Local authorities are not branches: stop managing the country from Jerusalem
The State of Israel cannot operate in a centralized manner and treat local authorities as an executive arm of government ministries. Whoever is closest to the resident must receive more freedom of action, more tools, and more authority.
In a little over two months, on October 27, Israeli citizens will head to the polls to elect the 26th Knesset. In the coming weeks, we will hear arguments about security, the economy, the cost of living, foreign relations, and governance. Yet, within this discourse, a question that touches on the daily lives of all of us is almost never asked: how do we want this country to be managed, and who should make the decisions that affect the citizen's life?
The Israeli citizen does not live in the corridors of power in Jerusalem. He sends his children to school and kindergarten, travels on public transport, uses public space, and turns to the local authority when he needs a solution. And yet, the State of Israel still manages local authorities as if they were branches of government ministries. The state determines, approves, restricts, and supervises, while the local authority is required to execute and explain to the resident why it cannot do what he expects of it. This is not just bureaucracy; this is a lack of trust in local government.
Israel is one of the most centralized countries in the Western world regarding the relationship between central government and local government. Therefore, the time has come for differential decentralization of powers. An authority that proves proper management, meeting goals, transparency, and budgetary responsibility should receive more freedom of action. Government ministries should set policy, establish standards, and supervise — but not actually manage every authority on the ground.
Local authorities have already proven themselves, in routine and in emergencies. During the coronavirus, on October 7, and throughout the war period, they knew how to act quickly, make decisions in real-time, and provide answers to the changing needs of the population. In every city, the response was adapted to the residents, the neighborhoods, and the local challenges. Every head of an authority knows what is right for his settlement, and he is also the first to receive criticism from the residents, even on issues that are actually the responsibility of the state. If we expect heads of authorities to be accountable to the residents, then they must also be given the tools and the powers to do so.
The problem meets us in daily things as well. Why can't decisions regarding public transport within the city be largely under the authority of the local government that knows the neighborhoods, educational institutions, and the needs of the residents? And why, even on the threshold of 2027, can an authority still not operate simply like a modern organization — for example, using a municipal credit card for online purchases? In the absence of basic tools for modern management, it is difficult to demand that the authority be innovative, fast, and efficient.
Flexibility in managing budgets, personnel, tenders, bylaws, economic development, and municipal enforcement will allow authorities to make decisions faster and adapt services precisely to local needs. Therefore, I suggest that every party seeking public trust present a clear plan for decentralizing powers, transferring budgets, and reducing regulation, alongside measurement and control mechanisms. Whoever proves they know how to manage should receive more freedom. Whoever needs support should receive it.
Give tools and powers to local government, and we will necessarily bring about better quality of life and better public service. A strong state is not a state that holds as many powers as possible in its hands. A strong state is a state that knows where it is right to hold authority and where it is right to release it.
The upcoming elections are an opportunity to lead a change in this very important issue. The citizen does not need another government that promises to manage life better for him. He needs a government that will know how to give the one closest to him the power to do it. On October 28, whoever is elected will be elected, whatever the results may be. Precisely now, our responsibility is to preserve the social and communal fabric, to respect each other, and to remember that we are all here and we will all remain here. We have no other country.
