The end of the rule of bureaucrats: The strategy behind Netanyahu's reserved spots

Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to reserve a spot in the Likud list for high-tech figure Oren Dubronsky is not just a localized political move, but a broad declaration of intent regarding the character of the next government. Netanyahu seeks to create a "working government" that relies on figures who have proven themselves in the free market, rather than on a bureaucracy that grew within public mechanisms. The goal is to bring to the government table practical experience from the world of action, one that understands the needs of the modern Israeli economy and not just office bureaucracy.

The need for these reserved spots stems from the inherent difficulty for successful figures from the private sector to enter the political arena. The political system, and in particular the primary institution, sets high and complex entry barriers that distance people of professional stature who are not interested in wallowing in political maneuvering. Netanyahu's reserved spots constitute a solution that allows for the creation of a human mosaic that includes experts in their fields, those who bring with them comparative advantages that are sometimes lacking in traditionally elected lists.

Unlike the trend in Likud, the lists of Gadi Eisenkot or Naftali Bennett represent what can be called "deep state" parties. There, the reserved spots are clearly directed towards state officials whose entire professional lives have been spent within public systems. It is a recycling of the same bureaucratic concept — directors-general of government ministries and those close to the system, who have never dipped into the real life of hard work in a competitive market. This is a method that perpetuates the rule of bureaucracy instead of refreshing it with external forces.

The message that Netanyahu seeks to convey through appointments like Dubronsky's is clear: the rule of bureaucrats has finished its role. In an era where the country needs out-of-the-box thinking and people who have grown from the aggressive and free business world, there is no place for the continuation of the hegemony of institutional bureaucracy. Likud under Netanyahu is aiming for a list with proven action that turns to new avenues, and in doing so, sets a real alternative to the rule of bureaucracy offered by competitors from the left and the center.

During the election campaign, the left of Gadi Eisenkot is revealed in all its contradictions. Now, according to reports, in the agreement between Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz, they are talking about him as Minister of Internal Security in an Eisenkot government. Watch clips of Abbas speaking in Arabic and then think about a coalition led by Eisenkot-Abbas. And this connection must be defeated.

The column was edited based on the remarks made by our political commentator Yaakov Bardugo to Tal Meir on the program "Israel This Morning".