Last update - 00:00 19/08/2007
Yisrael Beiteinu: Gov't musn't discriminate between survivors
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
A spokesperson for Yisrael Beiteinu expressed outrage Sunday at the government's failure to reach a decision on "second circle" Holocaust survivors, accusing the government of discrimination and reluctance to deal with the issue.
"Second circle" survivors are those who fled Nazi-occupied areas, and never lived in ghettos or camps. The majority suffered under the Soviet regime, and came to Israel in recent years.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed Sunday to pay Holocaust survivors who did survive concentration camps and ghettos a stipend of NIS 1,200 and ensure they receive total welfare payments of at least NIS 3,400 per month. However, the government and survivor groups continued to disagree on whether "second circle" survivors should receive payments. A decision will be made after Rosh Hashanah.
In Sunday's meeting attended by Finance Minister Roni Bar-On and Minister for Pensioner Affairs Rafi Eitan with survivor groups' representative Noah Plug, the agreed to pay NIS 1,200 per month in addition to income supplements and old-age pensions survivors receive from the National Insurance Institute. The government also undertook to ensure survivors' total welfare payments never fell below NIS 3,400. Payments will begin in October.
A further decision is pending from Germany on its contribution to the survivors' payment. If the German government does not agree to contribute in the next two years, the Israeli government has promised to provide a further NIS 400 per month, bringing the total stipend to NIS 1,600.
The government had previously offered a stipend of NIS 83 per month, provoking demonstrations which drew thousands of protesters in front of Olmert's Jerusalem home.
At Sunday's meeting, Olmert announced a budget of 30 million shekels for around 30,000 survivors of concentration camps and ghettos. The budget would be used to provide benefits including exemption from television tax and reduced municipality rates. In 2009 the budget will rise to 90 million shekels.
The welfare budget for services provided to Holocaust survivors of the first and second "circles" will be increased by 200 million shekels over the next two years, and around two million hours of help will be allocated to the sector. Distribution of the resources will be determined by the director of the Welfare Ministry. Significant discounts on medication will also be provided through subsidies.
One-off payments ranging from NIS 2,000 will also be made to survivors in 2008, with a payment of NIS 3,000 to 8,000 people classified "needy Holocaust survivors", as legislated by MK Yuri Stern who passed away in January.
Negotiations over the past 10 days led to an agreement on medical services for survivors and stipends for groups of camp and ghetto survivors who had previously been excluded for bureaucratic reasons.
On Thursday a disagreement arose concerning allowances for the second circle survivors. PMO Director General Raanan Dinur announced that an allowance would not be forthcoming because of objections by treasury officials. Instead, he said, an effort would be made to alleviate their plight as part of a general aid package for needy elderly.
Social Affairs Ministry Director General Nahum Itzkovich told Haaretz Thursday that "You cannot resolve the survivors issue without solving the plight of second circle survivors."