interesting statistics

In the past few days we have been inundated with statistics. I do not know if it is a certain time of year that the media has to run and publicize these studies, or if it is just "coincidence" so many studies coming at the same time.

Anyway, a couple of the more interesting stats that the media has been headlining:

• 85% of Israelis think there is a lot of corruption in the current government.

That makes me go hmmmm.. What do the other 15% think? After all, The Prime Minister is under investigation for 3 separate criminal probes, including bribery, tender fixing, and fraud, among others. The Finance Minister is now under investigation for obstruction of justice and embezzling funds upwards of 5.5 million shekels. The Justice Minister is on trial for sexual harassment and indecency. The President is under investigation and nearly under indictment for sexual harassment and possibly rape, along with illegal wiretapping and obstruction of Justice. The head of the Defense Committee is under indictment for job fixing. The Minister of Strategic Affairs is under investigation for various things such as fraud, bribery and other things. Those are just the investigations that I remember off the top of my head.

Aside from that there is the fact that the people in the main positions in government are inexperienced and more adept at political spin than at running a government... That includes today's appointment of the latest minister - the Minister of Science and Technology. The inexperienced Defense Minister appointed to a this position a man (MK Raleb Majadele) who is a high school dropout. The appointment is being explained by the pundits as an attempt to draw support from the Arab community (Raleb Majadele is the first ever Muslim Arab to be appointed minister in an Israeli government) in anticipation of the upcoming Labor primaries. So the inexperienced Defense Minister appointed an inexperienced Science Minister for personal and political reasons, rather than for professional reasons.

So I am not sure why 15% of Israelis do not think the government is overloaded with corruption..

• 1% of Israelis think that PM Olmert is doing a "very good" job.

This, too, makes me go hmmm. Who is this one percent? Ehud Olmert's immediate family? Nah, can't be. Most of them do not live in Israel. Maybe it is the people who are members of his coalition and government. I do not know why anybody would think he is doing a "very good" job. Maybe 1% would think he has not done horribly, but "very good"? I do not get it. What can be attributed to Olmert that rates his job as being well done? by any standards?

• This one is my favorite, but it is really a poll and not a stat (though the stats come from polls, so maybe they are all equally poll and statistic): If elections were held today, Kadima would sink to 12 seats.

I am actually surprised they would get so many seats, but 12 seats is also a good sign. The analysts are saying that 12 seats in the polls indicate that the Kadima party is on its way to oblivion, following in the trail blazed by The Shinui party and the Merkaz party...