Using the mob to solve your problems
This time Margalit Tzanani couldn't sing "One day I might spread my wings," her signature hit. Her lawyer Shahar Hetzroni said she went into shock in the Lod interrogation room. That's what happens to regular people who aren't used to verbal sparring with police interrogators. Tzanani probably never imagined she'd sink this low: from 'A Star Is Born' to an extinguished star. For now, at least.
The surprising aspect of the case is not that she and a well-known agent fought over money. Nor is it that the money in question might have been given "under the table," meaning it hadn't been reported to the income tax or VAT authorities, and therefore she couldn't sue for it in a court of law. Nor is it that Tzanani's arrest has made 'A Star Is Born' look bad. The show had a huge audience, so it's no small matter that one of its judges may have tried to influence its outcome out of ulterior motives, though this remains unproven. Such scandals further erode our faith in public institutions. Most people already saw commercial television in this negative light to begin with.
What is most amazing about this affair is the unbearable ease with which normal citizens decide to contract the services of the underworld. It's understandable that cash transferred under the table -- which flows through the entertainment industry in the millions judging from the list of names being audited or investigated -- would be disputed privately. But why with the help of Amir Mulner and his executors?
How about a mediator the two sides agree to, a retired judge, a tribal chief or community rabbi? What about a trusted senior colleague? To go to a crime family to solve one's dispute, hand down judgement and make sure it is executed is horrifying. Without balking, without hesitating, without pangs of conscience.
The police did the right thing in pursuing Mulner, and what if they happened to catch Tzanani along the way? (We have to repeatedly remind ourselves that she is innocent until proven guilty). That's the way the law works. True, Mulner is the big river and Tzanani is a little stream but as our Jewish sources say, "every river has its course," and both of them have to succumb to the law.
Eradicating this phenomenon of turning to the underworld, which is not limited to the entertainment world, requires work in many channels. The police have a central role to play. The courts, which are lenient toward financial crimes, very slow and tend to encourage plea bargains to help fatigue-stricken prosecutors, have to pull themselves together. If they imposed real punishments in a short time, it would go a long way towards increasing deterrence.
The most important thing is to create a societal norm where people would feel ashamed to get caught committing financial crimes. Once this happens the government will have money to spare to pay for the demands of the social justice protesters.
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