Right-Wing Camp Criticized for Undermining Elected Officials

The article criticizes a campaign against Minister Haim Katz, arguing it contradicts a core principle the right-wing camp has long championed: that elected officials, not civil servants, determine policy in a democracy. The author expresses high regard for Yehuda Eliyahu and his potential to reform the Israel Land Authority (ILA), but questions the ongoing campaign targeting Minister Katz.

The author contends that the national camp cannot have it both ways. For years, the right has rightly protested "rule by officials" and the erosion of governance. However, the article argues, this fight against unelected power cannot be selectively applied, it must be opposed when it comes from the judiciary or legal advisors, but also when an official whose views align with the current government's agenda acts against the minister's directives.

The piece asserts that true democracy requires adherence to the principle that elected representatives set policy, and officials are tasked with implementing it. This principle, it notes, is fundamental to representative democracy, citing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's views on the "Unitary Executive" theory. Scalia argued that unelected officials wielding power independent of elected leadership pose a significant threat to liberty and democracy, as ministers are accountable to the public while officials are not.

The author emphasizes that professional staff can advise, warn, and present alternatives, but ultimately must implement the minister's policy. Any senior official, regardless of competence, who acts against their minister or refuses to implement policy should resign and seek election if they wish to shape policy. The article concludes that democracy means rule by the people through their elected representatives, not by unelected administrators.