A participant in the Wisconsin Plan whose government assistance was cut off in December 2005 on the grounds of failing to cooperate, brought his case to the Appeals Committee and was turned down.  The participant insisted on bringing his case to the labor court. He argued that he was sent to work at jobs that were not suited to his physical limitations, and that he was not treated properly.  When he came to us in February he said he wanted to take his case to court since the assertions made by Agens, the contractor responsible for the Wisconsin Plan, were false and damaged his good name.

Ofira (from Amuta Alon) helped the participant fill out the required forms to file in court and to receive legal assistance.   He was assigned a lawyer.  The court issued its ruling in August, citing the response of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Employment that it did not stand behind the decision of the Appeals Committee, and that it would ask the National Insurance to pay the participant for the month of December.  Thus, in the end there was no deliberation in court.   However, the participant insisted on his rights and the assistance to which he is entitled.  We hope his sense of self respect was preserved as well.

This week the Budget Law and the Economic Arrangements Law for 2007 were submitted to the Knesset.  The Arrangements law contains several significant reforms in matters such as the sick funds and the water system.  Without passing judgment on the reforms themselves, their inclusion in this form of rapid legislation does not allow MK’s, social organizations or Israelis in general to discuss them in a serious manner.  The use of rapid legislation based on the argument that the Knesset does not enact structural reforms impinges on our basic right to understand and respond to fundamental changes in governance.  It should be pointed out that over the past year at least one major structural reform was enacted without using rapid legislation:  the salary reform that directly affected the owners of capital.

Recent Articles by Rabbi Idit Lev

• Rabbis for Human Rights protests against the expansion of the Wisconsin plan - September 26th, 2008
• Rabbis for Human Rights calls on Government not to expand the Wisconsin Plan - September 19th, 2008
• RHR protests against procedural irregularities of Wisconsin Plan - August 28th, 2008
• Volunteers Needed for Wisconsin Plan - August 28th, 2008
• RHR supports Empowerment Group for Women - August 21st, 2008
• RHR fights budget cuts that increases social inequalities - August 14th, 2008
• RHR promotes user friendly forms for Wisconsin Plan participants - August 14th, 2008
• RHR and the iniquities of the welfare to work program - July 18th, 2008
• From Welfare to Nowhere: Promoting Human Dignity for victims of the Wisconsin Plan - July 3rd, 2008
• Demonstration against the Economic Arrangements Law - December 13th, 2007
• Victory in the Regional Labor Court - November 4th, 2006
• Conference of local mayors opposed to the Wisconsin Plan - November 4th, 2006
• Ensure Economic Justice: Help the victims of the Wisconsin Plan - September 29th, 2006
• Re'e: Human Rights and ignorance and abandonment by the government - August 17th, 2006
• The Wisconsin Program: What really happens - August 11th, 2006
• Rabbis for Human Rights activists succeed in influencing changes to the Israeli Wisconsin Program - August 4th, 2006
• Rabbis for Human Rights seeks to secure Social security allowances for all Wisconsin Program Participants - July 21st, 2006
• Rabbis For Human Rights protects the rights of the unemployed - July 13th, 2006
• RHR succeeds in modifying the the Omnibus Law of Arrangements (Economic Arrangements Bill) - June 29th, 2006
• RHR demonstrates for Social Justice - June 23rd, 2006
• Rabbis For Human Rights Opposes the Omnibus Law of Arrangements (Economic Arrangements Bill) - May 22nd, 2006
• Omnibus Law of Arrangements: Background Information - May 22nd, 2006
• Rabbi Idit Lev - May 22nd, 2006
• Finance Minister Abraham Hirchson's Speech to the Knesset Plenum – State Budget and Arrangements Law for 2006 - May 8th, 2006
• Vaethannan: Acceptance of the land, and forgetting God - August 19th, 2005

Categories: Economic Justice
Tags: Bo, court, human rights, palestinians, settlers