Letter from Tel Aviv: Haredim, Arabs, Pose "Existential Threats" To Israel

Israel is in the midst of an unprecedented social change that, unlike in the past, stems from internal developments rather than from a wave of immigration. A different, multicultural society is developing here - a trinational state of secular Jews, Haredim and Arabs, with a small minority of religious Zionists. 

Israel's real existential threat is Arab and Haredi isolation
By Aluf Benn • Ha'aretz

The answer to the question of where this country is headed is hidden in table 8.11 of Israel's annual Statistical Abstract, which shows "Projections of Students in Primary Education" for the coming five years. These are the figures: In the current school year, 47.5 percent of first-graders are either Arabs or Haredim (ultra-Orthodox). The growth rate of the Haredi school system is 39 times greater than that of the state secular schools, and that of the Arab school system is 13 times greater. These are not demographic forecasts, which can turn out to be false; these are children who have already been born and are awaiting their turn in the education system. This is reality. 

Israel is in the midst of an unprecedented social change that, unlike in the past, stems from internal developments rather than from a wave of immigration. A different, multicultural society is developing here - a trinational state of secular Jews, Haredim and Arabs, with a small minority of religious Zionists. 

Social and cultural diversity has a lot of charm, but in Israel, it is a problem. These three communities have different narratives and lack a common, unifying national ethos. Cohabitation has been imposed on them. Even worse, the ultra-Orthodox and the Arabs are not obliged to serve in the army, and most Haredi men and Arab women do not work. If this situation continues, who will protect the state, and who will pay for the growing population of welfare recipients? 

"The gaps in military service create a sense of injustice, but the problem of employment is really existential," a senior government economist warned. "We have about 15 years to resolve this. If we fail, Israel will not be able to sustain itself: For every worker, we will have four people not working." 

It is hard to exaggerate the severity of the situation, or the complexity of the challenge. The Arabs want to work, but are finding it difficult to break the walls of isolation and discrimination erected by the Jewish majority. Among the Haredim, a social norm has taken root that prefers Torah study to work. Both communities are non-Zionist and are suspicious of and hostile toward the authorities. 

The country's leadership, which ignored the problem, knows about the time bomb on its doorstep. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi fears the army will not have enough conscripts in a decade or two. President Shimon Peres is trying to rally business tycoons to hire Arab workers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants Arabs and Haredim to join the high-tech world. His economic adviser, Prof. Eugene Kandel, is also looking for solutions, and the finance minister and the treasury's director general are equally concerned. 

What should be done? The solutions that politicians and columnists propose for this social challenge have generally focused on repressing the minorities: If we strip the Arabs of their citizenship and the Haredim of their welfare payments and remove them from decision making, we will preserve the economic and status supremacy of the secular core and its affiliates. This is unacceptable ethically, but it is also impractical if we consider the numbers. 

Economic pressures, which are forcing Haredim to look for work and Jewish employers to take on Arabs, are fueling a slow change in the employment scene, and government programs like national civilian service or special army tracks for Haredim are helping to break down the walls. But it is not enough. We need a revolution in how the shrinking majority views minorities. 

We must recognize that our future depends on integrating Arabs and Haredim into mainstream society. Instead of considering them freeloaders who want to eat our cake, we must start viewing them as a great opportunity: If Israel has managed to reach its current standard of living without them, one can only imagine where we could go with the added talent and motivation that is not currently being tapped. These are enormous economic resources - far greater than the natural gas reserves found off Haifa. 

Today, developing a broad national ethos that would include Arabs and Haredim seems like mission impossible. It is obvious that a rightist government headed by Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman is not built for this. 

Therefore, we must concentrate on change from the bottom up. Everyone must ask himself or herself how he or she can contribute to integration: buying in shops that employ Arabs and Haredim, hiring workers from these communities, renting apartments to them or simply watching television programs and channels that represent our multicultural mosaic. And get to know an Arab or a Haredi instead of fearing them. 

If we open our doors to them and give them opportunities, we will all benefit. And if we continue to shut ourselves off, we will all crash.

Comments

[simon]

I would assume that if Israel finds themselves in a situation where there are not enough conscripts then with the stroke of a pen they could say that Haradem must serve in the Army. They can begin with a provision that the do not have to serve if they are gainfully employed part time (and I don't mean 2 hours a week) while they learn.

