PM Netanyahu meets with Ministers Ganz, Peretz and Katz to summarize how the grants will be distributed • It was agreed that they will be distributed to anyone who earns less than NIS 640,000 a year

This morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bnei Gantz, Finance Minister Israel Katz and Economy Minister Amir Peretz to discuss the model for allocating grants to Israeli citizens.

Photo: GPO

Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ganz, Finance Minister Katz and Economy Minister Peretz met this morning (Monday) to formulate the way in which the one-time grants will be distributed to citizens, amounting to NIS 6 billion.  

It was agreed at the hearing that a grant budget of NIS 6 billion will be allocated and that they will be distributed to all Israeli citizens, except those who earn more than NIS 640,000 a year, as well as public sector executives who earn over NIS 30,000 a month.

The issue of individuals was also discussed and it was agreed that an individual defined in the following populations will receive an increased grant: Nursing allowance, disability allowance, income support, needy new immigrants (two years in the country), unemployed over 67, elderly recipients of income supplement.

The limited meeting took place because so far there is no agreement on how the money will be distributed, after the budget framework was approved earlier in the government, not before clashes broke out again between Likud ministers and blue and white. Netanyahu and Katz want to share, as the prime minister revealed at the press conference last Wednesday.

Their argument was that a fairer distribution could not be made due to the technical application of the distribution of money by the Social Security. In blue and white, on the other hand, they demand to reduce the amount for singles (NIS 750), and give more to those who need it. 

I oppose attempts to exclude the bachelor public from the special planned grant decided on by the government. This will be a severe blow to soldiers and students and many others who have contributed and are contributing to Israel's resilience and economy.

- Israel Katz Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 19, 2020

The Minister of Finance will distribute a memorandum of law implementing the plan no later than Tuesday. At the end of the public comments phase, the model will be brought to the approval of the government and to legislation in the Knesset, in order to transfer the grant to citizens as quickly as possible.