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Feb 1, 2015
Moshe Gafni as next Minister of Finance?
The Haredi parties, and specifically Moshe Gafni, got a very big compliment from Globes. and Kol Hakavod to them for it.
Dror Feuer, in Globes, says that Moshe Gafni should be appointed Finance Minister in the next government, no matter who leads it.
After a nice introduction about the haredim and haredi politicians, which I won't translate but you should read anyway if the Hebrew does not scare you off, Feuer gets to the point.
Feuer says:
1. The Haredim are not classified as socialists, but they have a healthy and intuitive version of socialism as part of them; mutual responsibility, concern for the weak, respect for the poor. they know poverty. It does not mean they will be able to deal with it any better than anyone else, but at least they did not just read about it in the newspaper. Compassion and kindness are at the top of their traits.
2. the concept of "shliach tzibbur" runs deep in the Haredi community. In the prayers on Shabbos there is a nice blessing for those who serve the public faithfully, and at the end it is stressed that all Jews are their brothers.
3. one of the critical problems in the Israeli economy is the priority given to wealth and to the wealthy. All under the guise of "market forces", competition and removing impediments. That exists as well by the Haredim, but the difference is significant: on their list of values wealthy is not the best thing that you can be.
4. Their persistence, ability to learn, their love for the small print, their pedantry, their scholarliness. I want the Finance Minister to delve deeply into things - and there is nobody better than a graduate of a yeshiva to delve deeply into things - into the smallest details of the most remote footnote in the tenth addendum of the most hidden budgetary item. That he should inspect the budget and plow through it like a page of gemara. Wow, how much I'd like to see a Haredi Minister of Finance sit opposite the Ministry of Defense when they come asking for their annual increase and they spread their usual scare tactics. I think there will be far less secret expenses.
5. In this context the word "haredim" calms me. It is always good to know that there is always someone more anxious and worried than you, and I believe that healthy anxiousness is a necessary trait of a good Finance Minister.
6. Because we have never yet had one.
The Feuer continues and says, without offending anyone, what does the Finance Minister need? He needs knowledge and understanding of the material, but no less than that he needs a healthy sense of logic, and a heart in the right place. And a conscious. And I am sure this an be found in a Haredi Finance Minister that would be appointed, and then Feuer suggests that be Moshe Gafni.
Feuer says, there are MKs who are more social than him, but there are none others like him. Gafni's seniority (21 years in knesset), his healthy sense of humor, his sharp wit, the respect accorded to him by everyone in the Knesset, and the courage he has displayed until now, all these make him my candidate.
Gafni said, "I am for a free market, but also for giving assistance in education, in health and in welfare. Not everything is dependent on the free market. I am in favor of competition that will bring a benefit to the public. While on the other hand the State cannot absolve itself of its obligations to its citizens." Who does not agree with that?
Not a grain sticks to him. Gafni is a a sensitive legislator, social and environmental. I looked through his legislation and I get the feeling that he is fighting for me. Also for his own community, obviously, and that is fine. You can find him involved in the fight about the natural gas, in the fight for aggressive tax planning, against the "haircuts" (cutting the loans for the tycoons in trouble), and against the way contractors are dealt with, he fights for lessening the management fees, for limiting wages of senior administrators. He is in favor of small businesses and helps the periphery, and supports the weak. He knows how to work in a team, and diplomatically is a moderate person.
What else can you say? Moshe Gafni could be a good choice for the next Finance Minister of the State of Israel.
That is a pretty good compliment, in the leading financial newspaper in Israel.
Dror Feuer, in Globes, says that Moshe Gafni should be appointed Finance Minister in the next government, no matter who leads it.
After a nice introduction about the haredim and haredi politicians, which I won't translate but you should read anyway if the Hebrew does not scare you off, Feuer gets to the point.
Feuer says:
1. The Haredim are not classified as socialists, but they have a healthy and intuitive version of socialism as part of them; mutual responsibility, concern for the weak, respect for the poor. they know poverty. It does not mean they will be able to deal with it any better than anyone else, but at least they did not just read about it in the newspaper. Compassion and kindness are at the top of their traits.
2. the concept of "shliach tzibbur" runs deep in the Haredi community. In the prayers on Shabbos there is a nice blessing for those who serve the public faithfully, and at the end it is stressed that all Jews are their brothers.
3. one of the critical problems in the Israeli economy is the priority given to wealth and to the wealthy. All under the guise of "market forces", competition and removing impediments. That exists as well by the Haredim, but the difference is significant: on their list of values wealthy is not the best thing that you can be.
