doing nothing for 70 years

In an interview  (behind a paywall but the relevant quote is int he headline) with the financial news site The Marker, Rav Yitzchak Goldknopf, head of UTJ and candidate for Knesset, said, among other things, that "you guys have been fooling around doing nothing for 70 years. Let the Haredim run the State now and you'll see what will be here.." 

Goldknopf was talking about his claim on the Finance Ministry, should Netanyahu form the next government. He is dreaming if he thinks Netanyahu will give it to him but he is saying he is going to ask for it. 

I dont think it is unfair or unreasonable for him to ask for it. he is no less qualified for that position than most ministers are for the positions they take. These are all political positions filled by appointments for political expediency, and they are the furthest thing possible from professional appointments. Some people do better in those positions, some do worse, but most have no specific experience in the field they are given authority over. So, I think it is fair for him to ask for the Finance Ministry, just as any candidate can ask for any other ministry they want to control, and I see nothing wrong with a public debate about whether or not that would be a good and worthy appointment.

That being said, saying something like "you all have been fooling around for 70 years and you have accomplished nothing" is just stupid and ignorant and foolish. They freaking founded a state and built it up into a world powerhouse of agriculture, medicine, technology, militarily, economically and in many other realms as well including Torah study in yeshivas and kollels. Sure the political system is dysfunctional, sure there are problems and nothing is absolutely perfect (in what country is everything perfect?), but for 70 years they have been tinkering and fooling around and have accomplished nothing? 

And no, I dont know what the State would look like if "you just let the Haredim run the country now". I can imagine and talk about how it might look, but I dont see a need to criticize Goldknopf for his imagination - what he said about reality was stupid enough.

A little humility goes a long way.

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