Slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
Photo: Yaakov Sa'ar, GPO
Israel’s problem: ‘Yihye beseder’
In a 1992 speech, late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin blasted the ‘it’ll be okay’ atmosphere in Israel. This phrase, he said, usually conceals all the things that aren’t ‘okay’—arrogance and an exaggerated feeling of self-confidence, power and authority.
One of our most painful problems has a name, a first name and a surname. It’s a combination of the two words “yihye beseder” (it’ll be okay).
This phrase, which many of us hear in the State of Israel’s day-to-day life, is intolerable. These two words usually conceal all the things that aren’t “okay”: Arrogance and an exaggerated feeling of self-confidence, power and authority, which are uncalled for.
The 10 teens who were killed Thursday in the flash flood disaster at the Zafit Stream. We’ve learned the hard and painful way that ‘yihye beseder’ means a lot of things are not ‘okay’
The “yihye beseder” has been following us for a long time, for years, and characterizes an atmosphere that borders on irresponsibility in many areas of our lives. The “yihye beseder”—that friendly pat on the back, that wink, that “smoch alai” (trust me)—is a sign of disorder and lack of discipline, of unprofessionalism and idleness.
Unfortunately, the “hafif” atmosphere (doing things in a superficial manner) belongs to many publics in Israel, not necessarily in the IDF. It’s eating us up. And we've already learned the hard and painful way that “yihye beseder” means that a lot of things are not “okay.”
Excerpts from slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s speech at the graduation ceremony of the IDF's Staff and Command College in 1992.
