In the week that has passed since Netanyahu's testimony at the commission of inquiry into the Miron disaster, he has been heavily criticized.
Journalists, political opponents and family members of the victims were angry at what was called an "unfortunate statement" and the removal of responsibility in the style of "mercy does not know".
The horrific disaster should have been avoided, but Netanyahu said honest and simple things: a prime minister in Israel is burdened with many urgent tasks and theoretically knows about dozens of disasters that could occur.
At any given moment, the safety of Israel's citizens is threatened by roads, buildings falling down, mass cultural events, hazardous materials factories, socioeconomic explosive barrels in many cities, and more and more.
This is why our tax dollars budget a very wide array of officials and bodies that are supposed to know these issues and deal with them ahead of time: ministers and government offices, local councils, professional bodies, police and more.
The degree of effectiveness of their work should not depend on an explicit directive from the prime minister.
The expectation that whoever is in charge will deal with the resolution of the width of the access roads to a civil event is simply not practical.
Despite the painful issue, it should be said with caution: this is a continuation of that childish aspiration for the state to be a kind of protective parent, and the prime minister - an all-powerful father.
By the way, even if Netanyahu had picked up the phone the morning before the event and inquired with the Minister of Internal Security and the district commander if they were properly prepared for the mass event - he would have reported low arrival expectations and the appropriate preparation of the security and rescue forces.
Should he have put Borla on hold, canceled a meeting with Putin and postponed the cabinet meeting to make sure that the Northern District Police and the National Center for the Development of the Holy Places did not interfere?
"But he didn't face the auditor's report," claim the critics, as if auditor's reports change something in this country.
Israel is not a dictatorship, and the prime minister can at most guide the officials to act properly.
The district commander is not "just" a SAG, and the director of the holy places is not a screw - they are responsible on behalf of the state and on behalf of the public for an event that occurs every year to end peacefully. The chain of failures in Miron is deeply rooted in our political culture, forming a fraternal alliance with the ultra-Orthodox business (in this case) And with undemocratic institutions (in other cases) who think that public resources belong to their father. The prime minister can certainly lead a change in the political culture, but even in Netanyahu's case - his power is limited.
The role of a prime minister is to act long-term according to an orderly strategy, not to do the work instead of the ministers, the police and the civil bodies.
On the way to prevent the next disaster, when the heart has not yet recovered from the grief over the dead Miron - one must recognize the natural limitations that exist on the prime minister as a person and on the state as a large and cumbersome system.
The main responsibility rests on the shoulders of the decision makers in the field at all levels.
They should stand up to criticism in case of failure and be praised in case of success.
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