Yoram Ettinger
Photo: Gabi Menashe
Haredi community in Negev will balance demographics, researcher says
Government approves proposal to build large haredi community in Negev; demographics researcher calls it 'beginning of positive trend'
The government appears to be encouraging Jewish settlement in the Negev area: Sunday, the cabinet approved Housing and Construction Minister Meir Sheetrit's proposal to build a haredi community in the area.
Regional council leader Shmulik Rifman expressed support for the project - estimated to create a demand for some 80,000 housing units in two decades - saying it would improve the demographic balance in the area.
Demographics researcher Yoram Ettinger concurred. "This is the beginning of a positive trend...of the haredi community contributing to the demographic balance," he said.
"It is hoped that this is the beginning of a 'proper geographic policy'," he added.
Ettinger believes that the demographic issue in the Negev is the most dangerous to Israel, as opposed to the problem in the West Bank. He listed as his reasons: "Failure to enforce the law among Bedouins, polygamy, importing women, and illegal welfare payments including fictional divorces to increase welfare rates."
According to Ettinger's statistics, although the reduction of child welfare payments lowered the birth rate among Bedouins, the community still has the highest birth rate in Israel – more than seven children per woman.
Regarding the West Bank demographic issue, Ettinger claims it's overrated, saying "proponents of giving up the West Bank for demographic reasons either have no idea what they're talking about or are misleading the public deliberately."
Ettinger added that "a responsible government needs to encourage Jewish immigration to Israel." Recent governments have not behaved responsibly, he claimed.
