Haredi Invasion

Can Israel survive its

biggest challenge yet?

Jewish Religiosity Spectrum in Israel

Religiosity in this context is simply defined as the average proportion of time devoted to religious-specific activities

HarediUltra-

Orthodox

Dati Le’umiModern

Orthodox

MasoratiTraditional

HiloniSecular

more religious

less religious

Jewish Religiosity in Israel

HarediUltra-

Orthodox

Dati Le’umiModern

Orthodox

MasoratiTraditional

HiloniSecular

Sephardim

Ashkenazim Ashkenazim

Haredi Data

• Reliable data on Haredi trends are difficult to obtain:• Due to its inherent loose definition (floating signifier)

• Lack of participation in surveys

• 50% refusal rate (CBS study)

• Moreover, data is biased towards more moderate haredim

• For example, 35% of Haredi men completed military service

• This leads to an overreliance on anecdotes and poor categorisation of datasets.

"The plural of anecdote is not data." (R. Brinner)

Haredi Data

 

Haredi

anecdotes

HarediUltra-

Orthodox

Dati Le’umiModern

Orthodox

MasoratiTraditional

HiloniSecular

Haredi Data

  Haredi data

categorisation

HarediUltra-

Orthodox

Dati Le’umiModern

Orthodox

MasoratiTraditional

HiloniSecular

Key Economic & Social Issues

• Low participation in workforce (particularly for men)

• Lack of marketable education

• High birth rate (7-9 per woman)

• In Haredi cities, more than half are under the age of 15

• Large informal economic activity

• Exemption from military service

• Welfare dependency

As the proportion of Haredim grow, can Israel remain a modern developed economy under these conditions?

Haredi Birth-rate

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

Female-core Female-moderate

Difference in Growth Rates between Arabs and Jews

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

-0.50%

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

Comparison with Haredim outside of Israel

• A common misperception is that Haredim in other countries are far better integrated.

• Some key characteristics are, however, very similar:• Welfare dependency

• High birth rate

• Lack of marketable education

• Informal economy

Haredi leadership

• The survival of the Haredi society is fundamentally dependant on its socioeconomic characteristics.

• Financial dependence on the internal system acts as a mechanism to prevent Haredim from defecting.

• Consequently, social punishments are very powerful.

• Lack of formal education, early marriage and high birth-rate acts as lock-in mechanisms.

• The leadership are, therefore, resistant to any change - as it is effectively a negotiation on the death of haredism

Summary & Policy Perspectives

• Acknowledging the fundamental threats to Haredi survival, and that these cannot be separated its economics characteristics.

• Welfare reform may also impact Haredi behaviour in different way.

• Should government support be available to those who leave the Haredi community?