As we approach another election year, with new and familiar contenders joining the race, I am reminded of the three campaigns in which I was elected head of my local council in the first round. Those experiences taught me that while the ballot box presents its own challenge, the far greater test comes immediately afterward: the dilemma that shadows every decision.
As a public leader, do you choose the easy, popular path or the longer, more professional, more responsible one? The ability to choose wisely is the essence of public leadership.
Election seasons bring an overload of promises, “atmospheric” parties, bold prophecies, and seemingly simple solutions. Suddenly, issues that have troubled Israeli citizens for decades appear solvable “in a moment.” Some elected officials and candidates prefer to ride waves of popularity, releasing slogans that sound wonderful but bear little resemblance to reality.
These declarations ignore countless variables and often reveal a lack of basic understanding. Experience shows that dramatic statements and grand promises may generate temporary support, but that support evaporates quickly when confronted with facts.
Leaders who choose principles
There are, however, leaders who have chosen a different path.
For example, Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beytenu, has consistently demonstrated that adherence to professional principles is more important to him than ratings-driven politics. He paid steep political prices for decisions that did not align with public sentiment or with desired coalition structures.
He resigned as defense minister over a deep professional disagreement regarding the government’s policy toward Hamas, a policy of restraint that ultimately exploded in all our faces on October 7. On the issue of the draft law as well, he has stood firmly by his principles, proving that when he gives his word, it means something.
MK Benny Gantz also made difficult decisions from a place of national responsibility when he joined the emergency government during the war. He is paying a heavy political price for that choice, and he faces a challenging test at the ballot box.
The noise of politicians
Alongside them, it is easy to identify those who choose a different approach, those who prefer noise, slogans, and headlines over responsibility and professionalism. We have all seen how shiny declarations lose their luster when confronted with limitations and facts. Too often, it becomes a chorus of promises whose common denominator is detachment from reality.
Unfortunately, parts of the media prefer to amplify the populists in order to boost ratings, offering a stage for empty declarations instead of shining a light on the quiet, responsible leadership working behind the scenes.
After the difficult events our society has endured in recent years, we should hope that voters arrive at the polling stations more sober, more thoughtful, less swayed by the heat of the moment, and more grounded in reality. We should choose not those who promise the impossible but those who have proven over time that they act with responsibility, consistency, and integrity. We should reward not those who run the best campaign but those who can manage a complex reality.
Ultimately, elections are not only a test for the candidates – they are a test for us as a society. Will we choose the seductive illusion that photographs well, or the kind of leadership that endures long after the cameras are turned off? That choice will determine not only who leads us but also who we aspire to be.
The writer is the CEO of ANU – Museum of the Jewish People.