Public housing? Not if your partner is Palestinian
Housing Ministry denies female Israeli citizens right to public housing if married to a non-Israelis.
By Dana Weiler-Polack Tags: Israel newsObtaining public housing in Israel is no easy task. Now it appears that obtaining public housing when one spouse is a resident of the territories is impossible, thanks to the policy whereby mixed families are completely ineligible for public housing, regardless of their financial situation.
R., a 29-year-old resident of Lod and mother of four, got married seven years ago to A., a Tul Karm resident, whose entry into Israel was prevented due to the Citizenship Law. Every two months, A. receives a four-day entry permit into Israel to visit his family. R. lives in the four-room apartment of her ailing mother, where her two older brothers also live. She is responsible for supporting the household, and gets by on a guaranteed income allowance of NIS 2,574 and a child allowance of NIS 850.
Given her financial situation, R. approached the Housing and Construction Ministry in June 2008. After many months and numerous phone calls that went unanswered, R. contacted the ministry again in February 2009. At that time the ministry said she did meet the criteria, but added that her request was rejected because she "is married to a spouse who is not an Israeli citizen and does not reside in Israel."
At the same time, R. was granted a rent subsidy of NIS 1,044 per month, insufficient to cover the cost of renting and maintaining an apartment. In March 2009, R. appealed the ministry's decision, which was again rejected for the same reason.
In August, R. appealed to the court for administrative affairs in Tel Aviv through the auspices of the Sanegor Kehilati (a volunteer organization which promotes the rights of the Bedouin population) and Itach - Women Lawyers for Social Justice, whereby she filed a motion requesting a temporary injunction directing the ministry to explain its policy which bars R. from obtaining public housing.
According to the organizations, which receive dozens of requests on this matter, the ministry ignores the right of female Israeli citizens to receive public housing when they are married to a spouse who is not Israeli - a practice contrary to the ministry's procedures and court rulings.
'Discriminatory policy'
"The policy of government ministries toward women married to residents of the territories is a discriminatory policy that prevents women and children from exercising rights they are entitled to by law," says Sigalit Givon-Fadida, director of Sanegor Kehilati in Lod.
The Housing and Construction Ministry issued the following statement: "According to the ministry's guidelines, when one spouse is not a resident of Israel, the ministry does not approve an apartment in public housing, as this is a permanent solution. This issue is pending in court. An administrative petition was recently filed against the ministry, which will present its response in the framework of its response to the petition. As an exception, a ministry committee approved the eligibility of R. for a rent subsidy of NIS 1,170. R. is not using this subsidy for reasons she is keeping to herself. The Housing and Construction Ministry handles these groups sensitively and within the framework of the rules, and therefore approves rent subsidies through the efforts of the exceptions committees."
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The fact that you say you are "at war with this ethnicity", referring to citizens of Israel, says it all. You and your kind are the soul brothers of Hamas and Hizbollah, the problem shared by Arabs and Jews alike.
Jews have never and could never pose a demographic threat to any country including Palestinian territories because their numbers are too small.Israel is the only country where they a majority, and it must stay that way.
Tutsis, out of total 2 millions, were killed with machete in the streets for no other reasons they were Tutsis. Accusing of ethnic cleansing for not offering public housing... Gold - pelting Israel is becoming favorite talk show in town.
There are lots of Jews living safely in Palestinian cities. I have three Israeli Jewish personal friends who live openly, safely and happily in Palestine.
"THREAT ", " WEAPON " If you don't believe you have to take the consequences. If you can not calculate what the future would bring to you why you are living. What is the ratio of the etnicity in your country? If the ratio is 0.0005 like in your country and if I'm not at war with this etnicity I would think like you, but here the reality is very very different. The minority ratio is 0.25. Solely love does not solve problems. You have to create new jobs for every imigrant that arrives to Israel. If you are hungry how love would solve the problems, he is going to suffer in Israel if he comes here. Does he has an skill, would he be employed in the near future? Does he talks or writes in Hebrew? What this young married are going to do in Israel? Ever heard of this problems and have any solutions. Aby
Why is it Maureen that you assume that R. is Jewish? Actually, Lod is a mixed Jewish-Arab city, and the author says that the organization to which R. turned for help in representing her handles beduin cases.
I'm not sure it would be any different here in Switzerland, so I can't critize Israel on this account. How about the countries of the other armchair comentators?
What Israel is doing now is defining the Borders acording to our needs. The wall is the border. This borders are drawn according to our security needs. It is not the final borders but at least is a border. The whole argument is about %5-6 of land grabbing. "should not be allowed to pose a demographic threat to Palestine." There is 300000 settlers living in WB versus 4 Miilion Pallies. How can it be demographic threat? The ratio is 0.0000075 which it means you don't know the reality. Aby
Jewish ethnic supremacy and privilege over non-Jews. The minority now 'enjoys' Dhimni status. Unbelievable really how Israel slips relentlessly down the moral slope.
