Economy and Politics

Publications Regarding Economy and Politics

Articles

Key Findings

Workforce Participation of Haredi Yeshiva Students Under the Exemption Age

This study describes the employment trends among men registered in ultra-Orthodox yeshivas between the ages of 18-25. The findings are based on a reported work, or "legal work," so it is very likely that this is an underestimation of reality. 

Research

Employee Skills in Israel: Overview and Gap Analysis

Technological advancements, rapid globalization, and structural changes in the Israeli economy over the past few decades have led to significant shifts in the demand for workers and in the tasks required of them, as well as in the characteristics of their skills and qualifications. This study offers insights on these questions using a variety of data sources and by employing two distinct empirical approaches.

Explainer

A Historic Supreme Court Hearing on Haredi Conscription and Yeshiva Funding

Israel's Supreme Court convened to hear arguments on the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who no longer are exempt from military service, and the legality of providing funding for yeshivas that enroll them as long as no new law has been legislated on this issue.

Research

Financial Aggregates and New Budgetary Priorities for Israel

In May 2023, the Knesset approved a two-year state budget for 2023–2024. However, following the outbreak of the war in Gaza and the accompanying conflict in the north, the budget's composition, safety cushions, and especially the priorities it reflects are no longer suited to Israel’s economic and geopolitical realities.

Article

Coronavirus and Unemployment in Israel

Daphna Aviram Nitzan presents an analysis of unemployment in Israel in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Coronavirus: Israel's Economy and Economic Policy

Prof. Karnit Flug's press briefing today focued on the Coronavirus’ effect on the Israeli economy and policies that could mitigate the damage inflicted by the pandemic.

Article

The COVID-19 Crisis - Economic Impact and Economic Policies

What will be the economic ramifications of the coronavirus outbreak on the Israeli economy? Prof. Karnit Flug explains.

Article

The UN Blacklist – A Devastating Blow, or Prelude to Future Dangers?

The UN Human Rights Council published a database of Israeli and international companies operating in the West Bank - what are the ramifications and possible outcomes?

Podcast

The Israeli Economy: A Report Card

Prof. Karnit Flug, former Governor of the Bank of Israel and currently Vice President for Research at the Israel Democracy Institute, analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the Israeli economy.

Eli Hurvitz Highlights 2019

Ability to Make Economy Related Decisions Impaired

Prof. Karnit Flug, Vice President of IDI and Former Governor of the Bank of Israel spoke at the 2019 Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society: “With no government in place, the ability to make economy-related decisions is impaired. In the current situation, what is done depends entirely on what the Knesset Finance Committee is prepared to do."

Eli Hurvitz Highlights 2019

Israel is in Danger of Becoming a Weakened State

Benny Gantz, Chair of the Blue and White party and former IDF Chief of Staff spoke at the 2019 Eli Hurvitz Conference: "Government ministers bicker daily with the professional echelon - a situation that harms Israelis"

Eli Hurvitz Highlights 2019

Israel’s Economy: Island of Stability with Troubling Trends

Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute and Prof. Eugene Kandel, CEO Start-Up Nation Central, open the two day conference, welcoming senior executives from the public and private sectors. 

 

Op-ed

The Coming Capitalist Revolution

Profit remains the ultimate objective, but the focus should be on profit for all those with a stake in a company, and not just its shareholders

Press Release

Ease of Doing Business 2020 Index

In response to the Ease of Doing Business 2020 index that was published this morning, Daphna Aviram-Nitzan, director of the Center for Governance and Economics at the Israel Democracy Institute, who leads the regulation reduction project at the Institute, commented on Israel moving up 14 slots to the 35th place after 5 points improvement last year.

Press Release

Quarter of the Population Gives Government's Policies a Failing Grade

Two and a half weeks ahead of the elections, a special IDI survey reveals that the Israeli public gives government economic policies a failing grade and supports increasing the budgets allocated to health, education, welfare, and public transportation services

Op-ed

Misery Loves Company

In light of their demographic growth, the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel have to attempt to become part of in the broader Israeli society.

Article

Israel Climbs Five Spots in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index

Israel improved by five spots over last year in the index of 190 countries. In first place is New Zealand, followed by Singapore, Denmark, Hong Kong, and South Korea. The Ease of Doing Business Index is an international indicator of how easy it is to do business in various countries.

Article

Survey of Public Attitudes on Economic Policy (June 2018)

On the occasion of this year’s Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society (June 19-20) the Israel Democracy Institute published a special survey to assess public opinion on Israel’s economic future.

