In downtown Safed, which has a large ultra-Orthodox Jewish population, Israel, August 25, 2024. LUCIEN LUNG/RIVA PRESS FOR « LE MONDE »
For several years, economist Dan Ben-David, president and founder of the Shoresh Institute at Tel Aviv University, has warned Israeli leaders about the country's vulnerabilities. According to the specialist in macroeconomics, the weaknesses of the education system, insufficient public investment and the demographic trends among ultra-Orthodox Jews pose existential threats to Israel. Ben-David has called for a comprehensive school system reform and an end to the educational and military exemptions granted to the Haredim (meaning "those who fear God" in Hebrew), ultra-Orthodox Jews whose growing numbers threaten to upset the balance of society.
Why are you so pessimistic about Israel's future?
Because the direction we are headed is unsustainable, and it is related to the primary issue of our country: education. When we look at core subjects – math, science and reading – in the PISA [Program for International Student Assessment, an international test that measures the learning abilities of 15 year olds] exam over the past two decades, the entire developed world is above us.
