On Sunday evening, the current government chalked up another economic "historic achievement": no, we're not talking about setting zero VAT for the purchase of a first home or target price, but that, for the first time in Israel's history, government stubbornness and obtuseness resulted in a strike by Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees and shutting of all Israeli embassies and consulates worldwide. What an achievement.
In this context, we note a few things that appear trivial at first, but there are some people who need an urgent reminder about them. A country's foreign service is the spearhead, the commandoes, of public service. This was true in Israel too (despite what many people think: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not the Budget Department at the Ministry of Finance). Foreign relations are especially important for a country like Israel, where 43% of GDP is from exports, faces huge geopolitical challenges, and has the highest public relations and diplomatic needs in the world. In other words, the foreign service must be outstanding by every measure.
In Israeli terms, this means that Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees should receive pay that is at least equal to the pay of workers at the seaports, Israel Electric Corporation, and the Israel Airports Authority. But the figures speak for themselves, and the salaries of Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees are below the median, and they vote with their feet: a third of the graduates of Ministry of Foreign Affairs cadets course (the most intensive, professional, and expensive in the civil service) have left the ministry in the past five years.
They left; they were not fired! There are also the embarrassing incidents, such as the top official who has already been on two foreign missions, but earns less than the average national salary (the man revealed his pay slip on Facebook). When salaries and job terms are low and unattractive, they do not attract the best people. The ministry gets the workers it pays for.
The applicable economic models and theories are well known, but the public should remember who deserves the "credit" for Sunday's "achievement". First is Director of Wages Kobi Amsalem, who has shown during his term has demonstrated a high capacity for confrontation and quarrels with the best and the brightest, but far less capacity for dialogue, reaching agreements, and closing deals for the minister.
Although Amsalem's fights and squabbles with the "local thugs" such as the employees at IEC, Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI), the seaports, and, most recently, with top Ministry of Finance officials, such as Government Companies Authority director general Ori Yogev, are welcome, the abuse of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees, possibly due to deep ignorance and misunderstanding of what a diplomat is, what his or her needs are, and how much they cost - is unnecessary. It strengthens the impression that Amsalem mainly knows how to say "no", and is unable to reach agreement with the workers, which the main point of his job.
Only an obtuse official can include a diplomat's school expenses for his children in calculating the average salary cost at the entire ministry, and this is just one example. I would like to Amsalem get smart and flex muscles with the Ministry of Defense employees.
Liberman's obtuseness
On Sunday, the Ministry of Finance was quick to explain that Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees were aggressive and making cynical use of the strike weapon. Regrettably, according to the Ministry of Finance, public sector workers are the source of aggressiveness and cynicism. Fortunately, Ministry of Finance officials are devoid of aggressiveness and cynicism.
Nonetheless, to blame this official is very easy. Above him, there are the elected "leaders". First and foremost is Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman, who for over a year it showed as much interest in the ministry's employees as the latest single by Moshik Afia, and called them "hysterical". Liberman's obtuseness, which we already knew about from his diplomatic proposals ("conquer Gaza"), goes back years. He is one of the politicians with the lowest social sensibilities, something that is highlighted given the fact that he is supposed to be the leader of one of the weakest groups in the economy.
Liberman is not alone. The conduct and insensitivity of Minister of Finance Yair Lapid, who dreamed of being foreign minister and Israel's international presenter, and of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who built a career from the UN dais and was a diplomat himself, are utterly inexplicable. Both these men, who fully understand the importance of the foreign service, should, if necessary order the Ministry of Finance officials to be more generous with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees. They have already shown that they can be generous in other contexts.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 24, 2014
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