Sonia Peres, wife of Shimon Peres for 67 years, died peacefully in her sleep on 20 January. She was 87 years old. The media eulogized her with photos and reminiscences of pre-and-early Israeli society, when everyone knew everyone and people lived far more modestly. But Israel is still a very small country, and most Israelis are two phone calls away from a member of Knesset or perhaps even from a minister in the government. The result is a society of favors – which can be both good and bad
The death of Israeli President Shimon Peres’ wife Sonia has reminded of just how small of a country Israel truly is. Raphael (Raphi) Walden spoke to the media about his mother-in-law after her passing, referring to her as “all nobility and devotion.” He is, of course, married to the president’s daughter. He is also President Shimon Peres’s personal physician and the head of the Israeli group Physicians for Human Rights. PHR is one of the leftist NGOs that Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman wants investigated for “aiding terror groups.” Only in Israel could the connection between the two be so close.
Indeed, when Ehud Olmert served as Israeli Prime Minister (as head of the centrist Kadima party) his daughter actively participated in demonstrations outside of his office. It was no secret that his wife Aliza also espoused leftist views. She is still an active member of the committee that seeks to secure the rights of children of foreign workers, the very children that members of the current Netanyahu coalition want deported back to their parents’ country of birth.
Traveling in various parts of the world, I was shocked to learn many people think Israel is a country of tens of millions of people. It is not. In fact, so small is the country that the rule of six-degrees of separation is practically irrelevant. Most people are two phone calls away from a member of Knesset or perhaps even from a minister in the government. The result is a society of favors. That can be both good and bad.
The good is that things can get done. Small causes can often find big audiences when a member of the government lends his or her name. Mindless bureaucratic tape that would otherwise hold back a productive endeavor can be cut by the involvement of a high-ranking politician. And the very officials who hold court with the kingmakers of the world can be easily found at one’s proverbial fingertips. In the last ten days, I was meters away from Prime Minister Netanyahu – twice! Thursday night, I happened to walk by an event he was attending as his Bush-style motorcade was leaving. When the convoy turned left, I jokingly shouted out, “Don’t go that way. There’s road construction at the end of the street and you won’t be able to turn right.” This is an inside reference for those familiar with Tel Aviv’s absurd roadworks. But it resonates truth, which is that national politics can often feel like local politics.
The bad, of course, is all of the above. The intimacy between the public and its officials frequently leads to nepotism and accusations of corruptions. One only needs to read the Israeli papers to find out which official is the latest to be investigated for bribery. Again, Ehud Olmert’s name comes to mind. Olmert has been linked to a number of scandals from his pre-prime minister days as mayor of Jerusalem – although he denies all charges.
But there are some fascinating checks and balances in place, ones that other societies could learn from. For example, the government ministry tasked with overseeing the police does not know in advance what investigations the chief of police is exploring. It finds out at exactly the same time the rest of us do, when papers are being served. The separation is so distinct, it is considered sacred. Take in comparison the system in the US. There a politician can frequently (and relatively easily) halt the investigation of a colleague. In Israel, that is near impossible, partially explaining why these charges frequently made headlines – there is no one to stop them.
I am reminded that not too long ago, as he was running for prime minister, Benny Begin (Likud Member of Knesset) answered his own mobile phone. So too did Yuval Steinitz, now the country’s finance minister. And the prime minister is still referred to by his nickname, “Bibi.” Israel’s system may be far from perfect, but it is definitely a system that belongs to its people. Again, that’s good and bad. It is one that allowed the Israeli first lady to die peacefully in her own Tel Aviv apartment and not in the official president’s residence in Jerusalem. But it is also one that scared her into staying there in the first place.