No Constitution?
LOL!!!
Oh well, some are trying:
Proposed Constitution-based Reform
In the years since Israel's founding there have been many proposals for a written constitution and for constitution-based reforms in elections. In the current political season, the Yamin Israel party [ http://www.yamin.org ], recently merged with Herut [ http://www.herut.org.il ], has made such reforms the major plank of their platform. Professor Paul Eidelberg, President of The Yamin Israel Party and MK candidate on the Herut slate [ http://www.acpr.org.il/people/peidelb.html ], has written extensively on the constitutional issue and has concrete proposals. He also heads the Foundation for Constitutional Democracy in the Middle East [ http://www.foundation1.org/ ] which advocates such changes for Israel and the Arab countries, although they have little hope for such changes outside of Israel.
Yamin Israel proposes a Constitutional democracy to replace the present Israeli system -- which they call "anarchy punctuated by oligarchy". Their first reform will be to make Knesset members individually accountable to the voters in regional elections, which they point out is the practice of 75 democratic countries. They advocate a Presidential system to replace the discredited system of multi-party cabinet government. And they propose Presidential nomination and Knesset confirmation of Supreme Court Judges, to make them more sensitive to Jewish concerns and convictions.
These ideas are new only to Israel. As Eidelberg points out, in the 18th Century the American Federalist papers debated many of the issues of government -- e.g. Alexander Hamilton on the dangers of multi-party cabinets, writing in Federalist 70 -- and specifically warned against many elements of the present Israeli form.
Since the current system of government in Israel has shown only weakness in dealing with the existential threat of the Palestinian Arabs, not to mention numerous domestic concerns and failures, the January election may find much more support for reforms. Many Israelis and Diaspora Jews yearn for a strong Israel which reflects Jewish ideals and resoluteness in the face of implacable foes in a world that hardly cares. It will likely take many election cycles for these ideas to flourish and gain enough votes to become law, but the process is under way.
For the Love of Israel,
Chuck Chriss
President, JIA
http://www.kcholmim.com/constitution.php
LOL!!!
Oh well, some are trying:
Proposed Constitution-based Reform
In the years since Israel's founding there have been many proposals for a written constitution and for constitution-based reforms in elections. In the current political season, the Yamin Israel party [ http://www.yamin.org ], recently merged with Herut [ http://www.herut.org.il ], has made such reforms the major plank of their platform. Professor Paul Eidelberg, President of The Yamin Israel Party and MK candidate on the Herut slate [ http://www.acpr.org.il/people/peidelb.html ], has written extensively on the constitutional issue and has concrete proposals. He also heads the Foundation for Constitutional Democracy in the Middle East [ http://www.foundation1.org/ ] which advocates such changes for Israel and the Arab countries, although they have little hope for such changes outside of Israel.
Yamin Israel proposes a Constitutional democracy to replace the present Israeli system -- which they call "anarchy punctuated by oligarchy". Their first reform will be to make Knesset members individually accountable to the voters in regional elections, which they point out is the practice of 75 democratic countries. They advocate a Presidential system to replace the discredited system of multi-party cabinet government. And they propose Presidential nomination and Knesset confirmation of Supreme Court Judges, to make them more sensitive to Jewish concerns and convictions.
These ideas are new only to Israel. As Eidelberg points out, in the 18th Century the American Federalist papers debated many of the issues of government -- e.g. Alexander Hamilton on the dangers of multi-party cabinets, writing in Federalist 70 -- and specifically warned against many elements of the present Israeli form.
Since the current system of government in Israel has shown only weakness in dealing with the existential threat of the Palestinian Arabs, not to mention numerous domestic concerns and failures, the January election may find much more support for reforms. Many Israelis and Diaspora Jews yearn for a strong Israel which reflects Jewish ideals and resoluteness in the face of implacable foes in a world that hardly cares. It will likely take many election cycles for these ideas to flourish and gain enough votes to become law, but the process is under way.
For the Love of Israel,
Chuck Chriss
President, JIA
http://www.kcholmim.com/constitution.php
