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Civil service reform is one of the most important challenges for governments, but in many cases it has largely failed. This article details the ongoing attempts to reform the civil service in Israel. It also identifies several elements necessary for such efforts to be successful: ownership of the reform, coalition building, leadership, willingness to take risks, and the creation of a plan congruent with the existing environment. In Israel, the combination of these elements has broken the standoff between the forces of change and the forces promoting the status quo and stagnation.