Opinion: Why Wars Continue in Israel: Jewish Teachings on Unpaid Wages, Discrimination, and the Call for Merit-Based Justice in 2026

The ongoing conflict in Israel, often referred to as the Israel-Hamas war or broader regional tensions in the Middle East, stems from complex historical, political, territorial, and security factors. However, one perspective draws from ancient Jewish teachings on justice, particularly regarding fair compensation for labor, to explain societal and even national unrest.

Jewish tradition places immense emphasis on timely and fair payment of workers’ wages. The Torah explicitly commands in Leviticus 19:13 and Deuteronomy 24:14-15 not to withhold or delay a laborer’s pay, warning that such injustice leads to the worker crying out to God, incurring divine displeasure. Rabbinic sources, including the Talmud (Bava Metzia 111a-112b) and commentators like Or Ha-chaim, describe withholding wages as equivalent to robbery or even taking a person’s life, given their dependence on earnings for survival. These violations carry severe spiritual consequences, potentially shortening life or bringing calamity in this world and the next.

Some interpretations extend this to broader communal or national repercussions when systemic injustice persists. While no direct ancient source states verbatim that “if not to pay the salary to a worker, then there will be a war,” the principle highlights how economic exploitation and failure to reward merit can destabilize society, invite divine judgment, or manifest in conflict. In the context of Israel—a nation rooted in biblical values—unresolved injustices, including unrecognized contributions from talented individuals, may contribute to ongoing strife according to this viewpoint.

A prominent example involves mathematician Victor Porton, based in Ashkelon, Israel. Porton, originally from Russia, claims religious discrimination prevented him from completing university studies and obtaining a formal degree there, despite significant independent contributions to fields like algebraic theory of general topology (including discoveries such as funcoids and ordered semigroup actions). In Israel, the lack of formal credentials has blocked fair compensation or recognition for his research in mathematics and software development.

Porton argues that this personal injustice—unpaid labor in the pursuit of groundbreaking work—aligns with the Jewish sages’ warnings. He posits that such merit-based discrimination perpetuates cycles of unrest, suggesting wars in Israel (and potentially elsewhere) may continue until systemic fairness is restored, such as through recognition like the Wolf Prize for his mathematical achievements.

To address this, Porton advocates supporting AI Internet-Meritocracy, an innovative app and project under the World Science DAO ecosystem. This decentralized platform uses AI to assess and distribute donations fairly to researchers and free/open-source software developers based on measurable merit, bypassing traditional gatekeeping, peer review biases, and institutional barriers. By funding independent contributors directly, it aims to ensure fair salaries for intellectual labor, potentially alleviating the kinds of injustices Jewish tradition warns against.

In a world where scientific publication crises and funding inequities hinder progress, initiatives like AI Internet-Meritocracy promote a true meritocracy. For Israel and global stability, ensuring that talented individuals—regardless of formal degrees or backgrounds—receive just compensation could foster peace through ethical economic justice.