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Robert Rockaway is former associate professor in the Dept. of Jewish History at Tel-Aviv University. His most recent books are, Words of the Uprooted: Jewish Immigrants in Early 20th Century America (Cornell University Press, 1998); and But He Was Good to His Mother: The Lives and Crimes of Jewish Gangsters (Gefen, 2000).
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By Robert Rockaway
January 6, 2007
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Something is rotten in the State of Israel.
In the mind of most Israelis our present government has come to symbolize public corruption, flawed values and moral rot.
Prime minister Ehud Olmert is under investigation for fraud and breach of trust; the nation's president, Moshe Katsav is being investigated for rape and sexual harassment; Tzachi Hanegbi, a member of Knesset and former Environment Minister, is under investigation for breach trust; the present director of the Tax Authority and a number of his associates have been arrested and are being investigated for taking and giving bribes, fraud, and breach of trust; the prime minister's bureau chief is under house arrest and is being investigated for corruption and breach of trust; the Finance Minister, Abraham Hirschson is being investigated for breach of trust; and the public has lost faith in the heads of the army for the failed war in Lebanon and the inability to protect the home front. The average citizen perceives the police as incompetent, unprofessional, unable or unwilling to stop organized criminal activities.
Transparency International, the European-based global coalition against corruption, publishes a country by country analysis of national corruption. Ten years ago their global survey ranked Israel in 15th place. In 2006, Israel had dropped to 34th place. At Israel's founding, then prime minister David Ben Gurion stated that the country would not be judged on the basis of its material wealth, military might, or technical achievements, but for its moral character and human values. What would he say if he were alive today?
When I immigrated to Israel from the United States 35 years ago, I came with the hope that Israel would be the best place in the world for Jews to live. I knew the country could not compete with the United States in terms of economic opportunity or the chance to acquire great wealth, but I felt that it could be a beacon of moral and ethical values for Jews everywhere. Although living here has given me many personal and professional satisfactions, it has disappointed me in its signal failure to be the moral and ethical model I hoped it would be.
Well-meaning colleagues and friends say to me "Yes, you are right. But Israel is no worse than other countries. Look at the corruption and public morality in America." My reply is that the United States is a nation of 300 million people with vast resources, whose sons are not required to enter the army and protect its borders. Israel is a small country with a population of five million Jews, whose sons and daughters are conscripted into the army and in whose hands is our survival. What happens when our youth no longer trust or believe in the country's government or leadership? Given our ongoing crises and the threats we face, their lack of faith could erode their willingness to serve and spell our end.
Israel can not afford leaders who have forgotten what the purpose of the state is and whose only interest is in enriching themselves, their party, and their cronies. We have become so disappointed and disgusted with the men and women who lead the country that we no longer expect our leaders to be persons of great intellect or outstanding achievements. We simply want leaders who are honest, ethical, and untainted by scandal. Is that too much to expect?
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