Fascism in Israel?

In a rare show of unity, Israel's economic leaders met on November 14, 2001, and established a task force that will design a package deal for the economy, to cope with economic deterioration and a wave of strikes.

The deal calls for a possible freeze of public sector wages, a cessation of layoffs in industry, a reduction in interest rates, and subsidies for industry.

Minister of Finance Silvan Shalom was delighted with the meeting.  Apart from himself, the participants were Bank of Israel Governor David Klein, Manufacturers Association head Oded Tyrah, and Histadrut Chairman Amir Peretz.

There it is: money, big government, big business, and big labor, the cornerstones of the fascist economy.

But not everyone is equal in the fascist state.  Some are more equal than others.  In this case, Histadrut rules the roost.  Peretz warned that any deal will not be "on the workers' backs."  "After all," said Peretz, "the economy belongs to the workers.  Governments rise and fall, but the workers remain constant."

Not to be muscled, Klein warned that interest rates depended on Shalom producing a realistic budget, not one based on pie-in-the-sky projected growth of 4% in 2001.

For his part, Tyrah wants subsidies to keep the manufacturers afloat.

Why was Silvan Shalom delighted with the meeting?

It's reassuring in this age of globalism, multi-national corporations, capitalism, and markets, that Israel can remain true to its economic heritage: the fascist state lead by the workers.

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