The Israeli
Government has Proven Itself to be Superfluous
The local government of the city of
Here in Tzfat
only 17 of the 350 workers in the Municipality remained in the city.
Reserve soldiers had to be brought in to
see to it that the special needs of the city, during a time of war, were taken
care of. Were this not a time of war there would be no
extenuating circumstances for the army to have to step in and take care of.
That is to say that the supposedly
democratic local government of the city of
In their absence the Municipality proved
that they are superfluous. We simply do not need them. They are not even
parasites. They are superfluous. The worst nightmare of a politician has been
realized. They are not only not wanted, they are
needed, not in the least.
There are many citizen-run organizations
that can easily be modified slightly in order to become the bodies that take
care of all of the functions of this city.
Milgam, Inc., the company that provides our water in Tzfat, is not a municipal agency. They are a private
company. Our gas is provided by private companies. Although the electric
company is a government company; it could be modified to be a worker-run
collective with concerted effort.
Instead of the gemachim
(charity organizations), of which we have
a very respectable number here in Tzfat, being
organized to pick up where the government leaves off and, in so doing,
perpetuate, rather than alleviate, poverty; they can be modified to be the
bodies that care for the various needs of the residents of Tzfat.
If the gemachim
became the organizations and agencies that provide necessaries to all, not
merely giving hand-outs to the needy, we would be able to eradicate indigence, as befits Jews. We
would all have our needs provided for truly. Imagine no one having to beg for
their subsistence. Imagine no one being punished with poverty for the
"crime" of being aged, handicapped, widowed, orphaned or unemployable
for whatever the reason. We can do better vastly better for ourselves and one
another than Bituach Leumi
(National Insurance) does for us!
Instead of turning to the city for every
need and want big and small be must learn to rely upon ourselves and upon one
another. The concept is called Mutual
Aid. We trade that which we can provide for that which we need. We become as
maximally self-reliant as possible and create a culture of cooperative sharing.
There is nothing that the Municipality is
doing for us that we cannot do far more efficiently, promptly, cost-effectively,
fairly, caringly and honestly ourselves – and in a far more personalized
manner, providing the services such that they fit individual needs and not
strapping every citizen to a procrustean bed.
It is high time that the Israeli public was
weaned from the co-dependent addiction and sickness of turning to the
government only to get nothing but a kick in the teeth and then turning to the
government again for comfort because they have been kicked in the teeth....
Since the
We can supplant the Municipality and take
over every one of their functions. All we have to do is believe in ourselves
and in one another and ORGANIZE.
Since the workers of the Tzfat Municipality demonstrated such a great love for the
south of the country by heading there en masse and leaving us to our own
resources, let's depend upon our own resources and send the workers of the
Municipality of the City of Tzfat on a PERMANENT
vacation to Eilat!
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan,