The Yochananoff supermarket chain will compensate complainants for a total of over 100,000 NIS, after violating its duty to give priority in line to people with disabilities.
The settlement agreement - which has the force of a judgment - was signed as part of a lawsuit filed by the Equal Rights Commission for People with Disabilities at the Ministry of Justice in March 2025.
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The lawsuit was based on complaints from customers with disabilities, who claimed that they were not given due priority, as well as on additional deficiencies found in the commission's inspection, including failure to provide training for employees, lack of implementation of accessibility procedures, and failure to fully comply with regulations under the law.
At the court hearing, the complainants appeared and told their personal stories. Finally, upon the court's recommendation, a settlement agreement was signed.
According to the agreement, the Yochananoff chain will update its service and accessibility procedures, conduct comprehensive training for employees on the subject of providing accessible service and the rights of people with disabilities, and compensate each of the four complainants in the amount of NIS 25,000. In addition, the chain will pay legal costs to the Commission in the amount of NIS 10,000.
The Commission for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities has been operating since 2000 under the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which the State of Israel is a signatory.
According to the Commission, there are currently about 1.7 million people with disabilities living in Israel - about 181% of the population. Since the outbreak of the 'Iron Swords' war, about 100,000 people with disabilities have been added.
Attorney Irit Shaviv Shani, the legal officer at the Commission and the plaintiff in the case: "This ruling continues and reinforces the trend that the Commission has been leading in recent years of raising the threshold for compensation awarded under the Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law, as part of strengthening deterrence and the clear public message: accessibility is not a recommendation - but a legal obligation.".
Commissioner for Equal Rights for People with Disabilities, Dan Rashel: "The right to priority in line is an integral part of the right to accessible, equal, and respectful service. Violating this right violates the dignity of people with disabilities and is not a marginal issue. This ruling sends a clear message: anyone who violates the Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law will bear the consequences.".
