The people of Israel seem to have a problem accepting strong leaders. There are cultural, religious and social reasons for this that go back to biblical times. In biblical tradition, ultimate leadership is attributed to God. Strong human leaders have always had to justify themselves to God and the community. This creates an inherent conflict: on the one hand, leadership is essential, but on the other hand, leadership is often seen as potentially dangerous or oppressive.

The people of Israel have repeatedly questioned authority throughout their history. Even Moses experienced rebellions and conflicts despite his strong position. King David was exceptionally charismatic. He encountered resistance from family members and from parts of the nation. And didn’t God Himself complain that His people were a stubborn people?

Over the centuries, the Jewish people repeatedly experienced persecution, exile and foreign rule. These experiences increased distrust of centralized authority, for fear that too strong a leadership could become corrupt or develop into oppressors. Judaism, especially in the Bible but also later, emphasizes the personal responsibility of each individual....

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