How a Small, Scrappy Nation Funds a Lifetime Party for People Who Already Clocked Out

Israel has holidays.
Independence Day.
Yom Kippur.
Passover.
And then there’s a holiday you won’t find on any calendar –
The Budgetary Pension Festival.

It has no fixed date.
No candles.
No fireworks.
Just one sacred rule:
If you’re paying for it – you’re not invited.

Budgetary Pensions: The Magic Trick Capitalism Pretends Not to See

For the uninitiated (or the blissfully naïve):
A budgetary pension is a system where a public-sector employee retires – and from that day on, the state pays them a monthly salary for the rest of their life.

No personal savings required.
No investment risk.
No market exposure.

Just a steady transfer from the national budget –
which is a polite way of saying: from you.

Who’s Celebrating? Hint: Not the People Working Right Now

The guest list is exclusive and familiar:

• Former senior civil servants
• Judges, prosecutors, regulators
• And of course, the security establishment – now functioning as a well-armed pension fund

These are the same people who once explained to you why you are a threat to democracy,
while checking their bank app to confirm that the state deposit arrived right on time.

Democracy is stressful.
Guaranteed income is not.

Startup Nation on the Outside, Soviet Union on the Inside

Israel loves branding itself as a free-market, startup-driven economy.
Innovation, entrepreneurship, disruption.

Scratch the surface and you’ll find a warm, nostalgic relic from the 1970s:
A centrally planned, ironclad pension system designed by people who made sure they’d never be subject to it.

The generation that built these pensions:

• Set the rules
• Indexed them to inflation
• Guaranteed lifelong comfort
• And sent the bill forward in time

The next generation?

• Works longer
• Pays more taxes
• Rents apartments
• And prays their private pension fund doesn’t collapse before retirement

“But They Served the State!”

True.
So did our parents.
Our grandparents.
Small business owners.
Reservists.
Teachers.
Farmers.

Funny how only one group received a lifetime salary with benefits for their patriotism.

Apparently, in Israel, Zionism is noble –
as long as it comes with a paycheck.

The Security Sector: From Army of the People to Army of the Pensioned

Here’s the least funny joke of all:

A combat soldier finishes service at 21 and enters the free market.
A career officer retires at 45 and enters permanent retirement.

The state then pays him for another 30-40 years.

This isn’t compensation.
It’s a structural mechanism.

One that inflates deficits, shrinks education budgets, and explains – with a straight face – that “there’s no money,”
right after approving the next guaranteed pension payment.

Social Justice, Budgetary Pension Edition

The political Left loves the phrase “fair distribution.”

Here’s how it actually works:

• Young people – pay
• Self-employed – pay double
• Non-participating sectors – mostly exempt
• Budgetary pensioners – celebrate

But don’t worry.
It’s all “legal,” “historic,” and “too complex to explain.”

What Happens When Someone Dares to Ask Why?

They’re told:

• “You’re inciting”
• “You’re harming morale”
• “This endangers national security”
• “That’s populism”

Because nothing terrifies the Israeli establishment more than a citizen asking:
Why am I working – while someone else is collecting?

Zionism of Responsibility vs. Zionism of Open Accounts

Old-school Zionism spoke of:

• Shared burden
• Personal responsibility
• Sacrifice

The modern budgetary-pension Zionism speaks of:

• Acquired rights
• Historical commitments
• “Hands off my entitlement”

This isn’t hatred.
It’s not envy.
It’s a basic demand for fairness.

Conclusion: Don’t Cancel – Just Stop Pretending

No one is suggesting throwing retirees into the street.
But it is fair to say out loud:

Budgetary pensions are outdated, unequal, expensive, and deeply un-Zionist.

A nation that lives off its children is not building a future.

But don’t worry.
Until anything changes –
the celebration continues.
And the bill?

As always –
it’s on you.