As to the welfare problem again with the stroke of a pen they can do something along the line of
(1) Get $x if you do not show up to an employment center and $y if you do (y >> x)
(2) Get $x for a child who does not attend an acceptable school $y if they do (y >> x and an acceptable school is one that meets some set of standards).

Let us not underestimate the power of the buck. They just should be creative to shape and mold what they want to accomplish.

[:)]

There also needs to be some fundamental change in the Israeli constitution that limits the number of political parties. A Parliamentary democracy is hobbled by excess in political stipes. As it stands there are too many parties and forming a coalition means having to kowtow to a number of masters. A constitutional change to limit the number of parties to 2 or 3 wherein a clear majority is represented in the knesset would ease the way to optimal governance.

[who knows?]

The author does a good in identifying, but failes to provide reasonable solution.

[Moshe Aron Kestenbaum, ODA Williamsburg]

i just got back from Israel, I watched alot of toldos ahronim chasidim in the mea shearim area doing nothing, They don't work, A big percentage don't even learn torah in kollel! They can't go into the Army, ... Being a Schnorrer is a "profession" for many

[A. Nuran]

Who knows, the solution is obvious but politically unpalatable. The Haredim need to be integrated into the real world. They need an education system, not an indoctrination system. They need to be conscripted into the IDF the same as other Jews. The welfare system needs to be reformed. And the "yeshivas" need to be brought to heel.

[Chaim]

When the army will come to the yeshiva than the yeshiva will go to the army. You are never going to be able to draft chareidim into an army thats run by jewish goyim like Barack and company. You cant force people to fight for a cause they despise. Today even the secular kids are refusing to join the army as it is run by a bunch of air headed politicians. Even Olmarts sons evaded the draft and left Israel. 8 MORE YEARS AND ALL OF jERUSALEM WILL be chareidi. 14 more years and 80 percent of Israel will be chareidim. Cant beat them join them.I just had a chareidi cousin got married in Israel tonight,hes 16 shes 15 so the revolution has begun. BABIES,BALLOTS and BELIEF.

[Bilaam's Donkey]

Letter from "Tel Aviv" is right. It's the Ashkenazi elites in Tel Aviv who see Israel as secular, Arab & Haredi. Try going into the development towns and small cities. You've got maybe 30% of Israel that is Sephardi and traditional rather than secular or Orthodox.

[who knows?]

Nuran, I begin to understand why in 19th century so many Jews walked away from the faith. Are we about to see a repeat of that or we going to witness first fundamentalist Jewish state in 2100 years?

[harold]

You cant force people to fight for a cause they despise

There are lots of tasks that one can do while in the Army. Like any large company there are lots of positions that need to be filled. Some are clerical in nature some are janitorial etc. The government is in position to declare who has to serve and it will be the armed services to decide just how to place these recruits.

[:)]

Dear Chaim:
If your vision of a Charedi israel comes to pass, g-d have mercy on you. There will be no more Israel. The Charedim refuse army service, and would not serve in any case on shabbat or yom tov. How long will it take our enemies to launch a devastating strike while the army is off davening?

As long as one secular Zionist draws breath, there will be no Charedi revolution. There is a revolution coming-but not the one you are awaiting. It will be there when the government stops handing the overpopulated rabbits known as charedim a payment every month. The knesset will demand work instead of welfare, army service instead of torah study, productivity instead of a new pregnancy every year. In short, the charedi lifestyle will be cut off at the knees. Your vision of a Charedi paradise with no work and total closure of the country during shabbat and yom tov shall never become reality.

[Deb]

The Jewish Taliban is taking over Israel.

[Gladys]

This is the Revenge of the Old Yishuv.

They were thrown aside by the European socialist Jews who took over all the institutions.

Now the secular shrimp-eaters with their gay pride parades are finding out that they live in the Middle East.

They will never turn the ME into Paris, London, Amsterdam, New York, or Hollywood. The European Jewish Colony in Palestine is falling apart.

Those religious Jews that do not need a Jewish Kingdom in order feel comfortable living in the Holy Land will continue living there even after the Jewish Government collapses, as they have for 3500 years.

And all the seculars will turn yordim and flee back to Europe and America.

When your women stop breeding except for One Perfect Child (that marries a shiksa) you die out.

The demographics are painfully obvious.

Anyway, the rabbis have always done better ruling Jews by fear in a ghetto surrounded by goyim than they do in an open Jewish society.

They know what side their bread is buttered on.