Fallen Leadership

By Guy Rakover

The apparent results of the Winograd report that were released yesterday evening came as no surprise. As someone who served in the Second Lebanon War as a reservist, it was predictable to me that the leadership would be seen as a failure. Any soldier who was there will tell you that there was no clear plan or direction, no method to the madness, causing the reckless endangerment of the citizens and soldiers of Israel.

Despite the attack on the Prime Minister, Defense Minister, and the former Chief of Staff it is important to remember that no matter what effect the findings of the committee have on the present political arena, from resignations to early elections, that Hezbollah is still out there celebrating their victory and laughing at us. Do not forget that we are also tormented by rocket attacks from the PA in the south and civil unrest among the Israeli-Arab citizens. We are still surrounded by enemies and it is important that we prepare for future conflicts, learn the lessons from last summer, and avoid making the same mistakes. Unfortunately for our nation, I believe that there will now begin a political conflict within the Knesset whose goal will not be the betterment of the state, but rather the manipulation of the weakness of the present leadership for territorial political gain.

In my opinion, the failure of the present government in the war and since is a result of a lack of vision. No leader in our state today stands up and states a true clear vision of where he sees the country in the future, what he hopes to contribute during his short time in office. Instead we have a group of politicians who build their campaigns on putting out fires, rather then lighting new torches to lead the nation forward. They speak of increased security and improved economy, but no one says what he plans to do with these things once they are achieved. What if there was already security and wealth for every citizen of our state, what would those leaders then base their strategies on? It is a sad time in our state’s infancy. Israel is like a teenager that kicks and screams and demands that he is mature, but in reality he has not yet truly developed his individual identity to the point where his energies would bare fruits.

Our goal needs to be more then a stable economy and secure borders. Our history and character will not allow us to get off so easy. We need a leader who focuses on the future of our society and nation as a whole. That seeks to develop Israel’s national importance and role as the center of the Jewish people, rather then get tied up in money and war. If we build towards a future that is based on an advanced national image of a country that brings pride and unity to the people, then when we are called we will fight with pride and it will be in the protection of the true State of Israel that we are building.

A strong economy and secure borders is not enough. We are not trying to build a mini-America, and if we are then we are lost. We will never be America, Europe or Asia for that matter, for we are the nation of Israel and the more we embrace our individual identity the better our decisions will be, and the brighter our future will appear on the horizon. Until that time, as long as we continue to elect corrupt leaders whose lust for money and power supersedes their civil duty, we will continue to suffer the consequences.