4. Their persistence, ability to learn, their love for the small print, their pedantry, their scholarliness. I want the Finance Minister to delve deeply into things - and there is nobody better than a graduate of a yeshiva to delve deeply into things - into the smallest details of the most remote footnote in the tenth addendum of the most hidden budgetary item. That he should inspect the budget and plow through it like a page of gemara. Wow, how much I'd like to see a Haredi Minister of Finance sit opposite the Ministry of Defense when they come asking for their annual increase and they spread their usual scare tactics. I think there will be far less secret expenses.
5. In this context the word "haredim" calms me. It is always good to know that there is always someone more anxious and worried than you, and I believe that healthy anxiousness is a necessary trait of a good Finance Minister.
6. Because we have never yet had one.
The Feuer continues and says, without offending anyone, what does the Finance Minister need? He needs knowledge and understanding of the material, but no less than that he needs a healthy sense of logic, and a heart in the right place. And a conscious. And I am sure this an be found in a Haredi Finance Minister that would be appointed, and then Feuer suggests that be Moshe Gafni.
Feuer says, there are MKs who are more social than him, but there are none others like him. Gafni's seniority (21 years in knesset), his healthy sense of humor, his sharp wit, the respect accorded to him by everyone in the Knesset, and the courage he has displayed until now, all these make him my candidate.
Gafni said, "I am for a free market, but also for giving assistance in education, in health and in welfare. Not everything is dependent on the free market. I am in favor of competition that will bring a benefit to the public. While on the other hand the State cannot absolve itself of its obligations to its citizens." Who does not agree with that?
Not a grain sticks to him. Gafni is a a sensitive legislator, social and environmental. I looked through his legislation and I get the feeling that he is fighting for me. Also for his own community, obviously, and that is fine. You can find him involved in the fight about the natural gas, in the fight for aggressive tax planning, against the "haircuts" (cutting the loans for the tycoons in trouble), and against the way contractors are dealt with, he fights for lessening the management fees, for limiting wages of senior administrators. He is in favor of small businesses and helps the periphery, and supports the weak. He knows how to work in a team, and diplomatically is a moderate person.
What else can you say? Moshe Gafni could be a good choice for the next Finance Minister of the State of Israel.
That is a pretty good compliment, in the leading financial newspaper in Israel.
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Except for the fact that socialists make the worst Ministers of Finance
ReplyDeleteHe said clearly that he is not a socialist, but rather that he has social concern. Here is the relevant quote:
Delete"The Haredim are not classified as socialists, but they have a healthy and intuitive version of socialism as part of them; mutual responsibility, concern for the weak, respect for the poor."
I guess it depends on how you read 'intuitive version of socialism'. I read it as social concern given his first statement: the haredim are not classified as socialist.
He also quotes Gafni as saying the following:
"I am for a free market, but also for giving assistance in education, in health and in welfare. Not everything is dependent on the free market. I am in favor of competition that will bring a benefit to the public. While on the other hand the State cannot absolve itself of its obligations to its citizens."
He then asks: "Who does not agree with that?".
So I guess we can ask you, do you agree with that? If not, which parts do you disagree with? Obviously there is always a question of degree -- how much assistance in education, health and welfare? What does he mean by competition that benefits the public? What obligations does he have in mind vis-a-vis the state to its citizens?
But at face value, sounds pretty good to me. Healthy capitalism (as opposed to crony capitalism) with social sensibilities.
What about the fact that he has openly said that his main priority is those in full-time learning and the rest of his own "constituents" are not his concern. Yet, he will be a good finance minister for the whole country? I don't get it. Until the chareidi leadership can affirmatively profess that their concerns run beyond the chareidi populace I don't see how one can support them for a position of leadership.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you didn't read what was written above.
DeleteTo start with, it went through his 21 year record which evidently shows that he is concerned for the whole country. Here is the relevant passage:
"I looked through his legislation and I get the feeling that he is fighting for me. Also for his own community, obviously, and that is fine. You can find him involved in the fight about the natural gas, in the fight for aggressive tax planning, against the "haircuts" (cutting the loans for the tycoons in trouble), and against the way contractors are dealt with, he fights for lessening the management fees, for limiting wages of senior administrators. He is in favor of small businesses and helps the periphery, and supports the weak."
Secondly, that is his main priority, not his only priority. Every politician has their constituency, mandate and priority. It seems to me that Netanyahu's main priority right now is stopping Iran from getting a nuclear bomb -- that doesn't mean that he is not interested in or concerned with the rest of the country. Gafni's main priority are the Lomdei Torah, but they are not his only priority (and evidently he has the record to prove it).
Third, he did not say that the rest of his own constituents are not of his concern. He said that he rejects the idea of dividing the hareidi community into different sub-groups (at least, that is what I read in a follow-up interview). He rejects the label working chareidim, but he also noted (in both interviews that I read) that he has always worked to help one and all.