New law to force Israeli gov't offices to employ people with disabilities

Israel's future as a strong, moral and united society depends on its ability to care first and foremost for minority groups.

Disabled Israelis protest outside the Knesset, October 2017 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Disabled Israelis protest outside the Knesset, October 2017
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

The Justice Ministry is promoting a law that will require government companies to employ people with disabilities.

On June 4, the Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs approved in the first reading an amendment to the Law on Equal Rights for People with Disabilities that will ensure 5% representation for people with disabilities in government companies that employ over 100 workers.

The amendment to the law was supported by both the Justice and the Welfare and Social Affairs ministries and proposes to obligate government companies and government subsidiary companies with over 100 employees to allocate 5% of positions for people with disabilities.

Levin: An important step for the employment circle

Justice Minister Yariv Levin said after the approval of the amendment that it's great news and an important step to help increase the integration of this large sector into the employment circle.

Levin expects that legislative procedures will be advanced in the Knesset quickly. He's convinced that this will open up many new employment opportunities for the population of people with disabilities.

Tel Aviv - among the world's most wheelchair-friendly cities (credit: BARAK BRINKER/TEL AVIV-YAFO MUNICIPALITY)
Tel Aviv - among the world's most wheelchair-friendly cities (credit: BARAK BRINKER/TEL AVIV-YAFO MUNICIPALITY)

Regional Cooperation Minister Dudi Amsalem said that this issue is close to his heart, which he's followed for many years, even when he was chair of the Knesset's Interior Committee. 

Amsalem thinks that this is an opportunity to correct a historical injustice and to improve and promote people with disabilities as a worthy, right and moral act.

Labor Minister in the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry Yoav Ben-Tzur stated that he worked for years in the social welfare and education sectors, striving to integrate people with disabilities into the labor market. Reducing gaps in the employment market between different groups in society is an important national task.

Israel's future as a strong, moral and united society depends on its ability to care first and foremost for populations weakened when they're not a part of the mainstream. Disability isn't a limitation and every person has the potential to successfully integrate into work and society.