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Opinion | Non - Jewish, not values: Do not let the lack of accessibility leave us behind Israel today

2021-10-28T09:44:17.536Z


Only 10 percent of the holy places in Israel are accessible to people with disabilities • In these circumstances a huge public is prevented from coming and praying - or the arrival involves a health risk and humiliation for them • It is inconceivable that this is the situation in Israel, the Jewish state, in 2021 • Opinion


It is not surprising that only 10 percent of the holy places in Israel are accessible to people with disabilities.

About one and a half million people with disabilities live in Israel;

Almost every fifth person in the country has a disability of one kind or another - from birth, due to illness, accident or aging.

People with disabilities are interested in continuing to live a normal life like any other person, despite their disabilities.

The holy sites in Israel are of great importance to the believing Jewish public in general, and to the public with disabilities and diseases in particular.

Members of this public are interested in coming and praying for their health, but in a disappointing, abusive and unfortunately not surprising way - 90 percent of the places are inaccessible to them.

In these circumstances a huge public is prevented from reaching the holy places, or the arrival involves for them a health risk and the humiliation of being carried by others.

It is inconceivable that this is the situation in Israel, the Jewish state, in 2021. What is particularly delusional is that this is a supreme Jewish value.

Accessibility legislation in Israel has been in place since 2006, but 15 years later, in many places in the country, the situation is still bad.


And what is required in total?

Mark disabled parking, train paths, install an elevator or ladder, create seating, install some signage and take care of disabled services.

A similar situation exists in synagogues in Israel.

Today it is already known that accessibility is important not only for people with disabilities;

It produces comfort and safety for everyone: for the overweight, for parents who drive a stroller.

Accessibility of a place increases, by definition, the amount of people who visit it - and that is exactly the goal.

Accessibility for people with disabilities pertains to all areas of life - transportation, health, education, commerce, tourism, culture and others.

The State of Israel has made great strides in many areas;

It is especially sad that we were left behind precisely in the field of values ​​and Judaism of the holy places and synagogues.

Is it a matter of awareness?

Of budget?

Of priorities?

Maybe of all the possibilities together?

What's for sure - it does not make sense.

It's a dream act.

The Israel Accessibility Association and the B'Tselem organization are working to promote these issues, and we even met with the Minister of Religions and presented various proposals, mainly to finance the projects needed to make the holy places accessible.

The State of Israel must create an appropriate work plan, which will make it possible to budget and finance the accessibility of the holy places and synagogues in Israel.

Within five years, all religious institutions in Israel can be made accessible.

It's time to dump her and move on.

The author is the chairman of the Israel Accessibility Association, an IDF invalid, who is paralyzed from the neck down and moves around in a wheelchair following a plane crash during his service as a pilot in the Air Force.

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2021-10-28

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