An opinion column argues that young Israelis’ growing refusal to take low-status jobs, such as bus driving, security, waiting tables, cleaning, and construction, could have broader consequences. The writer says bus companies, once cooperatives like Egged and Dan, have tried better conditions, long-term bonuses, and even foreign workers, and are now counting on discharged soldiers. He questions whether it is wise to put a 22-year-old with little driving experience behind a bus full of passengers.
The piece says the trend is not unique to Israel. It points to higher unemployment benefits, student grants, rent controls, expensive housing, and the fact that many young people remain in their parents’ homes and need only pocket money. It also cites a view that some young people are rebelling against their parents’ generation, which accumulated wealth by sacrificing leisure and family time.
The columnist then describes his own youth in a middle-class family in Haifa, where he was made to work during school vacations if he wanted money for trips, sports, or other expenses. He says that from ninth grade until enlistment he worked every July, then after army service he went to Australia and spent about eight months doing construction and clothing packing work, while also watching the 1990 World Cup early each morning. Later, he used his savings to travel in Australia, Asia, and South America, and when he returned to Israel he worked in security to fund his studies and family life.
He argues that Western countries have filled labor shortages with migrant workers, but the second generation often becomes a social and security problem. In Europe, the migrants came from former colonies and Eastern Europe; in the United States, mainly from Mexico, Central America, and South America; and in Australia, from China. The author says Israel cannot absorb illegal labor migrants indefinitely because of its security needs, and warns that many children of migrants and refugees have already fallen into crime and violence. He says Benjamin Netanyahu was among the first to recognize the danger and proposed deporting those who could be removed while granting citizenship to the rest, but right-wing allies forced him to abandon the plan. The children, he concludes, are now becoming a police problem, and if not handled properly, some could soon become a Shin Bet problem.
