MKs: Labor market has turned into slave market
MK Yacimovich on Poverty Report: 'Work-weary parents break their backs only to raise poor children.' Minister Yishai: 'I'll fight to have 2007 budget reflect war on poverty.' Defense Minister Peretz: 'Defense Ministry's financial demands do not come at expense of poor'
"The children's condition worsens each year," she said. "Due to the brutal and extreme cut in child allowances, Israel ranks as one of the countries where stipends are the lowest. The condition of families that rely on a single provider has also deteriorated," she added.
"These data indicate that empty slogans about transferring people from living on allowances to finding employment aren’t enough. The labor market has turned into a slave market and work-weary parents, especially single mothers who are sole providers – work hard and are being exploited only to raise poor children," Yacimovich stated.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said that "the financial demands of the defense ministry do not come, and will never come, at the expense of resources to alleviate the class discrepancies in Israeli society."
According to Peretz, "the harsh data revealed in the report expose how many people in Israeli society are suffering and how large the injustice is. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that the current government rearranged its priorities and implemented a number of activities that were not represented in this most recent report."
MK Nadia Hilou (Labor) has also expressed shock over the difficult statistics published in the report. "How many slaps in the face can the weak population take? This may lead to a social intifada," she warned. "The government has to increase the social budgets, act immediately to aid the populations in need, and bring about socioeconomic relief to all the country's residents," she stated.
Deputy Prime Minister and Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai said that in light of the events in the north, the State of Israel is now carrying out the social revolution's "defense battle." "You can't put poverty in the freezer," Ben Yishai announced. "I will fight over it in the 2007 budget, which will reflect a true war on poverty and not place the hungry child as a secondary priority after the fighter jet," he said.
'Ministry of Social Welfare turned into populist role'The
Latet (in Hebrew, to give) Israeli humanitarian aid organization told Ynet that the reason for increased poverty in the country derives, first and foremost, from the lack of a comprehensive government policy to treat the issue.
"We need a government plan as part of the 2007 budget and we need to place the issue at the top of the national agenda," the organization said. "Actually, there are no clear objectives to reduce the poverty rate...Measurable objectives to reduce poverty, unemployment and social divides must be set, exactly in the same way such objectives were set for nuclear development, economic growth and inflation."
In addition to the lack of a concrete government plan on the issue, Latet also pointed to the fact that most resources purportedly allocated to welfare issues are transferred to political parties in pinpoint allotments, as part of coalition negotiations, and not necessarily based on real needs.
Another serious problem that has caused a wide public outcry but has not, as yet, received government treatment, is the absence of a minister of social welfare in Israel. "The ministry of social welfare has become a political pay-off and a populist role," the organization stated. "We must appoint a capable, knowledgeable and professional minister, to transform the ministry into one of leading importance. There is no national body that consolidates the fight against poverty through cooperation of different sectors, coordination, and suggestion of feasible solutions. We demand that such a body be established, led by the prime minister, and comprised of representatives from all three sectors."
Ilan Marciano contributed to the report
