"Stimulates antagonism" - the ultra-Orthodox respond to the Lieberman program
The Minister of Finance presented yesterday a revolutionary plan to encourage ultra-Orthodox men and Arab women to go to work.
Two representatives who specialize in the field of employment in both sectors, respond to the program and explain which of its sections makes sense to them and what their place in the Lieberman program is.
Between Ashkenazi
16/02/2022
Wednesday, 16 February, 2022, 09:02 Updated: 09:28
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Yesterday, Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman presented to the socio-economic cabinet his plan to integrate ultra-Orthodox men into the labor market.
Although Lieberman spoke at the beginning of the meeting in a section that was open to the media about the integration of Arab women in the labor market, the issue was not discussed in the section that was closed to the media.
With regard to ultra-Orthodox men, the plan includes a, but also carrots: on the one hand, Lieberman seeks to deny discounts on property taxes, daycare and day care from non-working parents and encourage core studies, and on the other hand to reduce school hours from 20 to 40 per week, without reducing The allowance provided for them, so that the students can work, even part-time, without compromising their allowance.
Sources in the Ministry of Finance knew how to tell that when it comes to the integration of ultra-Orthodox men in the labor market, there are four main barriers: The first concerns the
age of exemption from recruitment
, Which is currently being debated in the Knesset and will end with the amendment of the law so that an ultra-Orthodox guy who wants to integrate into the labor market can do so from the age of 21.
The second barrier concerns the fact that most ultra-Orthodox men have not studied
core
mathematics.
A third barrier is
the cultural context in which ultra-Orthodox men do not integrate into the labor market
, with the Ministry of Finance emphasizing that this is an issue they do not intend to address.
The fourth barrier concerns the
lack of incentives to go out to work
and the Treasury intends to address the issue as written above.
However, sources in the Ministry of Finance wanted to emphasize that they are in a fruitful dialogue with professional bodies and opinion leaders in ultra-Orthodox society.
When we asked for the names of officials in the Treasury, they emphasized that they did not feel comfortable giving the names of those opinion leaders out of a desire to respect them.
The big question that remains open is how ultra-Orthodox and Arab society will respond to the finance minister's plans.
Walla spoke with Adv. Avraham Yostman, VP of the Kemach Foundation - Haredi Professional Advancement - which integrates Haredi men in the fact market, and with Dr. Maha Karkabi Sabah, a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ben Gurion University and director of the Arab Economy Forum in the Negev .
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Adv. Avraham Yostman, VP of the KMH Foundation - Haredi Professional Advancement - which integrates Haredi men in the fact market (Photo: KMAH Foundation spokeswoman)
Stimulates antagonism
"We are very skeptical about the possibility that with sticks it will be possible to force ultra-Orthodox men to enter the labor market."
Says Adv. Justman.
"It should be remembered that ultra-Orthodox women integrate into the labor market at a similar rate as Jewish women. That even what we have achieved in recent years is not in large enough steps to retreat because of the preservation with sticks and not carrots. "
But in fact what the Treasury tells you that it did not work
"
"I'm not saying there are no challenges, I can tell you that lowering the age of exemption from military service to 21 is the right step because it offers those who wanted to integrate into training or studies or employment to do it at a younger age."
"You will see that there is a thunderous silence about this step and also about the reduction of a person who receives a meager scholarship of about 800 shekels for 20 hours of study will pass in my opinion in silence, these are positive catalysts that help integrate ultra-Orthodox men into the labor market. Of the ultra-Orthodox public and in addition to Lieberman's statements about the ultra-Orthodox public, it is probably not helpful. "
What do you hear from the ultra-Orthodox men about the finance minister's economic plan?
"It evokes antagonism. It evokes convergence. It causes more rabbis and community leaders who to this day in tacit agreement have let their audiences go and learn to oppose this move. It causes a setback and we think it's a real shame."
Dr. Maha Karkabi Sabah, a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ben-Gurion University and director of the research unit at the Arab Economic Forum Bang (Photo: Danny Mechles, Ben-Gurion University)
The focus must be on education
Dr. Maha Karkabi tells Walla !: "The lowest employment rate in Israel today is the employment rate of Arab women (about 40%, BA), even the ultra-Orthodox men overtook them (about 51%, BA)."
What are the reasons for this?
"The reasons are varied. Many years of research have shown that Arab culture does not allow women to enter the public sphere, but Arab society is undergoing significant changes. But this is not seen in the increase in the employment rate."
Will the finance minister's plan succeed in encouraging Arab women to integrate into the labor market?
"Depending on what the program puts the focus on, in the studies I partner with we see that there are barriers that prevent Arab women from integrating. The most prominent barrier is the level of education and the lack of academic education."
So should the Treasury focus on improving the education of Arab women?
"The change should also come in raising the level of education of women which will be more than secondary education but also in the fields of education."
"Of course, on the one hand there is a change in values and there is a trend of changing the status of women and how they are perceived. There is such a trend. In addition, there is agreement even among the more traditional Arab families "You encounter very significant barriers. For example, Jewish women without an academic education integrate much more into the labor market than Arab women without an academic education."
Arab student: Even an Arab woman with the skills to integrate into the high-tech industry, will not travel every day from the distant periphery to the center (Photo: ShutterStock)
An Arab living in the north will not travel to Tel Aviv to work in high-tech
Did the Treasury talk to you?
"No, I am the director of the research unit at the Arab Economic Forum and we talked to them in a month's. There is a big conference with the president so we talk to the state, but there was no specific request from the finance ministry."
Bottom line - will the Treasury's program change anything in Arab society?
"I do not eliminate the cultural aspect but I say that if we continue to focus on that aspect then we will miss the changes that are happening in Arab society. Of course there are cultural barriers like the preference to work in the local labor market and sometimes there are objections to women working away from home
. Children are a burden that usually falls on women and this too constitutes a significant barrier.
But it is possible to create opportunities in the local labor market that do not exist today and then we will see a change.
For example, it is possible to set up high-tech incubators and employment areas that women can integrate into the workplace close to home.
A woman who lives in the north will have a hard time traveling to Tel Aviv to work in high-tech, that needs to change. "
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Tags
Avigdor Lieberman
religious
The labor market
Arab women