The outgoing Knesset has passed a law regulating the rights of bereaved siblings for the first time since Israel's inception.
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The groundbreaking legislation passed its second and third readings on Thursday, mere hours before the Knesset officially dissolved, plunging Israel into its fifth election campaign in three years.
The bill, sponsored by New Hope MK Michal Shir and endorsed by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, affords bereaved siblings special benefits, such as assistance in higher education tuition and expedient access to mental health services, including psychotherapy, occupational therapy, alternative emotional therapies, and more.
Eli Ben-Shem, chairman of the Yad Labanim organization – Israel's leading support network for bereaved families – welcomed the move.
"It's hard to overstate the importance of this law that, for the first time, will give tens of thousands of bereaved siblings the feeling that they are no longer transparent.
"This is a historic milestone in the state's treatment of bereaved siblings," he continued. "In many families, the siblings are left to carry the memory of the fallen and it is unthinkable that the State of Israel would ignore their status, needs, and rights
"I'm glad that despite the impossible political reality of the past few weeks, the principled concern for bereaved families remained a consensus that transcends any division."
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