The New Zionism
“The young people of
Israel want to succeed,” declared IASPS
Koret Fellow Shiri Winter. Winter was addressing the annual Koret Foundation
board meeting in San Francisco on May 10.
“We want the same
freedom and opportunity that young American businessmen enjoy,” Winter continued,
“and creating this freedom and opportunity — this is what Zionism means to me.”
Winter and IASPS
Koret Fellows Limor Avyet and Roni Azoulay were in the U.S. for the
Month—in—Congress portion of the Fellowship Program. They and Robert J.
Loewenberg, Alvin Rabushka, and Zev Golan journeyed to San Francisco to thank
the Koret Foundation for its continued support of Israel's most prestigious
fellowship program.
Winter explained
that “my grandparents founded a kibbutz 70 years ago as an expression of their
Zionism. But today too many young Israelis find economic opportunity in Silicon
Valley. The IASPS Koret Fellows want to free Israel's economy, to allow
Israelis to do what normal people in normal countries want to do — succeed.
When this happens, the Israeli economy will really take off and Israelis won't
have to seek their fortunes in New York and California. These are the ideals I,
and all the IASPS Koret Fellows, dedicate ourselves to.”
Winter told the San
Francisco audience, which also included members of the American Jewish
Committee and the consul and deputy consul of the local Israeli consulate,
about her newly published research on Israel's state—backed burial societies.
“A wonder,” she said: “About 500 companies in business but each has been given
monopoly status!” Winter's research was published as IASPS Policy Studies
No. 37, “The Burial Industry in Israel.” “Ever since its publication,”
added Winter, “we have become a sort of clearing house for information about
cemeteries and burial in Israel. People interested in reform, or in going into
the business, have had no place to go until now. So they all find their way to
me.” Winter said she is hopeful her expose of the ills and evils of government
regulation will lead to genuine reform.
The Month—in—Congress
project is now in its fifth year. Winter, who in Israel is posted in the Prime
Minister's Office, served in Washington with the House Banking Committee
chaired by Congressman Jim Leach. There, she worked with Laurie Schaffer on
research into mortgage—backed securities.
Limor Avyet, whose
fellowship in Israel involved work with Knesset Science Subcommittee Chairman
Michael Nudelman and MK — and former Soviet dissident — economist Yuri Stern,
served in Washington in the office of House Majority Leader Dick Armey. Fellow
Avyet worked closely with the Majority Leader's advisor, Dean Clancy, on health
care reform.
“I explained the
concept of black market hospitals as they exist in Israel,” she relates. “State
over—regulation keeps thousands of elderly citizens out of geriatric hospitals,
and this has led to a black market in the sector.” In the majority leader's
office, Fellow Avyet scoured data bases to analyze trends in the number of
uninsured in the U.S.
“Without the
Month—in—Congress project,” stated Avyet, "I never would have had the
opportunity to see how the American health system functions. The material I
gathered in the U.S. will be invaluable to me as I look at our system in
Israel."
Roni Azoulay has
for the past seven months been researching Israel's water needs, and the damage
being done to the coastal aquifer by overuse. This assignment was given him by
MK Yossi Beilin. On Capitol Hill, Azoulay's research skills and IASPS training
were put to use by the House side of Congress's Joint Economic Committee.
Azoulay was asked for analysis on the new European currency, the euro.
“I am glad,” he
says, “that I was able to not only learn in the U.S., not only become
acquainted with data and sources, not only see how a professional Congressional
office functions — for we have no similar research—based body in Israel — but I
was also able to make a modest contribution to those who are interested in
expanding their economic horizons in Congress.”
In addition to
the four weeks of research in Congress, the IASPS Koret Fellows attended
briefings by Cato Institute Policy Analysts Robert Levy, Jim Taylor and Ian
Vasquez, officials of Citizens Against Government Waste, JINSA Special Projects
Director Shoshana Bryen, IASPS seminar lecturer William Van Cleave, IASPS
Fellow in Strategy Michael Wihbey and others.
“I really cannot
thank the Institute and its supporters enough,” says Winter. “You are giving me
the tools and training to implement the new Zionism. The Month—in—Congress has
been an incredible experience.”
Zev Golan, who
directs the Fellowship Program, says the Washington side of the program is
expanding. Next year, several strategy—focused Fellows will spend a full year
on the Hill, and more IASPS Koret Fellows will be spending longer periods of
time there working on economic policy research as well.
Golan asked to
especially thank several individuals whose hospitality and interest enabled
Fellows Avyet, Azoulay and Winter to make the most of their month: Shelley
Kamins, Laurie Schaffer, Dean Clancy, Chris Frenz, Jeff Taylor, Ian Vasquez, Jeff Altman and Tom Schatz.
Spring
99 Quarterly Table of Contents