åðøåáò ,åðúéàî ,åðìù 		Shelanu: Direct Representation for Israel
Government based on Personal accountability and Public Service
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What You Can Do
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Announcements & Updates

Archived Update: 22 January 2006


Greetings.

In this January Update, we cover the following points:

  1. Discussion Forums
  2. AACI Lecture This Week
  3. Presidential Commission
  4. Flyer - Update to What You Can Do
  5. University Connections
  6. Problems with the "Constitution by Consensus"
< span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Discussion Forums

Since our last update, we have completed the setup of our discussion forum center.  You can sign up for the forums at the following web site

http://www.directrepisrael.org/forums

While much of the interface is in Hebrew, there are both Hebrew and English categories of discussions.  If you have any problems with the interface, please let me know.

2. AACI Lecture This Week

I will be speaking at the AACI Netanya on this Wednesday, 25 January, at 19:30.   The location is 28 Shmuel HaNatziv Street, Netanya.   Light refreshments will be served and there is a charge of NIS 10.

Any public speaking opportunities are very helpful in raising awareness and recruiting new members.   If you can set up a speaking engagement at a school or at a community center, we can provide a speaker.   Our prime target audience is mainstream hebrew speaking Israelis, however, we are interested in reaching other groups as well.   Universities would be especially desirable.

3. Presidential Commission

The "Presidential Commission to Examine the Structure of Governance and Elections in Israel" has announced that it is inviting citizens to express their views on topics of governance and electoral reforms.  Comments can be sent by email to precom@ceci.org.il or by post to CECI, 40 George Wise St., PO Box 39080, Tel Aviv.  The committees and their chairs are listed as follows:
  • The parliamentary and electoral systems in Israel - chaired by Naomi Chazan.
  • The structure and functionality of the administration: economics and society - chaired by Yaakov Lifshitz.
  • Democracies under existential threat - chaired by Gabi Shefer.
  • Representation in presidential and semi-presidential regimes - chaired by Gideon Doron.
  • Electoral systems - chaired by Shimon Shetreet.
  • Assessment of the political reality in Israel - chaired by Aryeh Naor.
If you agree with our proposals and principals, including
  • the recognition of the individual citizen as having rights protected by government
  • clearly defined, individual responsibility of all elected officials
  • direct, regional election of all MKs in single-representative electoral districts
  • strict separation between Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of government, including the separate, direct election of the chief executive (prime minister)
please send your views to the commission.  Feel free to mention Direct Representational Democracy for israel and to quote and/or refer to our website at www.directrepisrael.org.  In composing your messages, you might find it helpful to consult with the following pages from our website:

Principals:  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN/Principles.shtml
Comparison:  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN/Comparison.shtml
Solution:  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN/Solution.shtml
Frequently Asked Questions:  http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN/FAQ.shtml

Thanks to Candy Shinaar for letting us know about the notice.

4. Flyer - Update to What You Can Do

We have a new flyer that can be downloaded from our website at the "What You Can Do" page.

http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN/YourPart.shtml (English)
http://www.directrepisrael.or/YourPart.shtml (Hebrew)

The flyers can also be downloaded as Acrobat (.pdf) files from the following links

http://www.directrepisrael.org/EN/FlyerEng.pdf  (English)
http://www.directrepisrael.org/FlyerHeb.pdf (Hebrew)

Please download these flyers, print a copy or two, and place them where they will be seen.  They look great in either color or greyscale.  If anyone inquires, please tell her/him about us and refer all interested parties to our website at www.directrepisrael.org

5. University Connections

We would like to post our flyers on all the university campuses in Israel.  If you live or work near Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University, Bar-Ilan University, or Haifa University, please let us know.  We could use your help in posting the flyers or in letting us know the best places to post flyers in order to get the most exposure.

6. Problems with the "Constitution by Consensus"

Over the past few months, there have been advertisements and articles about the Israel Democracy Institute's (IDI) proposed "Constitution by Consensus."  While most advocates of reform in Israel acknowledge the need for a national constitution that outlines national principles and government structure, the draft proposed by the IDI has some serious problems.

Among other drawbacks, the constitution proposed by the IDI retains Israel's current extreme system of proportional representation in the election of MKs.  If adopted, this would effectively prevent significant change toward the direct, individual election of MKs through regional constituencies, greatly comprimising the direct accountability of elected officials to constituencies.  This constitution also neglects to address the problem of Supreme Court justices effectively choosing their own successors.

These and other problems with the "Constitution by Consensus" must not be ignored.  In our quest for a constitution and good government, we must not be too quick to settle for "reform for reform's sake."  Good government must be based on solid principles of public service and individual rights, not a consensus of interest group entitlements.

You can send comments to the Israel Democracy Institute through their website at www.idi.org.il or by calling 02-5300888.

Michael Jaffe,
jmichaeljaffe@directrepisrael.org
Home / Principles / Quick Comparison / The Problem / The Solution / Voting Systems / The Plan / Mailing List / Democratic Merchandise / Info Resources / About Us / Frequently Asked Questions / Forums
What You Can Do
Contact: info@directrepisrael.org
Last site update: 08 June 2008