By Dana Weiler-Polak, Haaretz,
02.04.09
Thousands of Gazans handicapped in work-related
accidents in Israel have not received their National
Insurance Institute disability payments since January,
Haaretz has learned.
The workers have approached the Workers Advice Center,
saying the benefit payments were suddenly and
inexplicably stopped. WAC said that about 5,000 Gazans
became disabled following work-related incidents in
Israel, and were receiving disability benefits from
Israel.
They were legally employed within Israel and were
recognized as disabled by the NII, which allocated them a
monthly stipend of NIS 1,600.
The NII reported about 700 payment checks that were
returned to their offices without reaching their
destination. Prior to December 2008 the benefits were
transmitted to the beneficiaries' accounts in the Bank of
Palestine, via Israeli banks.
Since January 2009 Israeli banks no longer operate
such transactions, and no alternative has yet been
found.
"We are not guilty of the political situation, we are
not guilty of the bureaucracy or of what's been happening
in Gaza, we are disabled and hungry," said Zachi Masri, a
resident of Gaza entitled to disability benefits. "Before
the war there were some Abu Mazen [Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] people connecting
us to the Insurance Institute but since the war it all
stopped and there's no one to talk to anymore. We have a
right to live with dignity after working loyally until
the very end."
Masri was employed in Israel and injured his shoulder
after falling off a ladder in 1996. He said that he tried
to call the NII when the monthly payments failed to
arrive, but there was no one to speak to.
"It's been three months now and we haven't gotten a
single shekel. People are complaining they can't buy
groceries. We have children, they need to go to school,
we need food and we have nothing. Someone has to find a
solution, even if we have to get the checks at the
checkpoint."
WAC director Assaf Adiv said, "the workers are in a
state of uncertainty. They include a severely injured
person with 75% disability. These people were entirely
dependent on even the smallest benefits, and without them
they may reach the point of starvation."
The NII said in a statement, "Until December, the
residents of Gaza entitled to a disability benefit
received it through Palestinian banks represented in
Israel by Israeli banks. In January we received a notice
from the Bank of Israel telling us that this situation no
longer applied, and we have been trying to find
alternative ways to transfer the payments to the
beneficiaries.
Active discussions are being held in these very days
to resolve this situation, and the beneficiaries will
naturally receive retroactive payments from January
on."
Source: www.haaretz.com
