An initial review of the names on the social protesters' Think Tank, which can be called the Anti-Rothschild Team, highlight substantive differences with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Rothschild Team chaired by Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg.
In contrast to economist-dominated Rothschild Team (18 of its 22 members are economists), the Anti-Rothschild Team is an inter-disciplinary effort in which economists have equal weight with pedagogues, health, welfare and legal experts.
In contrast to government-dominated Rothschild Team (19 of its 22 members are current and former government officials), the Anti-Rothschild Team has an antiestablishment flavor, such as Hebrew University professors Yitzhak Galnoor and Mordechai Kremnitzer. Most of its members have doctorates, far more than the number of Ph.D.s on the Rothschild Team.
40% of the Anti-Rothschild Team are women, compared with 23% of the Rothschild Team members.
An equally substantive difference is the ideologies of the two teams. The Rothschild Team includes members with social sensitivity; all the Anti-Rothschild Team members have a clear left-wing bent.
Trajtenberg welcomed the establishment of the protesters' Think Tank, saying that he was pleased that a team of academics - economists, sociologists, and others - "are also trying to find solutions to issues raised by this protest." He added, "I have always said, and I wish to emphasize: no one has a monopoly on wisdom, knowledge, or the data needed to deal with this complex situation."
Trajtenberg added that he knew most of the Anti-Rothschild Team members, who he called "outstanding" people, "who really want to contribute". He added, "I will be happy to hear their proposals, material, and ideas for helping formulate solutions."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 15, 2011
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