Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
‘I Shulman’ Are the Salt of the Earth of the Israeli Economy
As Israel enters its fifth week of lockdowns, many self-employed and micro-businesses are on the verge of financial collapse and still facing an “unlimited prohibition” to work.
By now, they are angry and for excellent reasons. A Facebook movement started by Abir Kara “I Shulman” (“I am an independent”) is gaining enormous attraction and strong support among the Israeli population.
“I Shulman” is a group of very responsible citizens; they aren’t requesting taxpayer money; they aren’t lobbying to be included in a particular stimulus or aid package. They are proud Israeli citizens; they don’t want charity; they only want to work and be financially independent!
Contrary to big corporations, like El-Al, that is using the COVID-19 to increase their already over-inflated subsidies package, “I Shulman” is demanding to cancel payments of property taxes on their business space during the lockdown. It is a very reasonable demand since the government is forcing them to close their properties. Why would they pay for public services such as garbage removal when they are obviously not using them?
Contrary to the hutzpah of our public servants requesting a special bonus for remote work, “I Shulman” is demanding to have access to the national insurance funds they individually contributed to when they were allowed to work. It is a particularly reasonable demand since self-employed in Israel pay every month towards national insurance, but they aren’t entitled to unemployment benefits. Another example of bureaucratic genius!
Self-employed and small businesses aren’t trying to catch a wave on the taxpayer’s back. This responsible attitude is a sharp contrast to the behavior of the public sector and the big companies supported by the taxpayers.
“I Shulman” are the backbone of the Israeli economy; without them, no economic recovery will be possible. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, they are almost 600,000 businesses in Israel; 84% of them are either self-employed (51%) or micro-businesses with less than four employees (33%).
How would Israel look like if many of them do not survive the weeks or months of lockdowns our bureaucrats want to impose? It is time for all of us to realize that while the government is getting fatter and fatter, the men and women carrying it are getting leaner and leaner.
Published in Economics
This is very disappointing as I expect better from Israel.
Tel Aviv is a hotbed of tech innovation.
35% of Nobel Prize winners have been Jewish.
This reminds me of what Tom Sowell said: The Chinese and Indians succeed everywhere except in China and India.
Most of those little businesses aren’t in High-Tech, they are in the Service industry with very limited remote work options
I understand. I am disappointed to hear that the government in Israel is trying to kill small businesses and the self employed.
The problem for the self-employed, not just in Israel, is that they are too busy looking after their businesses/practices to organise as a lobby group so Governments everywhere can pick on them without fear of a major backlash.
The self employed get screwed almost everywhere — it’s a global pandemic
The fear of virus and the Jews themselves will do what the Arab League and Iran could not. (sigh)
Welcome to Ricochet!
Indeed, and also a welcome to Ricochet’
Thank you