Defense Minister Peretz. Labor MKs oppose cuts
צילום: חגי אהרון
Poll: 70 percent of public against welfare cuts
Survey reveals that large majority of Israelis oppose cuts in welfare budgets aimed at financing war in north
Seventy percent of the public in Israel believe that cuts in the welfare budgets aimed at financing the costs of the war in northern Israel are 'unjustified,' a survey conducted by the Dahaf institute for the Macro Center for Political Economy and The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung revealed Sunday.
The Finance Ministry has recently announced the need for a wide-scale cut in all ministries' budgets in order to cover for the fighting's expenses. Labor Party MKs objected to the proposal, claiming that there are millions of shekels in the State's reserves, and that the budget cut was unnecessary.
The poll indicates that most of the public sides with the Labor's stance and does not support the Finance Ministry's proposal. The survey, conducted among 500 adult Israelis, shows that only 10 percent of respondents believe that the budget cut is "absolutely justified," while 14 percent think that it is "quite justified."
On the other hand, 17 percent said that the cut was "quite unjustified," and an overwhelming 58 percent stated it was "absolutely unjustified." One percent of the respondents chose not to reply.
Head of the Macro Center for Political Economy, Dr. Ruby Nathanson, said: "Contrary to what we would expect, despite the war in the north, most people still believe that the social issue should stand at the top of the State's priorities. The poll proves that most Israelis understand that Israel's social stamina is no less important than its security stamina."
"What the public is in effect saying, is that the social goals should not suffer because of the war. Today, ahead of the budget discussions in the government, I expect the decision makers to act according to these outlines," he added.
