High Court in favor of cutting benefits: No real harm • Litzman: Lack of compassion

May 21, 2014   

Supreme Court justices today (Wednesday) discussed a petition filed by a group of parents of families with children against the Netanyahu-Lapid government's decision to cut child allowances as part of the state budget. בתום הדיון פסקו השופטים, כי לא מדובר בפגיעה ממשית וכי ההחלטה שעיקרה פוליטית, מבוססת ומקובלת לביצוע. העותרים, קבוצת הורים למשפחות ברוכות ילדים, שעתרו לבג"ץ באמצעות עו"ד רמי אברמוב, הגיעו הבוקר אל בניין בית המשפט העליון כדי להשתתף בדיון בעתירה שהגישו. העותרים טענו בפתח הדיון כי מדובר בהחלטה "בלתי סבירה שפוגעת בזכויות ילדי ישראל וגורמת לחוסר שיוויון מובהק", בה בשעה שהממשלה הציבה לעצמה את היעד לצמצם פערים בחברה הישראלית, ובמיוחד בקרב אוכלוסיית הילדים.

The state's attorney argued that there was no violation of the rights of children, on the grounds that the government "balanced" the decrees in this cut by doing good to the child population in recent years, by providing free dental care as part of the dental reform led by former Deputy Minister of Health MK Yaakov Litzman, as well as by introducing the Free Education for Israeli Children Law.

The Supreme Court did not, as stated, accept the petitioners' position.

Although the ultra-Orthodox MKs were not officially involved in submitting the petition, one of them - MK Yaakov Litzman - devoted himself to it with all his might. Initially, he tried to convince the other Knesset members to join, but after they responded with indifference, he gave up.

This morning, Haredim10 photographer Boaz Ben Ari documented him in court.

""This is what the state is doing. This is a serious violation of children and their rights," Litzman responded after the petition was rejected. He added: "There is no connection between the benefit given to the child population several years ago, in the previous term, which was a good decision in itself, and the scandalous cut that the government made to child benefits in the current term.

""The connection that the state makes between the free dental care benefit and the compulsory education law, and the decision to cut benefits - is a mockery of the state, widens the gaps between the populations, and indicates a real lack of compassion in the government's decision.".