23 Organizations Urge Election Candidates to Boost Civil Services Spending
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
Twenty-three Israeli civil society organizations have urged election candidates to commit to increasing civilian service spending. They highlighted a NIS 205 billion gap compared to the OECD average, with significant shortfalls in welfare, education, health, transportation, and environment. The organizations stressed that robust public services are essential infrastructure, especially after the October 7th events, and called for a multi-year plan to address the deficit.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- 23 Israeli organizations urged election candidates to boost civil services spending.
- Israel's civilian expenditure lags the OECD average by approximately NIS 205 billion.
- Significant annual deficits exist in welfare, education, health, transportation, and environment.
- The organizations cited the October 7th events as highlighting the need for stronger civilian systems.
- They called for a public commitment to a multi-year plan to increase civilian spending.
Twenty-three Israeli civil society organizations, including the Kibbutz Movement and Na'amat, have called on all parties running in the upcoming elections to prioritize the rehabilitation of civil services in the next government's foundational policies. In a letter they published, the organizations explained that Israel's civilian expenditure is approximately NIS 205 billion lower than the OECD average. Even when accounting for Israel's high defense spending, which limits civilian outlays compared to other nations, the gap remains NIS 89 billion. The letter, initiated by the Arlozorov Forum and Centers for Social Justice, details that the deficit in welfare services amounts to about NIS 50 billion annually, NIS 32 billion in education, NIS 13 billion in health, NIS 10 billion in transportation, and NIS 4 billion in environmental protection budgets. "Strong public services are not a marginal addition to economic policy," the organizations stated, "but the infrastructure upon which Israeli society rests." They added, "The events of October 7th and the war have demonstrated the price of civilian systems that are not sufficiently prepared for emergencies. Civil society has repeatedly mobilized to fill the gaps, but it cannot and should not replace a state with strong and functioning public systems." The organizations urged candidates to publicly commit to the next government gradually increasing civilian spending over several years to narrow the gap with developed countries and to anchor this direction in coalition agreements and foundational policies. Signatories include numerous prominent Israeli NGOs and labor unions.