Ok, if this is truly your conviction, then do not get upset or angry when people call it by its' rightful name: apartheid. Discrimination. Racism. If anyone in Europe would chose not to date/marry/hang out with someone from a different faith, ethnicity etc. consensus would be that the person is racist. And it would be condemned. In Israel it is mainstream attitude.
Dana glad to hear you support the return of all Jewish 'settlers' to the places from whence they came - whoops - does that mean the many countries where they lived and thrived around the world in more democratic circumstances where such purity of citizenship is not so closely defined - or to Israel where the civil population - your 'equal' citizens are not all Jewish by any means......confusion reigns in someone's mind! Is it not an elongated form of 'demographic control' (nice turn on the more emotive 'ethnic cleansing') which drove large numbers of Arabs from what is now Israel and slowly but surely makes family life so difficult for hundreds of thousands in the West Bank that they leave? Get real talk to your Arab neighbours about the realities - be a beacon - Israel has so much to be proud of.....so many people want it to stop being a pariah state (a country whose behavior is out of line with international norms) and stand up as a moral nation as a beacon for all of us
You don't live here, it is easy for you to want the conflict not to be solved. If you were living here what situation would be best for Palies. Before 2000 and accepting the peace treaty or now ? aha Half Jerusalem is a wheel? The mentality of yours is taking everything
Right, Judith. It then follows that Jews living in the occupied territories, or 'territories' as you call them, should not be allowed to pose a demographic threat to Palestine. All the posters here seem to have forgotten that Palestine is not yet a country. Two countries demarcated by two borders would make the job a lot easier, don't you think?
Why do you look at the current state and not before this conflict starts. Palies tried to wiped out Israel from the map, but they've lost the all wars. Occupation comes solely from their desire of wiping out Israel from the map. What is strange is yours vision. If 1948 the Arabs doesn't open war to Israel they would live in peace with us. If they don't escpaced from their land like the Israeli Arabs who are living now here there would be no conflict in this land like it is now. You've made war and lost it.Which country on this world occupies a land without wining a war. "Offering a wheel of the stolen car in order to keep the rest." Not realy my dear this lands were taken with blood, with heart. If Isreal would not succed in these wars between Arabs there would be no Jews in Israel. " has since taken 50% of what was left for the Palestinians." If you keep on making war with Israel there would be no land left to Palies. Make peace with us you'll get what you have lost. Aby
I can`t believe this. Posing a demographic THREAT ? Using marriage as a WEAPON ? What planet are you on ?? Do you sleep with a loaded gun under your pillow ? (Just retorical, please spare me the answer) Two people are getting married, starting a family. Here`s the news: It happens all over the world and is commonly known as an expression of mutual affection. LOVE Ever heard of it ?
Nowhere does the article say that she's Jewish. Perhaps she is an Arab Israeli. This would certainly complicate things in terms of "demographic control" and discrimination against one of the fastest growing minorities in Israel. If the Arab Israeli population is left to grow at its natural rate through both births and marriages to non-Israeli Palestinians, demographics will naturally change the Jewish character of the democratic "Jewish" state. If this concern continues to be dealt with through radical discrimination, then policy will change the democratic character of the "democratic" Jewish state. Either way, it is one big mess...
What are you talking about !!! ???? What if you or your son fell in love with a US citizen, and the US denied to give you/him immigration visa to settle with your/his wife in the USA. How would that feel like? I guess you should complement her income, so she and the kids can have a good life in the USA, unfortunately away from you!!! .
"Palies are the oppresors not the Israelis." Oh? Occupied Israelis have they? Taken their territory? Bulldozed their homes? Built a separation barrier across Israeli farms? "In 1948 would have accepted the lines that would drawn by UN there would be no conflict" Strange, at the time Israel Declared Sovereignty of it's borders, it was already over them. "If in 2000 you would have accepted what the offer the Israel had given to you today there will be no sufferings." Uh huh. Offering a wheel of the stolen car in order to keep the rest. " So start to build country from scratch, like we did 60 years ago." Er....we were GIVEN, completely gratis, 50% of Palestine. Israel has since taken 50% of what was left for the Palestinians.
"it`s not discriminatory, it`s demographic control...." through discrimination!
You don't answer any questions that I've asked. Yet you are accusing me with wrong mentality. Could you explain what is wrong, in my mentality that is driving and fueling this whole situation. I want answers and facts, not fishy words that can extent to everywhere. Do you want to be changed the current the status quo that eventualy you would a second class citizen in Israel that is what you want? Aby
Her husband can complement her income and give her a wonderful life in Israel where he is a foreigner according to the own peoples will or she can move with her beautiful family to the territories where she and her kids will have more financial aid and (terrorist) instruction for free from the palestinian authority.
Married people have different rights- as Israelis. Usually married men help support their family,not the other way around. This man has no rights in Israel and this woman is married to him. That he cannot support the family is Israel's respnsibility???? There is not enough such housing for those who are Israelis and a long waiting list for many. I do not blame the amidar people of being selective and pro Israeli.
