Israel’s GNP per capita has risen about 50% since 2001. Global credit crises and battles with neighbouring regimes have not halted the consistent move forward. For much of that period, Bibi Netanyahu has either been the country’s finance minister or Prime Minister. And thus, he can take much credit for these improvements.

Today?

This week, the Office of the Ombudsman issued an analysis on the state’s monopolistic Electric Corporation – overstaffed, overpaid, uncontrolled pricing to consumers, no strategy, and a vast list of irresponsible actions. Actually, this was the fifth such report in twenty years, dating back to 1996. And guess who should have been tackling the problems?

The report was released in the same week that a severe storm led to tens of thousands of homes being cut off from electricity for days. On the day of the storm, the union declared an ‘Italian strike’. And it has since emerged that the corporation has failed to invest in key infrastructure projects.

If only it were just the Electricity Corporation. Last week, it was announced that he government was evaluating its policy over tax rebates for communities in remote areas. This is standard for many countries, and some changes are needed. What is noticeable, is that overall, there is a clear shift to those areas that favour the ruling political party of …Netanyahu. The most blatant example is the shift towards the towns (settlements, some say) in the West Bank.

What else?

The incoming budget was supposed to allow for cheaper imports of food products. The large local manufacturers and monopolistic importers have ensured that such plans have been buried for another year.

Back in 2009, there was an idea to create a special fund to help those factories, such as Phoenicia Glass. These companies tend to have social importance, often been a prime employer in a weak economic region, yet have run into financial difficulties. Nothing has emerged from countless hours of inter-ministerial discussions in fancy offices.

And then there is there farce of how to run Israel’s gas industry. For months, the government has been unable to decide who should monitor the new offshore wealth, thus impacting on future investments as well as current drilling schedules.

So this is the week that Israelis have suffered black outs and flooding due to poor infrastructure planning. This has also been the week when the Kenesset has been debating wage rises for its members, already some of the highest paid people in the land, and other benefits  for parliamentarians. And all of this in a month, when the country is finally having to admit that its GDP is no longer keeping pace with the increase in its population.

Israel needs and deserves better governance than this. Bibi’s previous success had been based on fundamental change and innovation. For the sake of the country, I hope his ego will allow him to remember that.