Moving to Israel

An old saying often used by Olim - How do you make a million dollars in Israel? Make Aliyah with 2 million.

The Finance Ministry of Israel has come up with a plan to further increase the economic divide between rich and poor - if you’re rich you don’t have to pay taxes.

According to the plan recently posted on Arutz7, any wealthy Jew who makes Aliyah would be exempt from paying taxes for the first 10 years. The ministry claims that as of now the exemption will be only on income that originates from outside of Israel. If one were to ponder on the finance ministry’s track record, a full tax exemption for the rich is not far behind. Just another step closer to ultimate goal of turning the average Israeli worker into a modern day slave,

Corruption in the Israeli political sphere is rampant and may be the real force pushing this new plan. Rich Israeli’s are very successful when it comes to wooing Israeli politicians and getting laws passed in the Knesset that benefit the rich and trodden on the poor.

Two members of the Israeli Parliament MKs Gilad Erdan (Likud) and Yoel Hasson (Kadima) proposed that Aliyah organizations work more closely with the government and its bureaucrats. They explain that such a move would turn government officials and their offices into a type of “hub” which will then direct policies and coordinate actions aimed at getting more people to move to Israel.So basically their idea is to create more government bureaucracy in order to speed up the Aliyah process. . .

Is it any wonder why the current situation in Israel is so far down the tubes? Israeli parliament members can’t help the thousands of people in Sderot who are suffering under the daily barrage of missiles. Statistics show that poverty levels in Israel have reached the highest rate ever; one of every 2 children is living below the poverty line, a poverty line that was defined by clueless fat cat bureaucrats. And go ahead, try to find a parliament member who hasn’t been investigated for corruption, I dare you.

There is a way to make Aliyah to Israel easier, faster, and most of all, more financially interesting. The Israeli government needs to make life for the Jews already living in Israel easier. Think about it. The majority of Jews living in Israel have a tough time. Making a living in Israel is very hard. Getting anything done is a hassle. Government lines are long, bureaucracy is thick, and the average government worker is highly under skilled and under motivated. This concludes with a quality of living which is substandard to say the least.

Now to a well-to-do Jewish American who is thinking about Aliyah, Zionism will only go so far. Why should he give up his high standard of living, make Aliyah, and then get stuck paying high taxes on an underpaid job in Israel. Maybe government officials should be more concerned about enriching the state (i.e. its citizens) which would in turn make Israel more attractive in the eyes of potential Olim.

In what seem as an almost unbelievable show of interest, due to huge differences in salaries and living standards, 152 American doctors have approached Nefesh B’Nefesh to inquire into the “Doctors’ Aliyah” program. The program was established recently in order to stem off the wave of brain drain that has hit Israel. Many highly trained professionals, largely from the medical field, have left Israel to search for jobs in countries with better financial opportunities and less government interference and corruption.

The “Doctors’ Aliyah” project would give a $60,000 grant to any doctor who makes Aliyah. Despite the monetary grant, many doctors still remain reluctant to move to Israel due to the large gap in salaries and quality of living.

The Jewish Agency, Israel’s main NGO responsible for Aliyah, decided not to cut Hebrew language classes in Russia. The classes are to help Russians learn at least a minimal amount of Hebrew, especially if they will be moving to Israel.

The Jewish Agency claimed it considered closing down the language program due to budget cuts. Many people question the effectiveness of the language course amongst the Russian immigrant community. Throughout Israel there are many Russian immigrants who still don’t speak a word of Hebrew. In addition Russian immigrants tend to form tight social groups in places such as workplaces and schools further limiting their exposure to the Hebrew language and their integration into Israeli society.  

Members of the Israeli parliament of Russian background were mainly responsible for influencing the Jewish Agency’s decision. They claimed that the Hebrew language programs are considered the backbone of the Aliyah program and also highly regarded in strengthening ties between Israel and the Jews in Russia.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared the establishment of a high level committee whose goal will be to to alter Israel’s relationship with the Diaspora. In what some may call a revolutionary change, Israel is to take a more direct role in Diaspora affairs, to give and not just take. Although some believe there is more to this recent media spin by Mr. Olmert.

According to Mr. Olmert, Israel should not be seen as a poor and needy state, always in need of financial support from Diaspora. According to figures presented by the the prime minister’s office, the financial situation in Israel would get along fine without the monetary supplement.

But financial experts have claimed this for years, so why is the prime minister’s office only waking up now.

Perhaps there is a connection to a statement made by Mr. Olmert at the recent high level peace summit held in Annapolis. During the negotiations Mr. Olmert was under heavy pressure from the Diaspora not to negotiate over the division of Jerusalem. Such an event would bring Palestinian controlled areas to the doorstep of Jerusalem neighborhoods, and possibly a Sderot situation would follow. Mr. Olmert, in a one sided self indulgent manner, basically told the Diaspora that Jerusalem is non of their business. Apparently, in his opinion only Jews who move to Israel can have a say in Jerusalem’s future.

Is the establishment of the high level Diaspora committee an attempt to repair the strained relationship? Or perhaps it’s an attempt to control political opinions in the Diaspora and stifle future complaints.

Another reason could be the incredible budget increase shadily approved for the prime minister’s office. In a time where all other ministries in Israel are tightening their belts, Mr. Olmert, in his usual manipulative way, has succeeded in doubling his ministries budget from 300 million shekels in 2005 to 770 million shekels for 2008 . Perhaps he is looking for expenses to justify this budget increase. The public will surely find out when Mr. Olmert’s next corruption scandal comes out in the press.  

As Kosovo declared independence this week, the 50 Jews who still live there are asking questions about their future. Kosovo is a country that didn’t benefit from the recent economic upturn that has taken place in Eastern Europe. The average monthly salary is about $350 and over half the population is unemployed.

The Jews of Kosovo are finding that making a living is getting harder by the day. With crime and corruption are rampant, many are looking to move to greener pastures, possibly Israel.

The American Joint Jewish Distribution Committee  provides the Kosovo Jews with social services and hosts celebrations for Jewish holidays. The main question is if they are doing what they can to promote Aliyah to Israel. Although, the population of 50 Jews is not going to break any Aliyah records, Every Jew who makes it to the Holy Land counts.   

In what should be called a most generous offer, many US doctors are skeptical of the $60,000 grant given to encourage Aliyah in their profession. As reported on the Arutz 7 website, a cocktail of government and NGO’s will give the monetary grant to any doctor from the US who makes the move to Israel.

Due to the recent exodus of doctors and other highly skilled professionals to countries where making a living is easier (pretty much any country), Israel is trying to increase the percent of MDs making Aliyah. The doctors will receive the $60,000 grant along with all the other benefits Olim usually get when moving to Israel. Although, there are some doubts as to whether the program will work.

Salaries in Israel are much lower than those in other western countries, and pay in the medical profession is no different. Whether knowledgeable, reliable, and experienced doctors be willing to sacrifice their profitable and comfortable lifestyles and make the move, is still to be seen.

It should be noted that the State of Israel would be better off trying to convince customer service and quality assurance consultants to come to Israel, two fields which are practically non-existent in Israel at this time.