“Corruption occurs when there’s too much or too little centralization of power. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. That’s what we try to achieve in Israel,” political scientist Vladimir Khanin gave a lecture at LvBS entitled “The Israeli Experience of Public Management. Business and Social Entrepreneurial Activities”.
“Corruption is characteristic of any bureaucracy. The question is how to minimize it and what to do when a corrupt official has been caught red-handed,” said Mr. Khanin.
According to him, in Israel corrupt officials caught red-handed are jailed right away. There’s no way to sweep it under the rug. He also added that there are two sectors in Israel with almost zero corruption – the police and the judiciary. “Whenever there are contacts between entrepreneurs and officials, there’s place for corruption.”
Backgroundinformation
Professor Vladimir Khanin lectures Political Studies at Bar-Ilan University. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Oxford and North London (UK) as well as at the Institute of Asian and African Studies of the Moscow State University. He is the authorand editor of a number of books published in the UK, Israel, and Russia. Dr. Khanin is also known as a political commentator at the Israeli Channel Nine TV and The Voice of Israel Radio. He currently serves as Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.
