Israeli Minister of Science Answers the Questions Asked. (May 18, 2009)

A cardinal ability required of politicians who want to progress is to be able not to answer questions asked but instead supply answers to questions as they would have wanted them to be asked.

Daniel Hershkowitz (56), was appointed Israel's minister of science and technology this past March. He is also professor of mathematics at Israel's institute of technology, the Technion; his principal research interest is in linear algebra, and for those interested, his CV is available online.

In 2008 Professor Hershkowitz was chosen to head Habayit Hayehudi (The Jewish Home) party, which as Haim Watzman points out in NatureNews is "a new incarnation of the political party that has traditionally represented those of Israel's Orthodox Jews who see integration into modern society as part of their creed".

Professor Hershkowitz also serves as the rabbi of the Ahuza neighbourhood in Haifa.

NatureNews detailed Haim Watzman to  interview the newly appointed Minister of Science and Technology. Mr Watzman noted: "Despite its name, Israel's science ministry controls only a small portion of the national science and research budget for university research. An independent body, the Israel Science Foundation, is instead the major distributor of state funds. But Hershkowitz acts as science's voice at the cabinet table."

When Professor Hershkowitz was asked his attitude to the government's proposed budget cuts to higher-education and research he replied:

Investment in scientific research is investment in the future of Israel, so even when the economic situation is difficult we can't afford to allow ourselves not to look towards the future. Instead of cutting government research funds we should be doing the opposite. I am consulting with my colleagues, and I find that among the ministers there is a fundamental understanding of the importance of scientific research.*

And his reply when asked about the Israeli bureau of statistics calculation that the nation spends 4.7% of it GDP on R&D, far above any OECD^§ nation:

Unlike many other countries, where most research takes place in the universities and in research institutes, a large part of this number comes from development and applied research in Israel's military industries [allotted from the defence budget], whereas it's basic research that needs funding.

Then Mr Watzman wanted to know what was the Minister of Science and Technology's opinion of  the Ministry of Finance's position that government research funding should be directed and evaluated by economic criteria.

Academic freedom is the basis of academic progress. Research cannot and should not be directed by the government according to its economic value or its practical potential. Many of the greatest scientific discoveries were arrived at serendipitously. I know this is the finance ministry's dream, but other countries that have gone down this road quickly found themselves in crisis.

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*Following the interview NatureNews reports: "Hershkowitz succeeded in part. In the budget approved by the government late on Wednesday 13 May, after this interview was conducted, his ministry's funding was increased by 50% over last year's budget, to some US$32 million. However, an $11 million cut in the higher-education budget - which includes most state support for basic research distributed through the Israel Science Foundation - remained in place. The budget now goes to the Knesset, Israel's parliament."

§The 30 OECD countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.