Protesters for disabled rights block Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road

Activists campaigning for disabled rights disrupt traffic along the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway following a special Knesset debate on their effort to see government disability benefits raised to the level of minimum wage.

Route 1 was blocked off westward from the Motza junction a few kilometers from Jerusalem, causing a huge buildup of traffic trying to enter the capital city.

Illustrative image of disabled, handicapped and activists attend a protest calling for better health care, on a main road outside the town of Yekum, causing major traffic jams, August 14, 2017. (Flash90)

Before the debate the same highway was blocked eastwards between Latrun and Jerusalem as protesters drove slowly in both lanes on their way to the capital. Protesters also blocked a street near the Knesset in the capital, the latest in a series of actions meant to highlight the protesters’ plight.

The Knesset debate on the issue was the first since the protests began several months ago, coming while the legislature is on recess. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum urged the government to accept a new plan that would raise the monthly stipend from NIS 2,342 ($660) to NIS 4,000 ($1,130).