Rivlin meets with apolitical social justice group following their six-day march to Jerusalem

Rivlin discussed public housing, rights of disabled, welfare of children in kindergartens,with activists.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
President Reuven Rivlin. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
President Reuven Rivlin.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Shortly after casting his Knesset vote on Tuesday, President Reuven Rivlin met with representatives of the apolitical seekers of social justice who set out from Tel Aviv on Thursday.
The group included Yaacov Cohen representing people with physical disabilities; Tal Kadish-Gekler representing the protest group ‘a park is not a storehouse’; Dr. Arel Buczinski of the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba and 17 year old Gal Yosef, who chairs the National Student Council. The four, together with other marchers shared their manifold grievances with the president and voiced their strong opposition to the election campaigns of the various political parties and the vengeful incitement which characterized several of the campaigns. They were far more interested in having the nation’s parliamentary leadership focus on the various social issues which had prompted their long march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Rivlin listen patiently and carefully to all the complaints, and also received personal letters in which complaints were set out in detail. He commended the initiative of the marchers, particularly because the injustices they raised are significant issues with regard to the national agenda and should be brought to the attention of the national leadership. Some of the topics raised are truly matters of life and death, Rivlin acknowledged, adding that government assistance to people without resources was vital and obligatory.
Among the issues discussed were public housing, the rights of the disabled, the welfare of children in kindergartens, which Rivlin noted were constantly on the national agenda, along with other important issues, but very little had been done to bring about change, said Rivlin, who remembered Knesset debates on these topics which had never reached a satisfactory conclusion.