It has been over two months of horror and pain for all of us in Israel. Most people I speak with are just trying to keep their heads above the proverbial waters.
The same holds true for me in my day job as CEO of a consulting firm that advises companies as well as family businesses, family offices, and foundations.
Of all the professional functions we perform, one of the most delicate is transition planning, whose purpose is to implement a smooth succession of power and continuity of wealth between generations of family members within a company or organization.
Given the complexity of this task, one of the keys to success is initiating a strategy as early on as possible. The overarching goal is to control the process and avoid being controlled by events that are all too often forced upon us. Experience teaches us that dealing with issues under pressure and in haste leads to impulsive and sub-optimal decision-making.
Initiating a strategy
After giving much thought to our current political predicament in Israel and speaking with several colleagues about the situation, my conclusion is that we, as a country, need a national transition plan. My working title for this effort is “For the Good of Our Country.”
Prior to the horrific atrocities of October 7, Israeli society was tearing itself apart. Each side proclaimed the virtue of its positions with righteous indignation, screaming slogans and hurling the most egregious accusations at their ideological opponents. There was plenty of vitriol to go around and little, if any, effective communication. It is a sad and pathetic reality that it took Hamas to unify us.
A consensus of Israelis believes presently that Israel must defeat Hamas and set about healing the Jewish state. There will be time, down the road, for the inevitable official inquiries – when we will need to figure out what went wrong and who should be held accountable – but that’s for later. Now, we need to rescue all the hostages, destroy Hamas, and work on our national recovery.
Having lived in Israel since 1988, I’ve participated in my fair share of Israeli elections. I voted for the Likud in several of those ballots but could not, in good conscience, do so today.
While I know that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not perfect, I actually think that he has done many great things for Israel. That said, I feel – and I don’t think I’m alone here – that it is time for him to step aside and let others take the reins of a new government. For the good of our country.
It's time to let go
IF I had Bibi’s ear, if I were his trusted adviser, I would tell him the following:
“Bibi, you have done so much for our country. You’ve led it for longer than anyone else. Now, it is time for a change. We need a national transition plan for the smooth and effective succession of power. You’re tremendously talented, Bibi, but you’re not the only person capable of leading our country. It is time to pass on the mantle of leadership to another.
“This is for the good of the country. It’s for the good for your party, the Likud. And it will be good for you too.“My friendly advice is that in the coming days, you should announce emphatically that, after Hamas is destroyed, there will be new elections in which you will not be a candidate. Announce that you are retiring from politics, effective at the conclusion of the elections.
“This plan will help you to achieve several important goals. First of all, it will give you several months to craft an orderly transition of power and name a successor. During this time, you will have ample opportunity to structure and position the Likud as best as possible for the upcoming elections and beyond. Under the banner of “For the Good of Our Country,” you will have a good chance at repatriating many of the talented ranks who have abandoned the Likud in recent years.
“Once you announce your coming departure from politics, many of the calls for your ouster will be finally and firmly silenced. You will effectively take the air out of your enemies’ sails and get to leave office on your own terms, ‘for the good of our country.’ This would be a far more palatable exit than running in the next election and getting crushed at the polls, something that I think would probably happen.
“I am quite confident that after you announce your retirement from public office, ‘for the good of our country,’ we can also structure an arrangement to relieve your ongoing legal troubles. Your legacy will be spared the damage of a conviction and its consequences.
“If you take my friendly advice, you can leave office on your terms and be remembered as magnanimous. You will be remembered as the longest-running prime minister who put the country’s needs over his own, knowing that Israel needs to heal and remain unified for as long as possible.
“Bibi, you are a very gifted politician and a loyal patriot. You’ve served and led our country for a very long time. It is time to pass the leadership torch to a successor of your choosing, for the good of our country.”
Our country has suffered greatly in the past two months. The seeds of our rehabilitation lie in the heartwarming unity that has taken root across every segment of our society. I pray that it continues. A return to the incessant, vile protests – both for and against judicial reform – that were ripping apart the fabric of our nation is the last thing that Israel needs.
The ball is firmly in Netanyahu’s court to decide whether Israel goes forward or, frightfully, moves backward into chaos.
The writer is CEO and founder of The Cedar Group (www.thecedargroup.org), a boutique management consulting firm specializing in transition planning, conflict management, negotiation, and mediation services for companies, organizations, and private individuals; both in Israel and internationally.