The Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs approved the bill by MK Aliza Lavie and MK Dov Hanin, which states: A benefit to which a woman is entitled will not be automatically transferred to her husband's bank account.
Currently, the National Insurance benefits due to spouses and children are transferred directly to the man's bank account only. Under the new law, the income support benefit will be paid to the spouses' joint account, or to the account of one of them - if both spouses have agreed to this in writing.
The initiators of the law are convinced that the proposal will encourage many women in Israel, who do not have any bank accounts, to open a joint or private bank account for the first time in their lives, in order to receive support from the state.
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
The new law has special significance in situations of separation or violence between spouses. In these situations, where the woman's economic dependence on the man increases, the bill may help her cope and remove the woman's dependence on the partner, as she will be able to receive the income allowance due to her and her children automatically.
Taking care of the periphery
This law will have a particularly significant impact on women from socially marginalized backgrounds, who often do not open any bank accounts, and the funds go directly to their spouse's account. Under the new law, these women will be required to open a bank account in which they are authorized to sign in order to receive the funds.
Chairwoman of the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women and Gender Equality and initiator of the law, MK Dr. Aliza Lavie said: "The time has come to promote a fair and equitable reality. The state cannot transfer support funds only through men - the legislator must not continue to assume in advance that the man is solely responsible for supporting the family. The law expresses the recognition that both spouses take an equal part in supporting the family and in making decisions about it. With this bill, we are removing a major obstacle to women's economic empowerment - receiving state benefits into a woman's bank account will allow her financial independence, especially among women from disadvantaged populations and women suffering from violence.""
Also supporting the proposal, MK Dov Hanin of Hadash explained that the current situation in which the benefit is paid to the man's account only is outrageous, unequal and unjust. According to him, "This is not just legal discrimination, this is not a technical matter, but an abusive arrangement with real consequences for women's lives and power relations within couples and families. Payment to the man's account creates a woman's dependence on him. This amendment will be another step towards a more egalitarian policy, and this road is still long.".
