Explores how the entry of migrant workers into Israel raises questions beyond just those of the labor market.

OECD's review of labour market and social policy in Israel.

This publication analyses recent development in migration movements and policies in OECD countries and some non-member countries including migration of highly qualified and low qualified workers, temporary and permanent, as well as students.

In a nation that lacks consensus on the very nature of the state, and where policy making is heavily controlled by partisan politics, improved policy implementation capabilities are crucial for the very survival of Israeli society. Public Policy in Israel presents a framework for understanding this country's fractured decision-making process and a blueprint for the radical reform of its policy-making system.

Studies of international labour migration typically assume that foreign labour is a universal feature of wealthy economies. Exploitation of foreign workers can contribute significantly to employers' profits. However, some wealthy societies do not import workers on a large scale, despite employers' pressures. Using Israel and Japan as empirical cases, this comparative-historical work investigates why some governments allow employers relatively free access to foreign labour, while others require alternative responses to labour shortages. A focus on variation leads to an innovative and insightful argument to explain international labour migration.

In recent years, the discussion about Israel was dominated by post-Zionist, post-Israeli opinions. Important voices that represent large sectors of Israeli society were not heard. To somewhat change this situation, some of the best scholars in their respective fields participate in this ultimate collection of essays about Israeli society, its politics and schisms. The book aims to tackle timely concerns, like Israel’s fight against terror, its relationships with the Palestinians, the mutual relationships between the civic society and the army, the status of women in society, and separation between state and religion. Particular attention is given to probing the state of human rights, minority rights, and health rights. The volume also discusses the tensions between liberalism and socialism, between state and religion, and between immigration groups, most notably resulting from the immigration from the former Soviet Union.

This book analyzes the development of the Israeli economy in its historical context. It shows how the ideology of the dominant group in the Zionist movement led to the development of agriculture, thus meeting the preconditions for successful industrialization. Remarkable, if uneven, growth has taken place, with increasing allocations for defense. Regional isolation led to the emphasis on high-quality exports for developed markets that has stimulated the technological base. Israel has benefited from mass immigration and increased access to foreign capital, factors that have transformed the economy. The book includes chapters on the development of the Jewish community in Palestine during the British Mandate; macroeconomic developments and economic policy; globalization and high technology; defense; the economics of the Arab minority; Israeli settlements and relations with the Palestinians; and the role of religion. It concludes with an examination of the socioeconomic divisions that have widened as the economy has grown.

As globalization and the flow of labor across the world accelerated during the latter part of the 20th century, the presence of foreign-born workers in a country's labor market became one of the most prominent and controversial features of modern economies. Countries that facilitated the arrival of foreign-born individuals often benefited from the increase in labor supply. An important channel for the benefits is through lower prices for consumer goods and services in the host country. This is not surprising because immigration is just another form of international trade, which often leads to cost savings and more diversity in the market. The immigrants themselves have also gained from international migration as it provides an opportunity to improve one's standard of living, pass remittances to family in the country of origin, and find new opportunities for general human flourishing in newly adopted surroundings.Despite the myriad benefits that can result from the free movement of labor around the world, there is still deep concern and political debate about immigration's aftermath. The main economic concern, apart from social concerns such as social cohesion, centers on whether international migrants adversely impact labor market opportunities of natives.The labor market prospects for foreign-born individuals, both in an absolute sense and in comparison to natives, are also very different across continents, as well as between countries that are in close proximity to one another. This variation could be driven by differences in the flexibility and structure of the host country's labor market or differences in the characteristics of the immigrants themselves. Examining the relative importance of these and other possible factors is another main theme in the study of immigration and the labor market. It is also addressed in the research presented in this Handbook.

Until recently, issues surrounding ethnic-linked inequality, whether between Jews and Arabs or between Jewish ethnic groups, have dominated research on stratification in Israel to the exclusion of other dimensions. Rapidly growing inequality in Israeli society, and its intergenerational persistence, however, have generated several new trends in research. The chapters included in this volume represent the range and depth of recent developments in the study of social stratification, mobility, and inequality. Although they address a variety of issues, they have in common a focus on the institutional mechanisms that govern the allocation of rewards.