file a complaint against anyone who did you wrong and you are a dead cause No incentive even to rectify things. NO JUSTICE - NO GOOD JUDGES _ NO JUDICIAL SYSTEM Women traffickers, political figures involved in financial and sexual scandals is the norm, and the list goes on.... and? Policemen, judges, politicians, top employees ect are the cousins, brothers or family friends of the same people they should be "correcting". Just look how the mafia flourishes all over. Small village syndrome Gone are the days of those European Pioneers who came here to give everything of them to the benefit of others.

I fully concur with most of the comments made by readers. Corruption in Israel is the norm, honesty the exception. An honest person would be labeled "Friar." Any tourist visiting Israel can see this first hand, with everyone trying to rip you off. With all the corruption and the wealth it generates floating in Israel, they have the audacity to ask for financial help from Jews in the Diaspora, playing on emotions and sentiments. There is nothing "straight" in Israel, everything is crooked. Whether it is the Government offices, Rabbinical/Religious organizations, even the mom & pop shops. We in the diaspora only hear the good stuff from the "Aliyah" reps, who try to do a sales job. Go live in Israel for a while and you will see how corrupt it is. No different from any 3rd world country.

The corruption is evident from micro to macro. The axiom to this is that no integrity and therefore, accountability, really exists, either. The 2006 Hizbullah fiasco illustrates this perfectly. This is the major reason (after perpetual war) that so many American olim return to the US. Unless you're rich and/or built into the 'old boy' power structure, you can count on a life of lower class mediocrity at best.

why do you allow antisemites to attack Israel with these comments??it gives american jews bad taste for future homeland

Please go post somewhere on an Arabic website.

I think you should be worry about what happens in your home rather than focusing your attention on what people think about your country. I want to assure you that all the world is ware of what happens in Israel, but beacuse of fear and guilt they are afraid to say any single negative word against you. Do not decieve yourself and live in such illusions and lies. All the world knows about your corruption. A 7-year old child living in Ramallah can tell you all about the corrupt system in your country. We know the truth.

Our source of support must be the Tenach. It tells how those Jews who followed the Prophets back to Israel to ruid the Second Temple suffered for many years in a culture of corruption. I suppose we must relive their experience although I hope it ends soon.

Whats happening now has nothing to do with ancient times. The jews were lucky to get a state of their own. So what do they do with it? They let it go under. Holy Land??... They certainly do not treat it as such for the most part. So they are doomed to lose it once more. The way you make your bed, is the you way lay in it. I feel bad for the inocent. Israel has failed.

Well put. I can see this causing a lot of problems in a country full of Jews. As an American, I hadn't given this much thought, since my family and lot of my friends stick to the stetl routine. I just saw it as "they way we are."

The Australian Tax Office, Corrective (prisons) Services, Roads and Traffic Authority and one of Sydney's state-owned electricity retailers (take note Hevrat Hashmal) were awarded the 2006 Award for Ethics "for the promotion of an ethical workplace that encourages integrity and minimises corruption". I would encourage Israel's state comptroller to invite authorites from Sydney to advise on how to rid the state of corruption....

Corruption is as old as prostitution. And every society has a lot of corruption just some are more secretive about than others. Not every israeli jew had ancestros from a "stetl" and this cannot be blamed for corruption in israel. Personally I would blame an erosion of traditional (religious) jewish values. i.e. people are less concerned about the divine consequences of their actions. They perceive that some have rebelled against the "sacred" and (apparently) gotten away with it, so why do they need to be "frum" themselves. But that said zionism's goal was that israel be a nation like any other. Corruption (and lots of it) is part of all nations (that i know off,) including western democracies, so ... Perhaps, future genrations of isaeli jews will decide to return to tradititional jewish morality and "fear" of the divine, and make their community distinct as such from the other nations. If they want it, it is within their ability to do so. (Inshallah!)

Being a religious Jew, I totally agree with your remarks (and this is rare of me to concur on an issue with an Arab - not due to ethnicity itself but rather 'cause of many divisions and hurdles between the two naitons.

get rid of corruption - who will want to come and live in the country - who will want to invest ========================== shoot back , shoot back return the favour to the arabs

the Israeli playboy culture has been the same for decades. the difference now is that corruption is being "exposed". but it's been around for a long time, and the country has survived somehow... didn't it? somehow it is hard for me to imagine cocky proud Israeli government officials all proper and adhering to internal auditors and internal controls. it's just not part of the Israeli culture everything in Israel is done ad-hoc and without rules. getting rid of corruption will require such a huge shift in culture and psyche that i don't think it'll happen fast and soon.

Coming from the American system, I am more than often shocked and, just pain offeneded by business practices I've personally experienced in Israel. The worse pain is that it comes from the top. We are a "young"nation and can not afford this horror. It will be the death of us.