Israeli Parties' Promises for Public Services Face Expert Scrutiny
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Israeli political parties have presented varied plans to improve public services, with experts scrutinizing their feasibility. Yisrael proposes management reforms and service improvements, while the Likud and Shas did not respond directly. The Democrats offered a costly plan for increased spending, and Religious Zionism suggested educational decentralization. Many parties' proposals were deemed ambitious but lacked clear funding sources or implementation details, with some experts questioning their potential to deliver tangible results within a single term.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel ranks last in the OECD for perceived tax value, leading to calls for public service reform.
- Yisrael proposes ending political appointments and prioritizing professionals to improve civil services.
- The Democrats' plan includes significant spending increases, daycare subsidies, and class size reduction.
- Likud and Shas declined to provide specific plans, with their past actions analyzed by experts.
- Experts question the feasibility and funding of many parties' ambitious proposals for civil services.
- Religious Zionism suggests decentralizing education and offering teachers personal contracts with salary hikes.
A recent analysis by the Israel Democracy Institute reveals that Israel ranks last among OECD nations in terms of perceived value for taxes paid, with a significant gap between public spending and the OECD average. This underfunding contributes to issues like traffic congestion and extended wait times for medical appointments. In response to this, N12 surveyed major Israeli political parties on their plans to improve civil services such as healthcare, education, and public transportation. Experts from the Israel Democracy Institute, Berl Katznelson Foundation, Arlozorov Forum, and Kohelet Forum evaluated the parties' proposals for feasibility and potential populism.
Yisrael, led by Gadi Eisenkot, proposes to reform public service management by ending political appointments and prioritizing professional staff. Their plan includes measurable goals for ministries, digitalization, and AI to reduce wait times, with a focus on serving those who work and contribute. Specific improvements are promised in healthcare to reduce disparities between the center and periphery, in education to prioritize state education and core studies, and in public transportation to reclaim time lost to traffic through professional management and infrastructure acceleration.
The Likud and Shas parties declined to respond to the survey. The Likud's past actions, such as transportation reforms under Miri Regev and a perceived weakening of core curriculum enforcement under Yoav Kisch, were analyzed. Experts noted that while transportation subsidies increased, they didn't significantly alter travel habits, and the weakening of core curriculum enforcement in education could have long-term economic consequences.
Parties like Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, proposed expanding summer school programs, subsidizing daycare for reservists and working parents, and improving public transportation accessibility and affordability. The Democrats presented a comprehensive plan to increase state spending on civil services, focusing on mental health, drastically reducing class sizes, and subsidizing daycare. Their proposal for daycare is estimated to cost approximately 525 million shekels.
Religious Zionism, headed by Bezalel Smotrich, suggested decentralizing the education system, granting more autonomy to principals, and offering personal contracts for teachers with significant salary increases. They also proposed reorganizing public transportation into an integrated network. Experts raised concerns about potential inequality and the creation of parallel education systems with their proposals. The Joint List advocated for reversing privatization and increasing public services, while Otzma Yehudit did not provide specific plans for civil services.
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