A Growing Population Leads to Growing Resentment

     What constitutes the Israeli dream?  For many young haredi-religious (or ultra-Orthodox) couples, owning a private residence seems like a great answer this question.  According to an estimate published in an article by the Israeli news source Arutz Sheva entitled “Religious Getting in on Buying Group Trend,” approximately 1,500 couples seek to buy apartments every month, and an estimated 20,000 are currently needed in order to meet demand.  Compounding this problem, is the issue of over crowding, an issue which in an article put forth by www.ynetnews.com entitled “Haredi housing shortage worsening,”  cites to a combination of a booming Israeli population, an extremely low turnover rate in terms of second-hand housing, and a desire to purchase newly built homes.

     However, as demand continues to rise and prices soar, these young, relatively inexperienced, financially limited (and often dependent) Israeli couples have had to seek innovative solutions to carve out their own little slice of happiness.  Enter the formation of buying groups.  

     A much desired solution put forth to cope with the shortage has been the formation of buying groups or involvement in existing groups.  In other words, communities of people (in most cases, young haredi-religious couples) pool funds and other resources together in order to procure land and to develop housing projects.  Couples can expect to pay between 500,000 to 700,000 shekels , or between 135,000 to 189,000 dollars for a home that contains between three to five rooms.

     Is the Israeli dream fueling the Palestinian nightmare? In an example provided by Arutz Sheva, a group in Modiin Elite is depicted as providing the ideal settlement for a new and expanding generation of haredi and other Israeli settlers, but the same example is used in the www.ynetnews.com article to explain why and how these activities are perceived by Palestinians as an infringement upon their rights and upon their territory as citizens.  While the building projects can be seen as a beacon of hope for the future of the Jewish nation, so too can they be seen as a spark igniting Palestinian suspicion and animosity.