Zionist Union proposes bill to increase monthly allowance for disabled Israelis

There are currently 36 groups representing disabled Israelis protesting outside the Knesset.

By SARAH LEVI
Labor leader Avi Gabbay speaks at a meeting of the Zionist Camp (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Labor leader Avi Gabbay speaks at a meeting of the Zionist Camp
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Zionist Union Chairman Avi Gabbay and members of the opposition coalition submitted on Monday a bill to further raise the monthly allowance for disabled Israelis, attempting to a quell a crisis that has brought forth various protests in recent weeks.
The bill includes an NIS 200 million shekel increase in the current budget to a total of 4.2 billion shekels over the next four years.
The most severely disabled people will get an increased monthly allowance of NIS 4,500 instead of NIS 4,000.
The bill also allocated an NIS 150 million increase for allowances for disabled children, an additional NIS 300 million for disabled elderly people and NIS 75 million for programming to assist with and encourage employment opportunities for the disabled.
All of the funds will be disbursed over the course of the next four years.
Gabbay stated in the meeting: "It is time that the government stops promoting French laws and begins to promote Israeli laws, laws that are based on mutual responsibility and laws that advance society and support the weak.
“Therefore, if the government does not promote the law it undertook to solve the monthly allowance crisis for the disabled. We will take it upon ourselves today to advance the bill that includes the government's commitment to increase the allowance going towards the disabled," added Gabbay.
Despite efforts at increasing the monthly allowances, the 36 groups representing people with disabilities are entering their third week in the 'Protest Tent' outside the Knesset reject the bill.
A spokesman from the group 'Disabled becoming Panthers' told The Jerusalem Post: “We have not yet achieved our goal of a monthly minimum wage so we are continuing our struggle. We will not stop until all the disabled people receive the national minimum wage. ”


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