“MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT A GIFT! WE PAY TAXES”. So if the allowances were kept at the old levels taxes would have to be raised even higher. Maybe it would be better to get rid of them entirely and save the administrative costs. At the very least, benefits should have an income test. As I pointed out in a previous post, the child allowances are given to ALL mothers who have Israeli resident status even if they are multi-millionaires.
Life in Israel is expensive but people seem to have many luxuries. Someone (such as myself) who does not have a cell phone is regarded with wonder. Computers are also nearly universal – even in the Chareidi community despite all of the rulings. Cars are common as are foreign vacations with some travel agents even offering “glatt kosher” trips (before the recent troubles I expected to see ads for Pesach seders in Egypt in addition to the ones in Europe and on cruises). How do they do it? They work – and very often both parents work. Those who do not want to work or want to work in a not very renumerative field (as do most Chareidim who work at something) have an obligation to first forego luxuries – including the expensive and annoying cell phones – before asking for public assistance.