The next government will cut bureaucracy, address the challenges facing olim (new immigrants), and help them build successful lives in Israel, former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who leads the B’Yachad party, told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
B’Yachad is one of the leading parties in the opposition bloc seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October 27 election. On Tuesday, the party released the details of its plan for helping olim.
“From my own family’s experience, I know the challenges that face olim. Professionally, personally, and beyond. In many ways, aliyah, its growth, and the success of olim here is a canary in the coal mine for Israeli society as a whole,” Bennett said.
“Is our government building an Israel where Jews believe they and their families can be safe, earn a living, and build their futures? Is our government making life easier here – or harder?” he asked.
“By tackling the specific challenges facing olim head-on and fixing all that’s broken in Israel, we will once again make the answers to those questions: ‘Yes.’”
Support for olim, cutting bureaucracy, assistance with homes and jobs
“With that, we will bring even more olim who will continue to be a vital part of what makes Israel the amazing country it is. Together, we’ll make it happen,” Bennett told the Post.
The aliyah plan focuses on support for olim by calling to cut bureaucracy and help them find homes and jobs, while it calls to ensure they find their place as “integral members of Israeli society.”
Some aspects of the plan include reducing bureaucracy by creating a single office for every new immigrant to attend to receive benefits and services, rather than needing to deal with many different agencies.
The plan also demands streamlining the recognition of foreign higher education accreditation to make it easier for olim to work within their professions.
Bennett added that another aim of the B’Yachad plan is to expand support for young olim by easing their transition into education, the workforce, and Israeli society as a whole, thus reducing the rate of departures.
B’Yachad said it would work to “bring home the over 250,000 Israelis who have left the country in recent years.”
The party said additionally that it would work to strengthen support for lone soldiers, giving them increased benefits and advance living stipends for discharged lone soldiers who require them.
B’Yachad also called to work toward helping older citizens by advancing expanded employment, volunteering, and recreational opportunities to help combat loneliness among the senior population.
Bennett’s party called for Israel to be a “Jewish, democratic, liberal, and prosperous country that offers a promising future for both their careers and families.”