Government Plans Daily 50-Shekel Aid for West Bank Hilltop Youth

Israel is rolling out a broad government program aimed at reducing violence among youths living in outposts and farms in Judea and Samaria, according to a document from the Ministry of Settlement and National Missions headed by Minister Orit Strock. The plan includes a daily grant of 50 shekels per teenager for food and clothing, first reported Monday by Ynet.

The aid is scheduled to run for about seven months, from June through the end of the year, and will be transferred through the regional councils. The food-and-clothing component alone is estimated at about 5.5 million shekels.

The benefit is designed for 657 teenagers scattered across farms and hilltops in the West Bank, including 225 in the Binyamin Regional Council, 129 in Samaria, 120 in the Jordan Valley, 99 in Mount Hebron, and 84 in Gush Etzion.

This payment is only a small part of a much larger government plan worth about 120 million shekels, which is described as addressing youth violence through educational tools. Several ministries are involved, including Defense, Education, Settlement and National Missions, and Labor. Alongside the daily stipend, other measures include social worker support for the teens and their families, liaison coordinators between the farms and authorities, programs to encourage enlistment and prevent school dropout, and employment placement for the youths.