The Citizens' Accord Forum will present on Wednesday to the Knesset a series of recommended changes on the manner in which welfare funds are allocated to Arab local councils.

The organization will recommend that particularly needy councils be required to pay less of their welfare budget, and that the Social Welfare Ministry, in turn, increase their part.

The Knesset Caucus for Jewish-Arab relations will discuss the recommendations along with the director general of the Social Welfare Ministry, Nahum Itzkovich.

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The manner in which local welfare services receive their funds may make allocating addition money problematic. Currently, the Social Welfare Ministry transfers 75 percent of the money needed by each council only if that council can provide the remaining 25 percent.

Because the Arab local councils are largely in dire economic straits, they often cannot provide the necessary 25 percent, and therefore do not receive the government money.

Udi Cohen, co-executive director of the Citizens' Accord Forum, said it would be possible to change the ratio of funds, so that the onus would be slightly relieved from the local councils. The groups recommends that particularly poor local councils be required to provide only 10 percent of their welfare budget, and the Social Welfare Ministry 90 percent.

Ninety percent of the local councils that would qualify as needy enough to meet this requirement are Arab councils, and ten percent are Jewish.

"These are small steps that don't cost much," said Cohen.

The Citizens' Accord Forum also recommended giving grants to local Arab councils and training Arab welfare workers.