Meir Sheetrit
Photo: Alex Kolomvisky
Minister Sheetrit: Israel supports thousands of West Bank kids
Interior minister says National Insurance Institute pays child benefits to 112,000 families living in West Bank because official records show mothers reside in east Jerusalem
The National Insurance Institute of Israel (NII) in paying allowances to some 112,000 Palestinian children living in the West Bank since the Interior Ministry's records show their mothers as living in east Jerusalem, Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit said Monday.
Sheetrit added that hundreds in the Palestinian Security Service were also enjoying stipends, since their wives' registered place of residence was east Jerusalem, while in fact, the families reside in the West Bank cities of Nablus, Hebron and Ramallah.
"This is not the way a country should conduct itself, but this is the situation right now," he said.
The interior minister also said that his office has laid the groundwork for establishing a new immigration and population authority, which will have control of Israel's border and crossing points.
The new authority is said to end the current situation, under which 13 separate and independent bodies operate at each border; and will be formed with the cooperation of the finance and interior ministries, the Civil Service Commission and Histadrut Labor Federation.
