Post-Election Israel Faces Test of National Cohesion and Resilience
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
A senior economist, Yair Avidan, argues that Israel's next government must prioritize national cohesion and resilience by rebuilding public trust and fostering shared responsibility. Key challenges include improving education for all, ensuring equitable distribution of national service obligations, and expanding quality employment. The author emphasizes that national strength depends on social infrastructure and collective action, especially in the face of increasing global uncertainties. This requires a shift from divisive rhetoric to respectful dialogue and practical policies that integrate diverse populations into the nation's future.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's next government must rebuild public trust and foster national cohesion, according to senior economist Yair Avidan.
- National security relies on human capital and social cohesion, not just military and technology.
- Quality education for all children is a foundational element for national resilience and economic growth.
- Equitable distribution of national service obligations is crucial for a sustainable social contract.
- Integrating 7,500 additional Haredi conscripts annually could save the economy at least 9 billion shekels.
- Resilience must be embedded in planning, budgeting, and risk management due to escalating global uncertainties.
Following elections, the incoming Israeli government faces the critical challenge of rebuilding public trust and fostering a sense of shared responsibility for the nation's future. This task is framed as a matter of national security, emphasizing that a strong nation relies not only on military and technological prowess but also on human capital, social cohesion, and collective accountability. The author argues that Israel's diversity, while potentially a source of strength, must be harnessed effectively to avoid fragmentation, necessitating a significant shift in public discourse towards respectful disagreement and adherence to shared rules of engagement.
The article stresses that leadership plays a crucial role in shaping national unity, with the government obligated to serve all citizens regardless of political affiliation. Divisive rhetoric, while offering short-term political gains, can inflict long-term national damage. True national resilience, the author contends, requires embedding mutual responsibility into the fabric of daily life, ensuring every individual feels a sense of belonging and shared ownership of the future.
In the face of escalating global uncertainties, security, geopolitical, economic, climatic, and technological, Israel must integrate resilience into its core planning, budgeting, and risk management. This includes strengthening essential infrastructure and, crucially, social infrastructure. A foundational element of this resilience is quality education for all children, providing them with the knowledge and skills to reach their potential, irrespective of their background. The OECD's 2025 economic survey highlights the link between educational disparities and economic growth, recommending that school funding be tied to core curriculum instruction and that funding gaps be reduced.
Furthermore, the piece addresses the issue of equitable distribution of national responsibility, particularly the concept of "burden sharing" in military service. The current model, where certain segments of the population bear a disproportionate share of service obligations, is deemed unsustainable. A practical, measurable framework is needed that acknowledges diverse lifestyles while meeting security needs. The Bank of Israel estimates that integrating an additional 7,500 Haredi conscripts annually could reduce the economic cost to the economy by at least nine billion shekels.
The author concludes by outlining a clear agenda for the next government: strengthening cohesion and trust as a national objective, ensuring quality education and core studies for all, fairly distributing service obligations, expanding quality employment, and reducing opportunity gaps. This requires partnership with the business sector, local authorities, and civil society. The call is for concrete actions to build the conditions for unity, transforming solidarity and mutual responsibility into routine practice. Israel's strength lies not in uniformity but in its ability to embrace diversity and act collectively, with each part contributing to the whole and benefiting from it.
