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Flawed Decision Making In Israel

How small forums make major government policy.

This programme illuminates what is in my view not really a democratic system of deciding government policy.

Charles Freilich, a former Deputy National Security Adviser for the Israeli government also Senior Analyst at the Ministry of Defence explains the processes that lead to Israel’s political and security policies. He shows how a non constituted group of 8 or 9 people with no statutory authority formulate policy that is then invariably adopted by the Knesset which is just an ineffective talking shop, where debates centre more on the interests of the debaters’ parties and constituents, than on the greater good of the country. That is also true of the Cabinet, which, at 1/3^rd of Knesset members far too large and incapable of agreement because almost everything is politicised. It’s not policy making, but politics making.

Unfortunately major decisions are often made at the final hour, so short term compromise and improvisation is the order of the day, instead of long term planning.

This programme is an absolute eye opener.

Also in the programme an interview with Michael Steinhardt a major philanthropist for Israel’s causes such as Taglit-Birthright Israel, that was first broadcast 7 years ago and is as topical today, as it was then. It shows that little has changed in the Jewish world – and what did, was not for the better.

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