Cutting support for Haredi families would weaken Israel's demographic resilience, economy

Israel enters the final stretch of its election campaign against a turbulent backdrop. Israel's war with Iran has yet to yield an agreement preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, the arrangement on the northern border still faces serious obstacles, and Hamas' demilitarization is hardly around the corner. The demographic crisis is no longer a distant forecast. Fertility in the European Union has fallen to roughly 1.4 children per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1. In Italy and Spain, it is near 1.2, while South Korea's rate has fallen below one. These countries face aging populations, labor shortages, growing pressure on pension and health care systems, and diminishing prospects for long-term growth. Japan has chosen to limit immigration to preserve social cohesion but pays a heavy economic price as its population falls by hundreds of thousands each year.