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18 million were allocated for food aid to the needy - only 18,000 were given to Arab charities

In 2020, three non-profit organizations operating in Arab society received grants at a rate of only 0.1% of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs' assistance project budget for the holidays.

Director General of an association: "It should light a red light for the country." The ministry: "We do not distinguish between associations that help the sectors"

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• poverty

• Welfare

• The Arabic Community

Maya Horodnichano

Wednesday, 07 April 2021, 12:39 Updated: 12:52

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In 1998, it was determined that the support tests would be changed so that they would also be adapted to Arab needy people and would apply to holidays other than Passover.

Packing food packages for the needy (Photo: Liron Moldoven)

Only 0.1% of the support money intended to help the needy during the holidays was transferred in 2020 to Arab non-profit organizations.

From data that reached Walla!

It appears that three non-profit organizations operating in Arab society received grants totaling NIS 18,000 out of a budget of NIS 18 million earmarked for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs' "Kamcha Depsha" food aid project.

Every year, the ministry publishes a call for charities that help those in need with holiday food.

Following a petition filed by Adalah, determined in 1998 that the tests subsidies will be changed to adapt them in needy Arabs also apply to other than the Passover holidays. But despite the change, for years not all funds were transferred to Arab organizations.

In 2014, the State Comptroller's power Criticism of the distribution of support funds, noting at the time that about 30% of Arab families testified that they suffered from food insecurity, but no Arab organization received support. "Support for the needy population living in a particular place is not given according to the criteria of the patriarchal level. (Food insecurity) in the same place, but according to the ability of the population living in the place to establish an association that will meet the support tests or according to the food associations' desire to help that population, "the comptroller wrote in the report, adding that it is doubtful if the government supports the food associations Makes a real contribution to improving food security among sectors and localities where the patriarchal problem is acute, and in particular in Arab society.

The auditor also noted in the report that "the government's failure in the field of promoting food security causes harm to the most needy populations."

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In 2020, the budget for support was doubled, but the amount approved for the Arab associations was significantly lower than the amount they requested.

Packing food packages for the needy (Photo: Liron Moldoven)

Despite the report and despite the fact that according to National Insurance data, about 45% of the families in Arab society are defined as poor, almost nothing seems to have changed. According to the data provided to Adalah, in 2015-2017 no applications were submitted by Arab workers. 2018, stated that the motion of one association in the amount of 15 thousand shekels for Ramadan and Eid al-Peter. in 2019, confirmed that volunteers and 8,500 shekels for two holidays, out of 109 organizations received support.

in 2020 doubled the budget For the grants, but the amount approved for the Arab associations was significantly lower than the amount they requested and was as stated at 18,000 shekels - received assistance during Ramadan and Eid al-Peter. Nine additional applications were submitted, rejected after it was determined that the associations do not meet the criteria. A total of NIS 9 million in 2021. Although the announcement was published in Arabic, the forms to be filled out have so far been published in Hebrew only.

"The system discriminates. Only crumbs reach Arab society"

Ali Abu Alqian, director of the Girl Community Center, describes that there has been a significant increase in the number of needy due to the corona and he decided this year to apply for support but it was determined that the association does not meet the conditions.

"It's puzzling to me. Food baskets are not something that is painted for a particular population. I did not understand why they were rejected and I was surprised. The aid is something that is simply most necessary for Ramadan coming in a little over a week, it helps us a lot," he says.

And explains that around the distribution of food baskets, "there is a whole envelope - there is the welfare that helps, there are the volunteers and there are the donors, around it a community is built and it encourages people to donate and volunteer. Welfare services fell on deaf ears. "You have food baskets for the needy - it should be for all the needy."

"If hungry Arabs do not receive food, it should light a red light for the country. Not only are there hungry families, it means that the food does not reach them. It is absurd that the Ministry of Welfare complements these data," said Ahmad Mahana, director of Amnina. Although he managed to get budgets, he explains the difficulties of the associations. According to him, the criteria must also be adapted to the Arab associations, and the Ministry of Labor and Welfare must provide information. "I checked with some CEOs who distribute food. Because of the name 'Kamcha Depsha' people assume it "Only for Passover, not for us. The government should raise awareness and actively provide information to nonprofits," he says, adding that "the method of calculating the criteria is actually a policy that strengthens the strong and weakens the weak, looking a year or two ago." "We will not be able to rise and the distribution will be equal. The method is discriminatory. How can it be that out of millions of shekels only crumbs reach Arab society?"

At the same time, he clarifies that in Arab society, too, associations need to be more active despite the difficulty of obtaining budgets.

Food packaging for the needy, Rishon Lezion, March 2020 (Photo: Reuven Castro)

"The data speak for themselves, as the test of the result clearly discriminates against the Arab associations and the public they help," adds Advocate Nariman Shehadeh Zoabi of the Adalah unit for social and economic rights. "I have not systematically benefited for years from a budget that is intended to assist in food security, and this despite High Court rulings, this indicates a structured systemic failure."

Advocate Shehadeh Zoabi notes that the Ministry of Welfare is expected to employ “its men and women professionals, in order to reshape their criteria and mechanisms of implementation, in a way that will include all population groups and in an equitable manner.

For this purpose, the officials will have to study the characteristics of groups that need assistance among the Arab population and the associations that help them, and act to find ways to reach them. "

Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs: "Kamcha Depsha budget is allocated to all associations equally"

The Ministry of Labor and Welfare stated that "Kamcha Depsha's budget is allocated to all associations equally and the ministry does not distinguish between associations that assist different sectors and publics. The actual payment is made according to an implementation report submitted by the association after an examination by an accountant on behalf of the Knesset. And includes advertising in Arabic on the ministry's website. "

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