Labor force participation rate declining for two decades
Photo: Eliad Levy
The unseen war
Are we heading toward civil war between Israelis who practice religion of work and those who sit idle, waiting for the Messiah? Remarks made by Calcalist's publisher at pension savings conference
There are no missiles and no Iron Dome
in this war. The war reserves store unit won't be open and armory won't be moved. Even air force planes will remain grounded. This is a different war. It is discussed from time to time and written about here and there, but it is virtually hidden. It is a civil war. The barricades aren't up yet, but they are here. And they divide the camps.
National Service?
Akiva Novick
As debates on yeshiva student law continue, former Shas leader Aryeh Deri makes surprising proposal; defends political rival Eli Yishai
In one camp are Israelis who choose rational lives, practicing the religion of work and earning their livelihood. In the other camp – Israelis who prefer to sit idle, waiting for the Messiah, collecting incantations and amulets in the meantime.
On one side are Israelis who encourage their children to study and prepare themselves for the competitive, developed world, and on the other side are Israelis denying their children essential core subjects, sentencing them to a life of poverty. The rift is clear: There are Israelis saving for a rainy day and retirement, and there are Israelis who rely on the state to save them from themselves, when the time comes.
This is the war over science and industry, banking and agriculture, infrastructure and culture. Over our future. Next year will be fine, thanks. They tell us that inflation will be a reasonable 3%. Unemployment will likely be under 7%. Growth is expected to be 4%. Pretty nice numbers, especially compared to countries in crisis since 2008.
But other numbers are more important. The labor force participation rate and educational achievements have been declining for two decades, way below the OECD average. When 65% of ultra-Orthodox men of working age do not work and when 50% of first graders are educated to be idle, what chance does the next generation have of carrying this generation on its shoulders?
Who will win the war? Seeing how the prime minister and finance minister prefer not to confront the wheelers and dealers from the idle parties, it's hard to be optimistic. Idle dealers view even a minor effort to encourage yeshiva students to enter the labor force as a “war of religious persecution bordering on anti-Semitism.”
From time to time the media erupts, and then the government makes some noise, someone pulls a pathetic plan out of some drawer. And that's it. The war is hidden once again. No one talks about it because there was a fire. No one mentions it because Ahmadinejad cursed at us again from Tehran. And, like, there are more important things: Dr. A. talks about what happened on the grass in Eilat three years ago. Leonardo DiCaprio is considering converting for Bar Rafaeli. Stuff like that.
It's hard to understand why the war remains under the surface most days of the year. This silence serves those who don't work and don't save while waiting for the Messiah, but why do the suckers keep suffering quietly? Whoever solves this mystery will win the Israel Prize. Or a slap in the face from Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Yoel Esteron is the founder and publisher of business newspaper Calcalist
- Follow Ynetnews on Facebook
