Economists sign a letter stating that policy towards Haredim threatens the state – Israel News

The Israeli government’s policies regarding the ultra-Orthodox population, combined with the high rate of growth of that population, are leading Israel on a dangerous path that threatens the country’s economy and society, nearly 130 Israeli economists said in a letter.

“The State of Israel and Haredi society are interdependent: the well-being of the state requires the assistance of the Haredi community in the areas of economy, security and society,” the letter reads. “At the same time, without a strong economy that can ensure the security of all citizens, haredi society cannot exist in the long term,” the letter said.

“The increasing economic and security burden on sections of Israeli society, and the avoidance of bearing this burden on an increasingly large section of the population, are not sustainable processes,” said the letter, which said Israel’s security situation makes it more dramatic.

“Many of those who bear this burden will prefer to leave Israel,” the letter reads. “The first to leave will be those who have opportunities abroad: doctors, engineers, high-tech workers and scientists.”

By 2065, 50% of people under the age of 14 are expected to be Haredi (compared to 22% today), the letter says. “Without changes to the current procedure, these processes threaten the existence of the state,” the letter warned.

A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked traffic and railways in Jerusalem, demonstrating against the conscription of Haredi Jews into the IDF. February 26, 2024 (source: SOL SUSSMAN)

Increased security needs will lead to an extension of reserve service if Israel does not draw additional population. These extensions will cost the Israeli economy billions of shekels every year, companies will prefer not to hire reservists, and public services and the economy’s productivity will suffer significantly, he said. It could also lead to a wave of Israeli companies leaving the country because they cannot afford to lose employees to the reserve, as the letter predicted.

The Haredi education system does not provide the necessary knowledge to workers

Another issue that will be greatly impacted by the demographic changes Israel faces is the financing of the Haredi population and the financing of Haredi education, which does not include the core curriculum.

“Accepting a Haredi education system that fails to provide its students with the knowledge they need to cope in a global marketplace, coupled with massive budgets that are expected to grow exponentially, is a recipe for a deterioration of the quality of life in Israel and significant harm to the state’s ability to provide basic services to its citizens,” we read in the letter.

Under the current system of government, the growth of the Haredi population will give Haredi leaders the opportunity to ensure that their population is overrepresented in the legislature, also enabling its leadership to harm the liberal characteristics of the state, the letter states.

Economists have called for sweeping reforms in education, sharing the burden of security among all different parts of society, and changes to Israel’s system of government, including enshrining liberal and democratic values in law in a way that prevents their erosion in the future.

“This is not a false alarm. History will not forgive current and future captains of state – from across the political spectrum – if they remain inactive.

Those who signed the letter include many prominent Israeli economists, including 73 professors, some from leading Israeli academic institutions. The letter was signed by many former directors general of the Ministry of Finance, as well as other former senior officials of the Ministry of Finance. Many academic leaders and former political advisers also signed the letter.