In one of his high-profile daily briefings, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo asked rhetorically, "You know, it always seems that the poorest people pay the highest price. Why is that? Whatever the situation is."
Indeed, marginalized and underserved populations are often neglected even in the best of times, let alone in a time of crisis. The current coronavirus pandemic exacerbates the gap between the haves and have nots, in any society. This has been a tragic truism throughout the history of pandemics. During the Black Plague, while everyone suffered, the poor were hit hardest.
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In Israel, underserved populations include Arab Israelis, transgender men and women, Ethiopians, asylum-seekers, Mizrahi Jews, and others. These demographic communities are routinely pushed to the margins of society and forgotten. Working closely with students and clinic staff as well as other NGOs, the Civil Litigation Legal Clinic at the University of Haifa's Faculty of Law aims to bridge these socioeconomic gaps for individuals and the Israeli population at-large.
This pandemic has been difficult for all of us, but it represents even more trying times for those who were struggling before the outbreak.
Take, for example, a 74-year-old man who needed emergency access to medical care, but his local clinic was closed when the virus began to spread and all non-essential medical services were put on hold. This put him in a bind, as his dentures broke and he was not able to eat solid food without them. Shockingly, his problem was deemed unessential and he was denied treatment. Our legal clinic's team of students intervened and drafted a letter on his behalf. Once he was allowed to receive treatment, students found volunteers to transport him to an emergency medical clinic for treatment.
On a more macro level, we have also assisted those facing financial hardships after being put on unpaid leave. At face value, an employee in this situation will eventually receive unemployment benefits from Israel's national insurance agency. However, among the 25 percent of Israelis who found themselves unemployed virtually overnight due to COVID-19, many of them will not be returning to work anytime soon.
Furthermore, at the height of the coronavirus crisis, when most bank branches were closed to the public and many bus routes shut down, a vast majority of pensioners were unable to withdraw the cash that was rightfully owed to them. Many of these pensioners don't have debit or credit cards or even cell phones and depend on regular access to banks in order to meet their basic needs. As such, together with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, we filed an urgent petition to the High Court of Justice requesting the banks be instructed to open for the public when social security pensions are paid. Following our petition, the Commissioners of the Banks announced that all banks needed to open at the for two days at the end of March – when their monthly pension stipend is deposited into accounts.
And while the government should be commended for injecting some 100 billion shekels ($28.5 billion) to stimulate the economy, Israel lags behind other OECD countries when it comes to economic relief for laid-off workers. According to a recent Knesset report, Israel has only shelled out some 3.4% of its domestic gross for unemployment aid, while other OECD countries like Canada (8.4%) and France (14.9%) have provided much more relief.
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While it is easy to lament these figures, I do not despair. Fortunately, Israel has the foundation in place to provide a strong safety net for citizens facing difficult times, including universal health care and social security benefits. But over time, the government institutions and programs overseeing these benefits have been weakened or neglected as the country's cost of living has skyrocketed in recent years.
As we welcome a new government after a year of political infighting, I urge Israel's new cabinet to take the time to determine how it will execute a long-term and comprehensive pandemic recovery plan for this nation. A 25-percent unemployment rate is more than shameful. Turning a blind eye to the millions who cannot feed their families is inhumane. The Israel I know can and should do better.
