The IQ of Israel's Prime Minister
Society tends to place a high value on intelligence, often to the point of excess. This is particularly evident in the prestige associated with certain professions, which is often correlated with the average IQ of their practitioners. For example, a gastroenterologist may be seen as more prestigious than a plumber, even though the two professions are fairly similar in terms of their day-to-day work and earning potential.
This bias towards intelligence carries over into the realm of politics, where we often expect and hope for our leaders to be exceptionally intelligent. The prime ministers of Israel are likely to have had high IQs. It is difficult to know for sure about every individual leader. Golda Meir has been claimed to have a narrow vocabulary but reading her autobiography I was impressed by her insights. Others, like Ariel Sharon, may have experienced cognitive decline towards the end of their time in office.
One prime minister who is widely believed to have been exceptionally intelligent is David Ben-Gurion, the country's first leader. His success in his studies in Istanbul, as detailed in his memoirs, is a testament to his intelligence and dedication. However, the current prime minister, Yair Lapid, has faced criticism for his perceived lack of intellectual strength. His opponents have pointed to his lack of a college degree and the imprecision of his writing as evidence of this.
Intelligence is not the only factor that determines a leader's success, of course. Developing a successful career in a field that requires strong verbal skills, as Lapid has done, is a testament to his intelligence and creativity. Additionally, the genetic nature of intelligence means that his parents' well known intelligence is also a credit to him.
But the relationship between intelligence and leadership is a complex and fraught one. Those with high IQs may be prone to "crazy progressiveness," while leaders of the right-wing, anti-progressive camp must appeal to supporters with simpler ways of thinking. This was evident in the case of Donald Trump, whose supporters were drawn to his simplistic language and lack of intellectual pretension. Trump's low IQ may have contributed to his success in appealing to certain demographics, such as uneducated Hispanic and black men.
In Israeli politics, the closest analogue to Trump is Bibi Netanyahu. While both men share a certain level of narcissism, their IQs are likely to be vastly different. It is difficult to imagine Trump achieving the same level of success in a high-pressure academic setting as Ben-Gurion did in Istanbul. It is easily possible to imagine Bibi excels in such an environment. Ultimately, intelligence is only one factor in a leader's success, and it is important to consider a range of qualities when evaluating potential leaders, but Israel is always in a somewhat precarious situation and having a leader whose IQ is not high enough seems to me like an unnecessary risk.