Disabled protesters block Highway 1
Activist Naomi Morbiya, one of the protest's leaders
Alex Friedman, one of the protest's leaders
Not a single Knesset discussion on disability benefits during 6 months of protest
Despite two commissions and an announcement by PM Netanyahu to raise benefits, some 224,000 Israelis living with disabilities are still waiting for the change to happen.
The disabled have organized protests and dozens of road blockings
over the past six months, demanding to increase their disability benefits, and yet not a single Knesset discussion has been held on the issue in that time.
A commission lead by Prof. Yaron Zelekha, which was appointed by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, recommended raising disability benefits to NIS 4,000 some five months ago. The commission also recommended providing the disabled with incentives to work, among other things by ensuring their disability benefits will not be cut down if they make less than minimum wage.
Some 224,000 Israelis are living off disability benefits—a 30 percent increase over the last decade. The disability benefit currently stands at NIS 2,342 ($668) a month, a sum that hasn't been updated in over a decade and is far below minimum wage, which currently stands at NIS 5,000. Some 50,000 of those on disability benefits are living under the poverty line.
Some 80 percent of disability recipients are legally considered unable to work at all and live solely off their benefits from the National Insurance Institute.
Disabled protesters block Highway 2 (Photo: Shamir Elbaz)
Kahlon then announced a NIS 4 billion budget to increase disability benefits, but so far there has been no further progress on the front.
Disabled protesters block Highway 2 at the entrance to Haifa (Photo: Alice Hayman)
For no apparent reason, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to appoint another commission led by Prof. Avi Simhon, which made different recommendations.
Primarily, the commission recommended raising disability benefits to 4,000 only to several thousands of disabled, whose medical disability is 90 percent or more. The rest of the disabled would see their benefits raised to only NIS 3,200, only a few hundreds of shekels higher than their present benefits.
But these recommendations, made about four months ago, have not been implemented either.
Disabled protest in Caesarea, where PM Netanyahu lives (Photo: Ido Erez)
Meanwhile, a bill proposal by MK Ilan Gilon (Meretz) to raise the disability benefits to NIS 4,825 passed a preliminary read at the Knesset, but has since been stuck at the Knesset’s Labor, Welfare and Health Committee, which is chaired by MK Eli Alaluf of Finance Minister Kahlon's Kulanu party.
Two and a half months ago, Coalition chairman MK David Bitan (Likud) announced an agreement has been reached to raise disability benefits to NIS 4,000, but that too has not yet come to pass as the Knesset is on recess for the summer.
The disabled began protesting after the publication of the Zelekha Commission recommendations, demanding to either raise their benefits to equal minimum wage or at the very least adopt the commission's recommendations.
Alex Friedman of the organization 'Disabled, Not Half a Person' and activist Naomi Morbiya, who heads the disabled's struggle, have organized many protests and road blockings since, with no success.
"The prime minister has fallen asleep while on guard duty," said Friedman. "Sixteen years since the disability benefits were last updated and two years since the struggle has begun, with dozens of road blockings—and nothing is happening. We won't give up. Now, with the holidays approaching, we will continue and escalate the struggle. We haven't lost hope that (Netanyahu) wakes up."
