From Trump to Netanyahu, the question is whether age affects leadership and performance
A Hebrew feature examines whether older age changes how well people work, from ordinary employees to national leaders. The piece opens with Shuki Madanes, owner of Madanes Insurance Agency, who is about to host a retirement party for a company worker who is 95, the oldest of the firm’s 400 employees. Madanes says the employee asked to retire after decades at the company and will receive a year of adjustment, but he argues that workers who still contribute should not be forced out simply because they reached a statutory age. Madanes himself is 76 and says he remains active and has no plan to stop working.
In Israel, women can generally retire at 62 to 65 and men at 67, while 67 is also the legal mandatory retirement age for both sexes if the employer chooses to enforce it. If a worker wants to keep going, the employer must consider the request individually. The Finance Ministry is reportedly examining a gradual increase of retirement age to 70, and possibly abolishing mandatory retirement altogether. Proponents say that would help older adults financially, mentally and physically, raise monthly pensions, and improve national growth and productivity. Critics warn it could harm older workers who feel worn out or struggle to find jobs. The article notes that Denmark sets retirement at 70, Italy and Estonia at 71, and Finland allows any healthy worker to continue in part-time work at any age.
The discussion is framed as part of a broader longevity trend, with doctors and consultants saying the issue is no longer chronological age but functional ability. Aviva Shamir, formerly a senior executive at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, says people in senior management should be kept in place until 70 if they want to stay, with the replacement gradually becoming their mentor from age 65. Dr. Nitzan Anav of Maccabi Healthcare Services says retirement age is a legal and financial number, not a medical one, and should depend on whether a person can handle the demands of the specific job without harming themselves or others. Organizational consultant Iris Dagan says workers who add value will stay regardless of age, and that companies are increasingly hiring people over 60.
The article then applies the debate to politics. Donald Trump, who turned 80 this month, is described as having raised questions about Joe Biden’s age while himself facing periodic scrutiny over his own physical and mental condition, despite his doctor saying he is perfectly healthy with a heart like a 65-year-old’s. Former president Shimon Peres is cited as an example of someone elected president at 84 and functioning well until 91. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 76, is also discussed amid ongoing speculation about his health, including treatment for prostate cancer and questions about his mental fitness while facing criminal charges. Other contenders for the next election include Avigdor Liberman, 68, Gadi Eisenkot, 67, and Naftali Bennett, 54. The article also notes that Rabbi Ephraim Dov Landau, the Lithuanian Haredi leader who influences major decisions, is 96.
