Against the backdrop of the kaleidoscope of political events taking place in Israel, eradicating yet another evil called “unemployment” looks very much like a domestic chore. And yet, the task is, frankly, not an easy one, considering that one has to fight unemployment in a country where more than a quarter of the population are repatriates whose starting conditions are deliberately worse. And if one also takes into account that virtually the entire female half of the Arab sector living in Israel (Muslim women are not supposed to work) has joined the army of idlers, then this struggle moves from the social sphere entirely into the political one. Depriving Israeli Arabs of social benefits is like poking a hornet's nest. However, the problem of unemployment, like a “sore spot,” bothers not only Israel; it can be viewed on an international scale as well. Everywhere a flood of emigrants has poured in, unemployment statistics spoil the overall picture of well-being and prosperity of this or that country. That is precisely why promises to help socially vulnerable segments of the population are a trump card in any election race.
In Israel, the fight against unemployment began even before early elections were in the air. The keen nose of former finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu clearly sensed that after the 'disengagement,' Ariel Sharon's chances of remaining in the prime minister's chair would be greatly shaken, and his Likud party colleagues would be looking for a new leader. Therefore, anticipating the coming events, Netanyahu decided to clear his path to the pedestal by preparing in advance a seemingly foolproof plan. To please his potential voters, the future candidate for head of government (then still a minister) decided to introduce in Israel the American program 'Wisconsin,' aimed at combating unemployment.
It all started with a business trip to the United States by one of the high-ranking state officials to study the local experience. It was he who brought and handed Netanyahu recommendations on attracting American firms to implement this program in Israel. The wise advice cost Israeli taxpayers no more, no less than 15 million shekels (?3 million for one trip). Without thinking twice, the financial boss generously allocated another €16 million from the state treasury to bring the overseas program to life. A tender was announced, which was won by four private companies. The main condition of their contract with the state is to find jobs for at least 30% of 'clients' (it doesn't matter how or where, just as long as they are deprived of state payments by any means), after which, from the savings on social benefits, Netanyahu undertook to pay the 'Wisconsinites' substantial dividends. And off it went...
Beautiful 'high-tech' style offices - glass, plastic, computer gadgets, well-trained highly paid employees - opened their doors to Arab women in robes and elderly Israelis who looked at all this luxury with fear. The first results were simply stunning - in just one month of the 'Wisconsin' program's existence, unemployment in the country dropped by as much as 2% (and today stands at 9%)! That is, thanks to (or despite) the innovation, more than 25% of the program's participants were able to find jobs. Any literate person immediately asks: 'Where does such agility come from? Can the reports of statisticians be trusted?' Answers poured as from a cornucopia, in the form of complaints, tears, and lamentations of the program's participants, so loud that apparently they will have to be heard in Israel's high courts. The beautiful slogan: 'From social benefit to employment' turned out to be a bluff, since the final result is directly linked to profit, and the selfless love of private companies for money initially implies that they will not strive for the good of people desperately trying to find work, but for individual gain.
In general, the private firms that took on this program were simply 'leaked' the database from the National Insurance Institute, and an 'experimental group' of 17,000 people was herded into a trap. The surprise awaited the 'Wisconsinites' literally from the first steps - the lists of their charges included only half-elderly and half-disabled people, that is, people of pre-retirement age, and also with a bouquet of illnesses. As always, the 'Russian street' was not spared, for it is precisely this stratum of society with university diplomas that finds itself outside the social life of the country. So why not restore their 'human face' by sending them out with brooms to clean the cities of accumulated filth? There, in 'Wisconsin,' they were told directly: 'Don't get your hopes up, you are not capable of any other work! If you don't like it, here's your flag, get out of here, and we'll get our bonus. Oh, we forgot! Give us your fingerprint on the way out, so that, God forbid, if you turn to crime out of hunger, it will be easier to identify you.' (Regarding fingerprints, apparently, American colleagues suggested it; no such practice had been observed in Israel before.) And what choice do they have, these 'dregs of society'? If you want to receive benefits, perform labor service, the so-called community work for the benefit of the historical homeland. And she, dear, only needs you near garbage bins, God forbid, morgues, and on the staff of elderly maids in hotels overflowing with tourists. Why, one might ask, should the unemployed eat up state benefits for free? There is no other work for them not only in the entire country, but also in the foreseeable future.
All the above would look funny, if not for the sadness and shame for the Israeli "compassionate" economists who calculated that subsistence allowances for this category of people drain the state coffers. This is precisely where the huge difference lies between the American experience of implementing the program and the Israeli one. The "Wisconsin" program in America was designed for a somewhat different segment of the population - in Wisconsin, 80% of those who signed up for the project (note, voluntarily) were unemployed people under 40, and the job market there is somewhat different. By the way, the "Wisconsin" program was not a success in the US and still causes heated debate. The Israeli officials clearly overlooked something when adopting "American tricks". As it turned out, successfully employed American unemployed people were thrown back out on the street within no more than six months. The Israeli brothers in misfortune weren't even given that much time - after just a month, most of them found themselves in the same place.
And here the would-be candidate Netanyahu miscalculated. The unemployed may be spendthrifts of the state treasury, but they are by no means fools, albeit insulted and offended. They understand the political intrigues of the Israeli establishment well. Look where you will, all of them are members of the Likud party, whose leader the initiator of the project intends to become! How did they manage to get into the party ranks? Apparently, beggars can't be choosers - no work, so at least a mandate. In the near future, Israeli unemployed intend to follow in the footsteps of the "orange revolutionaries" - preparations for a large-scale strike are in full swing. In their free time from work (and the working day in the "Wisconsin" program is, as expected, 8 hours), they are nailing posters to mops - "To hell with elections! Netanyahu, go clean up trash!" People are very determined; they simply have nothing to lose, by and large. And if the former finance minister, who planned to play a trump card with beautiful campaign speeches, is good at math, then he should multiply the number of "guinea pigs" by their family members. Believe me, the figure will be very impressive. Netanyahu will definitely not get these votes in the upcoming election.
Before implementing the "Wisconsin" program in Israel, one should have thought carefully - whether it is suitable for Jewish society, where there are sometimes not enough jobs even for young people.