The Economic Burden of Religion

The Israeli economy has defied all odds. A mere 60 years ago, most Israelis were farmers, living on kibbutzim and cultivating the land, transforming swamps and deserts become a world leader in science, with high-tech booming and Israeli companies taking the lead on military technologies. Similarly, Israeli drug maker Teva has become a generic pharmaceutical giant, selling its products all over the world.

Meanwhile, a large portion of Israelis do not serve in the military or work. The bulk of this group is the ultra-orthodox Jews, whose lives are subsidized by the state. Many of them refuse to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces, instead considering their contribution to Israeli security is praying that the rest of society’s contributions —  both physical and scientific — can withstand a future coordinated onslaught from Israel’s many foes. The ultra-orthodox community also does not often work, instead taking subsidies from the government, which are granted on a per-child basis and only encourage procreation, with many families nearing a dozen children.

Due to the ability of the religious community to effectively live off the state (although, many of them are still very poor), the Israeli political scene is also often shaped by this welfare mentality. The ultra orthodox parties in Israel are often viewed as holding draconian ideas against the peace process, land swaps or any concessions to the Palestinians that would shrink the size of Israel and relinquish control over holy areas. However, in actuality, many of the religious parties lobby the coalition government to obtain control over the social system — including education and welfare — to increase, or at least maintain, state subsidies for observant Jews who prefer to pray all day than get a job.

The incentives to procreate also help Israel, though, with many Israelis fearing a demographic demise if the birth rate of Arabs and non-Jews remains substantially higher (The demographic argument is a a bit tenuous, with Jewish birth rates in the non-orthodox community, i.e. Russian,  on the rise and the Arab birth rates declining, with the two nearing convergence).

Moreover, many Arabs also take advantage of this per-child subsidy. For example, in the Negev desert, many Bedouins who are Israeli citizens also procreate to the extreme and then go to the bank to collect their subsidy.

This social-welfare state mentality may not be sustainable, an article in the Los Angeles Times points out. According to an expert cited in the article, 65 percent of ultra orthodox men do not work, a figure which has tripled in the last four decades. Tel Aviv University Prof. Dan Ben David said:

“We support a lifestyle of nonworking that is pretty unparalleled in the Western world… On the one hand, we have this state-of-the-art part of the economy. Then there is the rest of the country that is like a huge drag.”

Economically and logically, the Israeli state cannot sustain this mentality forever if the ultra-orthodox community continues to grow and live off the rest of Israelis. And, reducing the welfare mentality of the state is in no way a contradiction to traditional Judaism.

Historically, a community’s rabbi was not only the religious leader. That rabbi also had another profession, which ranged among different duties commonly found in your average town. During his spare time and as a service to the community, the rabbi would lead prayer and serve as the religious leader of the town. That perception of a rabbi has changed over time, and, luckily for the rabbi, there’s enough work to go around. The rabbi can devote their entire profession to being a spiritual leader.

But, what about unemployed religious men who are not officially the head of a community and don’t receive a paycheck for their services? These men already received exemptions from serving in the military, which sparked the ire of Defense Minister Ehud Barak who was relatively unsuccessful in forcing them to work.

It is possible to be both devout and productive. Many people, including Israelis, often work two jobs to support their families. And then go to the synagogue or church on the weekend. The two are not mutually exclusive.

These individuals have no excuse and should work at the local market, fallafel stand, or Burger Ranch (the kosher version of McDonalds) if need be. Or, enlist in the military (gasp!) and receive a government check by actually working for it. There is no reason that mere devoutness should exempt an individual from their duties and responsibilities, burdening the rest of society and undermining the achievements of the rest of the population.