I know tens of women who have converted to the judaism only because of the practical reasons when marrying the jewish man. Otherwise there would be too many problems caused by state (laws), mainly not by their spouses or Israeli relatives.In their heart they still are f.e christians.
only when jews can live in the west bank as arabs live in israel...without being lynched, murderd etc, only when there is such a reality, curently there is'nt, there are no jews living in arab cites in the west bank, only when the same standerds that are applied to israel are applied to arabs..everywhere, will there be peace.
... it's mentalities like yours that drive and fuel this whole situation. People like you will maintain the status quo until while the weapons get bigger and bigger until we are all gone. Time to see beyond the end of your nose.
this is nothing short of insanity !!! Tul Karim, by all standerds is/;will be a city in another country shortly if it is not allready. There is'nt one country on the face of this earth that will give FREE housing to a perosone who is not a resident of that country. Normally, residents of said country get first priority, especially when there is a shortage of public houseing. The best thing israel can do right now is create a palastinian state. It will be a seperate country...then we can apply the standerds that every country applies to aliens and residents of a different country. Maybe then the world would stop holding us to standerds that not even they adheir too...probably not, they will find another excuse.
Don't try to change everything upside down. Your your great visionary heart understands everything vice versa. Palies are the oppresors not the Israelis. If you the Palies from the start, In 1948 would have accepted the lines that would drawn by UN there would be no conflict. If in 2000 you would have accepted what the offer the Israel had given to you today there will be no sufferings. Which case would be better for you todays situation or in 2000 accept the West bank and East Jerusalem create a Pali state? Everything on this world depends on Newton's first law. If Palies opress us we can opress much more than they could imagine. So start to build country from scratch, like we did 60 years ago. If you have a visinory heart which is cleary absent in you start to give peace to ISRAEL. Aby
Yes my dear the dicrimination is one way. Try to enter to Al_Aqsa mosque as a Jewish. You'll see the what kind of dicrimantion these muslims would demonstrate. What you don't want to understand is this problem aroused after 2000. If Palies is using as a weapon and a policy to mary Israeli Arabs, then the state of Israel has every right to take every precaution to defend her self. US citizens doesn't mary with a foreign nationality which is at war with US. Tell me which citizen on this earth wants to mary to a mate with nationality is at war with. We are at war with every kind of weapons. Aby
Aaron thanks for the just words. For #2, 3 and 4: you show your double-standards, which is discriminatory, and will eventually lead to (further)chaos in the state of Israel. And Judith, to address the demographic 'threat'. It is well-known that if you oppress people and deprive them from participation in society, that they get more children. So start stopping the oppression of palestinian people, you'll see what happens. But that needs a great visionary heart, which clearly is absent. Alternatively, promote to Israeli women to have 6.5 kids per woman. And let your kids live in a society that perceives itself permanently at war with almost everyone that dares to disagree. Whatever!
I doubt that even with the long reach of English common law traditions in NSW that women are still treated as the property of their husbands. Most of the world, including Great Britain has recognized that women are human beings, not property. Why should this Israeli citizen have to move or change her citizenship and give up rights that would be hers if she were married to somebody else? If an Australian woman marries somebody from another country, does she give up her rights to be or benefit from being Australian? Does she become the property of her husband?
Can you imagine an article about Jews not getting subsidized housing from Arabs? The racism only goes to the Jews, it never goes to the Arabs, no matter how racist the Arabs are, they get away with everything.
For your information, today US citizen has the potential to meet even higher obstacles at finding public housing then this woman, even if he or she is married to another US citizen. And you can only imaging what obstacles would look like if God forbid she marries a man from country US does not like very much. If you just gave a thought to what you wrote before submitting for public forum, you may have avoided an embarrassment. In fact when it comes to anything "public" US is much harder then Israel to her Arab citizens. And I am afraid the reason for your post misrepresenting US is something other than a quick click on a couputer mouse? but that would be a different story, eh?
She is not foreign, she is an Israeli citizen. She has married a foreigner, which is her right. Do you think that an Israeli Jewish woman who marries an American or French person must never be allowed to settle with him in Israel, and should be stripped of all benefits? No, of course you don't. Your discrimination only goes one way.
If a US citizen marries a Canadian, would they find themselves in such a discriminatory situation? I doubt it. If two Europeans from different countries wed, would they be illegible for financial aid/housing?
She can just go to the West bank etc, easy. Why should Israeli tax payers keep on paying for Palestinians endlessly anyway?. Those houses are paid by tax payers in case this journalist didnt know,the same ones who are being targeted by Pals. etc. So get with it and get real
People living in the territories should stay there and shall not be allowed to pose a demographic threat to Israel. Israel shall remain a Jewish State.
Is it really 2009?
A land for the jewish people will not remain for jews if it's an arab majority. Instead, the good old Israeli woman can go to the arab sectors if she so wishes.
bigotry! May the young couple, and others of mixed Jewish/Palestinian marriages not give in to manipulation by political/religious authorities from either side of the divide!