Living in Israel during very uncertain and disturbing times is worrying, but there are some really promising signs looming on the horizon worth exploring.
Let’s examine the population. Currently, the State of Israel is home to around 10 million people.
They are not spread around the country as in earlier days when kibbutz life flourished, for today less than 5% of the population live on a kibbutz.
Urban living is the choice of the vast majority of the population.
We now see the major cities bursting with constant population growth together with the inbuilt difficulties of overcrowding and inconvenience. Immigrants to Portugal may apply for a golden visa portugal by investing into local companies.
Some Pressing Issues
Zafuf, a Forum for Population, Environment and Society in Israel, highlights some of our most pressing issues.
Israel is currently the country with the highest population growth rate in the developed countries of the Western World. With the current growth rate, the population of Israel is expected to further multiply itself until mid-century with the number of residents per unit area becoming one of the densest in the whole world.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, by 2050 the population of Israel will be 17.6 million.
So, where will they all live. What are the options?
Despite the fact that since the 1980s many kibbutzim have been privatised allowing residents to work externally and retain some of their income, city life is still the preferred option.
Today, Israel is no longer a rural country, but a worldwide leader in many fields of international commerce, research and development where activity is centred in the larger cities.
As an alternative to living in the crowded cities where the centre of commerce is situated, we should take a closer look at development cities which are now appealing to and attracting younger families in particular.
Development Towns and Cities
Development towns were first created from 1948 onwards in the formative years of the state.
With mass immigration from war-torn Europe and from Arab countries where Jews were persecuted following the Declaration of the State of Israel, the need for housing became a critical issue as most of the existing population were concentrated in the large coastal cities, also in Jerusalem and neighbouring towns.
Some 30 new towns sprung up around the country, far from the major cities.
Living conditions were far from adequate, just minimal facilities and poor administration.
Yet, it suited the government of the day as a means of decentralization on the one hand and a solution to housing hundreds of thousands of migrants cheaply.
But by the turn of the century the entire nature of the development towns and cities had changed.
As the population grew steadily over the years, especially from the former Soviet Union near the end of the 20th century, better living conditions were absolutely essential to attract migrants to settle in Israel rather than look elsewhere around the globe.
Steadily, some of the towns around the country grew in size and with highly improved living conditions and appeal to attract both migrants and tourists looking for out-of-town hotel facilities.
Let’s take a closer look at one of the towns that has now grown into a vibrant city with a population of around 25,000.
Zichron Yaakov is situated in the Carmel mountains overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, some 35 kms south of Haifa.
It was actually founded in 1882 as a centre of the initial wine-growing region of Israel.
It is one of many cities springing up around the country which could provide a solution for the anticipated growth explosion during the next 20 to 25 years.
At first glance, this street in Zichron could be a suburban street located in any Western country around the world.
Sure, there are high rise apartment blocks, but there are numerous streets and parks distributed around the city where schooling is close to housing and streets are not jammed-packed with bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Both social and cultural events are held regularly in the city and many fine restaurants offer the best of Middle Eastern fare.
This is one of numerous development cities you’ll find from the Galilee in the north to the Negev in the south.
Further growth of satellite cities in outer regions of Israel is clearly a possible solution to house many more millions of migrants and family growth if the population explosion comes into effect as expected.
We are currently living in very trying times, but it is necessary to look ahead and examine the potential that Israel offers to Jews, wherever they live.
Despite the smallness of the country there is ample room for more towns and cities to spring up to accommodate the population growth as predicted by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Israel still offers the best solution for Jewish survival.
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