A study published by the Omedia website, of the Israeli Center for Political and Media Fairness, attempts to give a comparative picture of the different parties and their economic platforms. The findings:



Main Clause

Likud: Reduction of unemployment and taxes

Kadima: Correct distribution of budgetary funding, transparency

Labor: Raising minimum wage and social benefits

Shas: Increasing housing aid

Meretz-Yachad: Continued professional training



Employment

Likud: Incentives, transportation, employment of women

Kadima: Incentives, education, employment of minors

Labor: Raising minimum wage, working against manpower agencies, education

Shas: Incentives to employers

Meretz-Yachad: Restrictions on employment of foreign workers



Negative Income Tax

Likud: Yes

Kadima: Yes

Labor: No

Shas: Yes

Meretz-Yachad: Yes



Welfare

Likud: Only to those who cannot work

Kadima: Increase National Insurance payments, help via private organizations

Labor: Increase National Insurance payments

Shas: Increase all National Insurance payments

Meretz-Yachad: Professional training to weaker levels



Health

Likud: --no mention--

Kadima: Privatization of service providers

Labor: Improvements in managing the basket of government-subsidized medicines

Shas: Strengthening of public medicine, more hospitalization for patients needing care, exemption of patients' participation in medicines basket costs

Meretz-Yachad: free government-provided health services



Costs and Budgetary Sources

Likud: 4.8 billion shekels, from reduction in defense budget, natural growth, and savings in state acquisitions

Kadima: --no mention --

Labor: 68 billion shekels over 4 years, from reduction in budget for Yesha communities, reduction in defense budget, continued growth

Shas: --no mention--

Meretz-Yachad: take money from reduction in budget for Yesha communities