Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Foreign workers are paid low wages, live in poor conditions, and may be mistreated by
labor contractors or unscrupulous employers. They live in slums and keep a low profi le to
avoid expulsion. Still, since foreign workers make far more money in Israel than at home, entry
into the country is easier than it is into many other places, and their treatment is better than
in some countries, Israel remains a popular destination. Within the country, these workers
have created ethnic communities with social clubs and support organizations. Those who have
obtained permanent resident status are the best off.
Although there has been some discussion of foreign workers taking jobs away from Israelis,
campaigns to fi ll the positions with citizens have generally failed. A minor scandal erupted in
the 1990s, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's family was found to be employing an
illegal Dutch immigrant as a nanny. A similar incident occurred in 2010, when it was discov-
ered that the wife of Defense Minister Ehud Barak had been employing an illegal worker from
the Philippines as a housekeeper. Overall, Israelis are willing to let foreign workers stay.
Diaspora Jewry: The External Jewish Society
The idea of kibbutz galuyot, drawing all Diaspora Jews together in the Land of Israel, was a
central motif in Zionist thinking. According to common perception, Jews not resident in the
Land of Israel were in exile (
galut
). From the outset, however, many Zionist leaders realized
that many or most Jews would continue to live in Diaspora — outside the Land of Israel.
Israel's relations with Diaspora Jewish communities have shaped its relations with the out-
side world more generally. In the early years of statehood, most Israelis thought Diaspora life
was doomed in the long run. Diaspora Jews, they thought, should immigrate to Israel, where
the new paradigm of Jewish life was being created, and it was incumbent on Israel to persuade
them to do so. This view was known as
shlilat hagalut
, or “negation of the exile.”
In later years, this view became more nuanced and complex. The survival and prosper-
ing of Diaspora Jewish communities, above all in the United States, as well as the decline of
ideological fervor in Israel, has contributed to the change. The Diaspora Jews also became an
important source of tourism, investment, and political support.
Today, among the Israeli public, the Jewish Diaspora plays only a very minor role in discus-
sion, although foreign Jewish news and contacts remain of interest. While Israeli Jews certainly
remain strongly committed to Jewish peoplehood, the practical focus is on events in Israel
itself. The relationship between the State of Israel and the Diaspora sometimes comes into fo-
cus as a result of differences — for example, the Orthodox Rabbinate has a monoply in Israel,
whereas the Reform and the Conservative movements are important in the Diaspora.
For a large portion of Jews in Diaspora communities, Israel remains a focus of interest
and loyalty, one of the defi ning aspects of their Jewish identity. At the same time, the old de-
bate between Zionism and other alternatives — particularly the leftist and the assimilationist
options —has broken out again. Some Jews who have come to oppose Israel's policies or even
existence support anti-Israel efforts in various Western countries. Though few in number and
small as a percentage of the total number of Jews, they are disproportionately heard, given
their passion on the issue and the fact that many have positions in academia, journalism, or
other high-profi le occupations.
