The crises that affect all our lives - and no party is talking about them

Bini Ashkenazi's article in 'Israel Hayom' presents five major crises affecting daily life in Israel – doctors leaving, traffic jams, population growth, length of criminal proceedings, and a shortage of hospital beds – and argues that no party is addressing them in the election campaign for the 26th Knesset.

In an article for 'Israel Hayom', Bini Ashkenazi analyzes five major crises affecting daily life in Israel, which he claims are not being addressed in the election campaign for the 26th Knesset. The crises include: doctors leaving – 1,369 doctors left Israel between 2023-2025, a 94% increase compared to the previous decade, with 530 doctors leaving in 2024 alone and only 202 returning. Traffic jams – traffic congestion costs the economy about 35 billion shekels a year, and the congestion fee is barely mentioned in the campaign. Population growth – the population is expected to reach 15.7 million residents by 2050, with demand for up to 77,000 apartments per year, mainly from the Haredi population. Criminal proceedings – a criminal case takes an average of about 33 months until the hearing of evidence. Healthcare – national health expenditure stands at 7.3% of GDP, significantly lower than Germany (12.3%), and there are 2.1 hospital beds per 1,000 residents. The article argues that despite these issues having no clear political color, the next government will be measured by its ability to address them.