High Court petitioned over failure to implement Ethiopian welfare plan

Government had approved NIS 870m. for 5-year education, housing and employment program.

By RUTH EGLASH
A collection of Ethiopian organizations filed a petition in the High Court of Justice Tuesday accusing the government, the Treasury, the Immigrant Absorption Ministry and the prime minister of abandoning a highly touted, all-encompassing plan to provide emergency education, housing and welfare assistance to Ethiopian immigrant communities. "The government has not followed up on any of its commitments to the Ethiopian community," accused lobbyist Danny Admasu, director of the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews, one of the groups that filed the petition. "The plan was officially launched in February, but as of today we still have not seen any of the 2008 budget." Admasu added that current deliberations over the 2009 state budget have not made any reference to the plan, either. The plan was first initiated in November 2006, following a series of demonstrations by members of the Ethiopian community protesting over difficult economic and social conditions that have contributed to this immigrant population becoming one of the most distressed in the country. For the duration of 2007, government officials and members of the community met under the auspices of a special committee to discuss ways to ease the burdens faced by new and veteran immigrants from Ethiopia. Just over a year ago, the committee presented its recommendations to the government, which several months later approved a five-year, NIS 870 million initiative to address these issues, which included education, housing shortages, welfare assistance and employment. However, when the Finance Ministry refused to approve the plan's budget for the full five years, promising instead NIS 82.5m. for the first year, forcing the ministries involved to negotiate for additional funds in the follow-up years. Erez Halfon, director-general of the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, told The Jerusalem Post Tuesday that his office understood the frustration of the Ethiopian community and its leaders and would support them in their battle to obtain the promised funds. "Immigrant Absorption Minister Eli Aflalo and I have been holding marathon talks with the Finance Ministry to ensure that funding for this plan is included in next year's budget," he said. "We helped create this plan. It's an excellent plan, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with the organizations that are fighting for this plan to go ahead."