Shas food stamp program under fire for leaving Holocaust survivors in the lurch

Handouts approved by Justice Ministry appear to prioritize Haredi families, while survivors and single-parent households largely excluded

A young Jewish boy eats at the Yad Ezra V'Shulamit center in Jerusalem, which serves hot lunch every day to more than 1,200 children under the poverty line. September 27, 2011. (Uri Lenz/Flash90)
Illustrative: A young Jewish boy eats at the Yad Ezra V'Shulamit center in Jerusalem, which serves hot lunch every day to more than 1,200 children under the poverty line. September 27, 2011. (Uri Lenz/FLASH90)

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party’s food stamp program was approved for rollout by the Justice Ministry earlier this week but has come under fire for appearing to prioritize Haredi families at the expense of others battling food insecurity.

Families with large numbers of children will be eligible to receive vouchers for NIS 2,400 ($639) per month, while some 12,000 Holocaust survivors and single parents will be left behind.

Ahead of this week’s approval, the Finance Ministry sought to pressure the Interior Ministry to change the eligibility criteria for the food stamps program, but only partially succeeded.

The original criteria outlined by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri — who was removed from his role as interior minister in January due to a recent conviction for tax evasion — was based on whether families are eligible for a discount on their property tax, a benefit largely granted to families with many children. These are oftentimes ultra-Orthodox families.

The original criteria granted single mothers only NIS 600 ($160) per month in food stamps, but following criticism of the program, the terms were updated to allow them to also receive vouchers for each of their children, though the amount is half as much as what the mother receives and the handout maxes out at two children.

Of the country’s 15,000 Holocaust survivors defined by the state as being in need, only 3,000 will be eligible for food stamps — those who are deemed to be suffering from significant disability.

Shas chief Aryeh Deri leads a faction meeting, at the Knesset on February 13, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The program’s advancement marks a significant win for the Shas party because it comes less than two months before the municipal elections. It still needs to receive final approval from the Knesset’s Finance Committee, which is expected to grant it at the beginning of September.

The program has long been associated with Deri, who made it a central part of his party’s campaign ahead of the November 2022 Knesset elections.

Shas plans to divvy out NIS 400 million ($107 million) in food stamps ahead of the Jewish High Holidays and another NIS 300 million ahead of the two holiday periods in 2024.

Responding to criticism of the program, Welfare Minister Ya’akov Margi (Shas) told Kan news, “The food stamp project initiated by Shas movement chairman Aryeh Deri will help large populations that are within the range of the poverty line, providing them with income for essential needs.

“The Shas movement worked to secure a billion shekels from its coalition funds for the benefit of the project and instead of congratulating it, certain people… with clear political agendas are advancing a campaign and investing a significant time and resources in the media to bash it.”

For its part, the Foundation for the Welfare of Holocaust Victims said in a statement that it “regrets that not all Holocaust survivors who are in need will receive food stamps. It is clear that in their final years, it is important to allow survivors to live comfortably and with dignity. It’s unfortunate that [the government] didn’t choose to put them at the top of national priorities as well.”

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