After an intensive and persistent two-year struggle, led by RHR’s Adv. Becky Cohen Keshet, director of the social justice department, under difficult political circumstances Rabbis for Human Rights can now say that it has succeeded! Food Security is now part of the basic national budget. 100 million shekels will now make up a dedicated food security budget line in Israel’s national budget, approved by Israel’s new government. While this is an historic accomplishment, it is still a mark of shame for our society that only now has the government thought about dealing with this pervasive and severe problem that plagues Israeli society. On the other hand, this points to a new fact in Israel. The state will now, side by side with civil society organizations, take responsibility for ameliorating food insecurity and hunger in Israel, a phenomenon that is all too common for people living in poverty in Israel and elsewhere on our globe. As we continue our advocacy on this we are pleased that we will be inaugurating a food security lobby in the Knesset in the coming days.

While we are satisfied with this development RHR and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger – our partner in this struggle, will not rest and we will continue to fight to raise the dedicated budget line to 250 million NIS per year.

The struggle continues but thanks to our partners, supporters and most importantly thanks to people living in poverty and with food insecurity who continue to sound out and make their struggles visible, we will succeed!

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