The Movement for Quality Government in Israel has called on Interior Minister Moshe Arbel to amend the criteria for the distribution of food vouchers, which favors the ultra-Orthodox community at the expense of other impoverished communities. The NGO has threatened to take the case to the High Court of Justice if the criteria are not altered.

In April 2023, an investigation by Shomrim and Calcalist revealed that, during the coronavirus pandemic, the Israeli government handed out some 700 million shekels ($194 million) as part of a food vouchers program initiated by the Interior Ministry under then minister Aryeh Deri. According to data revealed in the investigation, the main criteria for receiving the payment was that the recipient already be eligible on an ongoing basis for a 70 percent discount in municipal taxes. This meant that the bulk of the money was given to the ultra-Orthodox community at the expense of other struggling communities – especially the Bedouin and Arab communities. Three key bodies – the National Council for Food Security, the Finance Ministry’s Budgets Department, and the Latet organization – confirmed the findings of the investigation and found that the financial assistance was distributed disproportionately to the ultra-Orthodox community and that it did not necessarily reach the declared target of the aid – families experiencing food insecurity.

The Interior Ministry was allocated 1 billion shekels ($270 million) to continue the food vouchers project as part of the annual state budget passed by the Knesset last month and per the coalition agreements between the Likud and Shas parties. The ministry, now headed by Shas lawmaker Moshe Arbel, plans on distributing this money based on the same criteria by which it allocated the first tranche of food vouchers. In light of this, and after studying the findings of the investigation into the criteria, the Movement for Quality Government last week contacted Arbel and Attorney General Gali Bahara-Meira, demanding that the criteria be amended.

“The distribution of coalition funds for a food-vouchers program based on the previous criteria would be an improper and discriminatory use of public funds, based on irrelevant considerations, while blatantly ignoring the broad factual foundation that was presented to the government,” the Movement wrote in its letter to the minister. If the government continues to ignore the solid factual basis presented to it – which proves that the previous criteria were discriminatory – without conducting an independent investigation into the findings and drafting new standards for assistance distribution, it will represent a severe flaw in the administrative process.”

According to data revealed in the investigation, the main criteria for receiving the payment was that the recipient already be eligible on an ongoing basis for a 70 percent discount in municipal taxes. This meant that the bulk of the money was given to the ultra-Orthodox community at the expense of other struggling communities – especially the Bedouin and Arab communities.

The Movement for Quality Government had previously petitioned the courts against the criteria before the first tranche of aid was distributed – but its petition was rejected. That petition was submitted, however, before there were statistics and figures regarding the distribution of aid, and during the coronavirus pandemic, that could be considered mitigating circumstances for swift governmental action. According to the movement, the fact that the coronavirus pandemic is no longer a factor also changes the picture from the initial events. “The concern that the previous criteria and circumstances for distributing the food stamps are no longer relevant and that they will discriminate between communities for no legitimate reason have clearly come true,” the movement wrote. “It is now empirically clear that the criteria based on municipal tax payments do not contribute to food security, and they lead to disproportionate support for one community.” 

“Given the obvious legal difficulties that advancing the initiative creates, we urge you to cancel the project in its current format. Ensuring food security for all Israeli citizens is an important goal. It should be achieved through a specifically designed program without disproportionately favoring one community, which does not necessarily need it.”

The movement asked the Interior Ministry for its response by July 1 “so that we can weigh our next steps – potentially including legal measures.”