Opuscula Why don't Israeli Politicians listen To constituents?

 

BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO; their loyalty - if they have any - is to the party bosses, not the voters.

ONE OF THE REASONS I came back to the States is because in the U.S. I have local representatives to the state and federal governments.

Admittedly, some representatives to the U.S. congress - such as Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (¹) - only represent Big Bucks contributors (²), but as I learned, there are other representatives to whom her constituents can turn. Every U.S. citizen also can turn to their state's senator.

The "American way" may not be the best, but at least the person "representing" the constituent must - at a minimum - pretend to live in the district they are supposed to represent.

IN ISRAEL, the majority of Members of Knesset (MKs) live in or around Jerusalem or Tel Aviv's "better" sections. (When last checked, none resided in South Tel Aviv near the illegal immigrants who terrorized the neighborhood.) In my time, one lived in Bet Shean in the Jordan Valley, another lived in Kiryat Shmona in the north. (I had a positive personal experience with David Levy, but I had to travel to Bet Shean to meet with him. I had "Vitamin P" from my father-in-law who lived in the same sekun.)

Rather than having a local representative to Knesset, citizens have to find a like-minded - read "same party" - MK or know what "portfolio" the MK holds or wants to hold. True, as in the U.S., money talks, but most Israelis - myself included - are not Rothchilds who can afford to rent - if not buy - an Israeli politician.

Israel tried, and the politicians quickly discarded the idea, having the prime minister candidates run separate from the party lists.

In Israel, before the attempt and again now, the party functionaries determine who will lead their party's 60-member list. There need not be any connection between what the rank-and-file want and that the party leaders want (much like the 2016 pre-convention GOP leadership that wants (wanted?) to "Dump Trump" even though he is (was) popular with the rank-and-file (³). If, on the eve of the election, the party's most popular vote-getter displeases the party power brokers, the once "top of the list" candidate may slip to the bottom of the list - number 60.

Unlike the U.S. president, until today there are no term limits for prime minister, albeit there is talk among the "out" parties of trying to set a two-term limit. There is no term limit for MKs; the perks are too good for such a bill even to reach discussion stage.

Another difference I found disconcerting was the mingling of powers. Unlike the U.S. where there is - at least in theory - separation of the executive (president, vice president, and cabinet) and the legislative (U.S. House and Senate). The Supreme Court in both counties seems to want to make laws on its own even though that is not its prerogative.

1. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ is an American politician. She is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 23rd congressional district, a member of the Democratic Party and the Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

2.

AN ISRAELI-AMERICAN couple turned to Wassermann Schultz for assistance. Her office ignored them; not even acknowledging their appeal. A letter to then-Representative Allen West produced an immediate response and a rapid resolution to the couple's problem.

3. PROVING DIRECT ELECTIONS need to replace the current "convention" and "electoral college" republican form of government for a truly democratic directly elected government. Note both "republican" and "democratic" are lower case and NOT to be confused with the political parties of the same names.