welcome to the future......or isnt that the past revisited, the battle will enjoy a truce in economics but ultimately it will be won in the demographics of religous identity. if you dont believe meridor look at the statistics for euro populations pre 60s and now to compare the impact to non christian religion, bye bye europe!

Good idea to encourage Arabs for change in the field of birthrates. The policy for haredim, though, is 'the more the merrier'. Encouraging haredim will never work because haredim follow the Torah to procreate and will not stop it without the approval of their rabbis. Eventually the haredim and religious will be the majority in Israel and will take over complete leadership in the government and the judicial system while the non-religious will become obsolete and/or emigrate. May it come to pass very, very soon.

They need to create jobs that pay decent money.

The story is told of an ultra-Orthodox man who gets on a Jerusalem bus with six kids in tow. The driver asks him why he didn't leave half his kids behind. He replies, "I did!" Humor aside, neither Arabs nor haredim would have such high birth rates in any advanced country because the State would simply not support it. In Israel, foolishly, they do. Nor would they permit schools in which haredim refuse to study basic subjects. In Israel, foolishly, they do. Aside from the obvious economic drag they put on the economy, these growth rates will have one unintended consequence: Israel (like Jerusalem already today) will soon be majority non-Zionist.

Is one of Bibi's biggest mistakes! He brought no votes, he doesn't think like a Likudnik and doesn't really love the land of Israel rather than Tel Aviv! What about increasing secular people birthrate? Did he ever thought about that?

he can't seem to tell the difference between haredim and arabs. mr. meridor, let me make it easy for you: 1. arabs: people who want to destroy the jewish state 3. haredim: very commited jews, who hate the arabs and will prevent israel from being being wiped off the map.

It's funny that Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor's father didn't agree with his sons thinking or little Dan would of never been around. If he has a problem with the population, let him propose a true jewish state & send back atleast those that hate us.

So pleased that religious Jews are making Jewish babies. Jewish babies and aliya will safeguard Israel's future and keep us a thriving Jewish nation!

Arab ones´ are a national suicide for Israel. No one in this world except Israel is feeding a venomous snake in his own breast that everybody knows is going to bite the day it feels strong enough.

Jewish or Arab. We should welcome all and teach one another ahava and shalom. Don't you think, dod Merridor?

... and they hate uniforms ;) ,...

Raymond, truly an ignorant comment. Do you really think Jews have children because of government hand outs. Jews have large families in other countries without getting money. Who is going to continue, if not the next generation of children. Do you think your 2 kids and your dog and cat? Do you really think this so called "basic subjects" make a person. Look at the Israeli society. It speaks for itself. Besides, did you ever open up a Talmud? You would be shocked at the knowledge you can learn! Math, Science, History, Biology........Articles like these and the self hating individuals who write them, I feel sorry for them.

if you are saying that two peoples have such an intense hatred for each other that a bloody war between them is inevitable, who is going to fight for the jews when that time comes? the haredim? right...

to Kadima he is the one with crazy ideas, and would feel more at home in the world of Livni and olmert

What a foul thing to think, much less say. "Less productive segment of the population" The arabs are in all of the building in this country, the charadim are also working, perhaps not open, or even legal, but they certainly not only work, but can certainly afford expensive apartments, it is the poor secular trash that should be encouraged to learn how to take care of themselves like Meridor who obviously can't think or use his brain to reason.

only rational response to holocaust-meridor should be ashamed to even think otherwise

How about increasing the secular birthrate...hahahaha all jokes aside the religious and arabs will continue to have lots of kids and no i can assure you the kid payments are not making anyone rich and they dont support a large family but yes for such familys every penny helps. Aside from that many charedim get bogrut and go to advanced studies and work or have home businesses or stores and support their own familys, all without "basic education". Perhaps if the regular workers salery were higher and import taxes (not vat) on goods etc were lowered, life would be more affordable.

How About cutting MK salaries and Perks to the standard or slightly above standard rate before you talk

In any other westernized country he would be forced to resign for a comment like that but he says it unapologetically. Nobody wants the arabs and never have although even Liberman has ever complained that their birthrate is to high. As for the Haredi for sure they are not the most popular people in the country but they are jewish and in a country thats gradually becoming more and more secular they are becoming one of the few stable connections to judaism. Meridor talks like being religious is a crime and we should do everything possible to fight it. Now I understand why he was so critical of the idea of an oath of loyalty to a jewish state. Privately he wants a religion free state in public though if he goes in the record and speaks his mind he would be out of a job.

No one has the right to till only one segment of the country to not have the amount of kids he desires (Haredi or Arab). But, it is perfectly reasonable to demand that all parents support their children by working. The unemployment rate amongst Haredi and Arabs is unacceptable. So yes, have as much children as you so desire! But it should be you who works to feed him, not other Israeli taxpayers.

4 kids is 3x the avg chiloni family. not including the neutered dog

If it weren't for the chareidim and other religious Jews, we would have been an Arab country already.

and u guys need to drop the he has 4 kids bla bla, these haredim have 12 kids usually! and so do their arab brothers.. sometimes they remarry in jordan and have 30 kids..

Moslem Arab birth rates are declining rapidly and start to resemble average Israeli birth rates of 3 kids per family. Christian Arab birth rates are already below average Jewish birth rates.

can Israel continue to exists if these 2 communities become a majority here? I think NOT.

You Leftists are always moaning about the "Arab demographic problem" What do you want, Israel to be childless like the dying out, godless Europeans you so like to emulate?