“In the State of Israel no one dies of hunger. There is hunger and there are families that may only have meat once weekly, but swollen stomachs as seen in some countries do not exist here, mamosh not. Nevertheless, I am not saying things are perfect” stated Ministry of Welfare & Social Services Yossi Selman in an interview with The Marker.

When asked to comment on the cut in monthly child allowances, Selman explained he supports them simply because there is a need to cut spending. “There are sectors that to my sorrow live on these payments.”

“I don’t mean they live solely on this income but this is a source of income for them. This may not be a central component. Child payments is not a vehicle to combat poverty. Fighting poverty is accomplished by employment, education, and addressing needs of periphery communities and not using the trick of increasing child allowance payments.”

The Forum in the War on Poverty responded to the words of the senior official, stating that if this is truly Selman’s belief then he does not belong in his senior post in the Welfare Ministry. “The time has come for the government to stop fighting the poor and begin fighting poverty” organization officials stated. Heading the forum is Professor Yonah Rosenfeld, an Israel Prize recipient in social work, who feels “It could be the director general who is new to his post doesn’t understand the people he represents. He has a great deal of responsibility towards the children and the future of the State of Israel.”

“I am pleased that one with military experience received the post for he knows how to deal with all types of people but I was saddened to hear how he generalized regarding all the children. He must address the people and their situations to assist them in getting out of the hole and not the poverty itself. No doubt that as a result of the cuts the children will be affected and life will become more difficult. It is very important in my eyes that Selman meet and get to know these people and open a dialogue towards truly understanding them and their plight. We must remain humane. He must be aware of how his decisions will impact each and every person requiring the services of his office” add Prof. Rosenfeld.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)