Dozens of disabled protesters threaten to set themselves on fire
After repeated but failed protests against meager pensions for the disabled, anger manifested by increasingly desperate tactics as disabled protesters block entrance to Ben Gurion Airport and threaten to set themselves alight.
Dozens of people with disabilities tied themselves with chains and blocked the entrance to Ben-Gurion Airport from Highway 1, poured diesel fuel on themselves and threatened to set themselves on fire on Wednesday morning as they demanded that the disability allowances be raised to the same amount as the minimum wage of NIS 5,000.
Naomi Moravia, chairwoman of the Israeli nonprofit Struggle for the Disabled, described how "we are fed up with being in one committee after another and with all the delays just in order to make a simple leadership decision—a disability pension equal to the minimum wage."
"We demand a response," she added. "At least come and face us. We are fighting for our lives."
"People do not understand what it means to live on NIS 2,342 a month," said Shlomi Molcho, a disabled individual who participated in the protest.
"People are desperate. There is no logic here because people here were thrown to the wolves," he bemoaned. "When you get into a situation where you have nothing to eat and you have nothing to lose, you can lose control. I'm speaking to you trembling with fear because there are people here who are soaked with diesel fuel."
"We want someone to finally understand that we need to get an allowance on which we can live in decency," he added. "We are fighting for food and medicine, not for luxuries."
Recently hundreds of disabled people demonstrated in several locations. Among other things, they blocked the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv a week ago. About a month ago hundreds demonstrated near the Shalom interchange in Tel Aviv, once again causing congestion on the roads. Prior to this, dozens of people blocked the entrance road to Jerusalem and demanded that the disability allowances be increased and that the cost of essential medicines be covered by the government.
The Zelekha Committee, which was appointed by the Ministry of Finance and headed by Yaron Zelekha, examined the issue of increasing disability benefits and submitted its conclusions last month, recommending increasing disability allowances to NIS 4,000 in several stages.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not accept the recommendations of the Zelekha Committee, and appointed another team. The heads of the disabled organizations expressed strong opposition to the recommendations of the committee and doubled down on their demand to raise the disability benefits to match the minimum wage.
(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
