In an article in The Marker, Yoram Gabai discusses the debate on wages in Israel's public sector. Gabai says that the current argument focuses on data, but not on underlying causes. For example: in the discourse on inequalities in wages among ethnic groups, we should ask whether such inequalities are caused by discrimination or by objective forces, like differences in education. Only after asking the right questions about underlying drivers, can we begin to formulate policies to address socio-economic goals in Israel.

On a similar note, the Reut Institute contends that in addition to examining the final rank of Israel according to international indices, there is a need to investigate underlying causes of Israel's performance. In "Case Study: Incorporating The Global Competitiveness Index in Policy Planning", Reut investigated the underlying drivers of competitiveness in order to identify opportunities for Israel to achieve a development leap.

Furthermore, the Reut Institute believes that a vision is a necessary platform in long-term strategic planning, in that it provides a framework for national policy goals. As such, the Top 15 Vision can support decision makers in leading the way to identify underlying causes behind growth and improvement in Quality of Life in Israel.

Sources

Gabai, The Marker, 10/17/2007. Full article (Hebrew only)