Research

Israel needs a Paradigm Shift: Greater Compatibility Between Human Capital and the Economy

Israel suffers from a shortage of skilled workers in manufacturing industries and hi-tech and an overflow of the service sector; priorities in the allocation of public resources for the training of human capital must be changed to better fit the needs of the economy.

Research

Israel’s future labor market needs updated models

The number of vacation days in Israel is among the lowest in the world. Research by Prof. Yotam Margalit presents a new model which will ensure a minimum of 18 vacation days for each worker.

Article

Top OECD Official: Israel Must do more to Integrate Arabs and ultra-Orthodox into the Economy

Dr. Peter Jarrett, the head of the Country Studies Division at the OECD, says the government must do more to integrate all Israelis into the economy if it is to continue to prosper and grow. "Boasting that Arabs and Ultra-Orthodox Aside, Israel's Situation is Excellent - is Simply shortsighted and Foolish."

Article

Mission: Open a factory in Israel in 18 months

An ambitious plan aims at slashing the 4-6 years it currently takes to pass all the regulatory hurdles in Israel

Article

Jerusalem Report: Welcome to 21st Century Politics

Poorly funded and under threat from personalization and social media, political parties are in decline.

Op-ed

Israel Exemplifies Rise of Personalized Politics

Donald Trump’s surprise win seems to illustrate the awesome power of the Internet-savvy individual in politics.

Press Release

Bank of Israel's Karnit Flug: 'Ensure More Ultra-Orthodox Males Receive a Complete Secular Education'

srael's GDP is 40 percent lower than that of the U.S. and its level of productivity is 33% less than most OECD countries, according to a presentation by Dr. Karnit Flug, governor of the Bank of Israel.

Article

Israel Democracy Institute's First-Ever Economic Survey

As the Israel Democracy Institute's annual Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society kicks off today in Jerusalem, IDI's Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research sheds new light on Israeli socioeconomic discourse.

Article

Bank of Israel Governor Karnit Flug, Ministry of Finance Director-General Shai Babad to Headline Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy & Society

Israel Democracy Institute's leading economic conference will focus on integrating innovation into the government, actuarial crisis,
and role of business press, among other topics

Op-ed

The High Price of Ignoring Poverty

Following the publication of the Poverty Report, Dr. Sami Miaari points out the large percentage of Arab Israelis that live in poverty. He says the current situation requires a new strategy and economic investment on several levels simultaneously. This article first appeared on Times of Israel.

Op-ed

Shemitat Kesafim: The Year of Escape from Debt

Dr. Benny Porat discusses the precept of debt cancellation during the sabbatical year (Shemita) and proposes ways in which to update this practice to suit the economics of contemporary Israel and create a model society. 

Op-ed

Transparency in Local Authority Budgets

Dr. Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler discusses the challenges to transparency in the budgets of Israel's local authorities, including the need to make budgets accessible, to enable searches within budgets, and to facilitate comparisons between the budgets of different authorities.

Op-ed

Shmita: Rest, Share, Release

An exploration of the existential, social, and economic dimensions of the Shmita year, that calls for bringing together social, moral, cultural, religious and national forces to implement the idea of Shmita in non-agricultural and national contexts in Israel.

Op-ed

Regulating Bedouin Settlement: A Disengagement Plan for the Negev

Ronit Levine-Schnur analyzes the Bill to Regulate Bedouin Settlement in the Negev 5773–2013, warns that it seems to be motivated by an exaggerated fear of a Bedouin takeover of the Negev, and offers an alternative approach. 

Article

State Involvement in Equitable Distribution: A Comparison of the Jewish and Arab Sectors in Israel

An article on the role of the State in the redistribution of economic resources during the first decade of the 21st century, which was written as part of IDI’s Arab-Jewish Relations project.

Op-ed

Value in Doing Business with Israel

Despite last summer's war in Lebanon, Hamas's rise to leadership, Hizbullah rockets being aimed at Israeli cities, and international boycotts, Israeli economy is thriving, the national debt and unemployment have significantly dropped, and investors continue to look to Israel as fertile ground for investment.

Op-ed

Active Labor Market Policy Must Become Priority

For Israel's economy to grow, significant investment in building a strong and effective infrastructure for occupational training and reemployment is critical.

Press Release

Professor Eytan Sheshinski joins the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) as a Senior Researcher in the Center for Governance and the Economy

Top Israeli economist, Professor Eytan Sheshinski, has joined IDI as a senior researcher in the Center for Governance and the Economy, under the leadership of Dafna Aviram-Nitzan.