Disabled, Not Half a Human Being
נכה, לא חצי בן אדם | |
 Logo of the "Disabled, Not Half a Human Being" organization | |
| Headquarters | Yavne |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Staff | Alex Fridman Hanan Tal Amit Halamish |
Disabled, Not Half a Human Being (Hebrew: נכה, לא חצי בן אדם[1]) is an Israeli Non-governmental organization (a voluntary association) which works for the rights of people with disabilities in the State of Israel. Its main goals are raising the general disability allowance[2] and equalizing it to the minimum wage, advancing the issue of accessibility, advancing the right to housing for disabled people, nursing, proper medical treatment and integration of people with disabilities into society and employment.
History
[edit]The organization was established in April 2016, as a part of a national campaign whose name was "Disabled, Not Half a Human Being", which had begun in January 2015, as a protest against the wear of the disability pension in Israel for more than 15 years.[3] It raised the disability pension in Israel from NIS 2,342 ($660) to NIS 4,500 ($1,270).[4][5]
The association is a member of several social forums as "The Forum for the Struggle Against Poverty",[6] "The Forum for the health advancement of people with disabilities", and the national committee for advancing the rights of people with disabilities in the Israel Bar Association.
Founders
[edit]In January 2015 Fridman decided to establish the association after hearing about a woman with a disability who tried to commit suicide as a result of her economic distress, and began a strategic campaign under the slogan "Disabled, Not Half a Human Being" to raise the Disability pension in Israel.
The founders[7] are the chairman of the association Alex Fridman, a wheelchair-using man who has a muscular dystrophy which is SMA, a social networking screenwriter, and the CEO Hanan Tal,[8] a social activist with no disability, who has been funded the organization and the campaign, and volunteers as the CEO from the very beginning. Hanan Tal works as a commercial diver and a director at the Europe Asia Pipeline Company for the last 15 years.
The other founders are Advocate Amit Halamish,[7][9][10] and Head of Research Asher Rochberger.[7][11]
Activities of the Association
[edit]- Online social networking activity (as of March 2018 – the Facebook page of the association has 70,000 followers).
- Conducting shows and conferences with the participation of Public opinion leaders.[12]
- Lectures in educational institutions.
- Lobbying and legislation in the Israeli Knesset.
- Individual counseling and assistance for people with disabilities.
- On September 4, 2017, Semion Grafman[13] appeared in a video clip with Fridman and Tal. In this clip, Grafman and Tal got whole dishes, but Fridman was served with half of a fish and half of a beer glass. When Grafman asked where the restaurant's owner was, the waiter replied that it was not related to the place, but was the policy of Israel government.[14]
Outstanding Achievements
[edit]- An addition of 300 million ILS to the budget of disabled in the Arrangements Law of 2017.
- Passing a law in the amount of 4.34 billion ILS to raise the disability pension in 2018.[15][16]
- In October 2024, the organization stopped the goal of the minister of finance, Bezalel Smotrich, to freeze the raising of the disability allowances in 2025.[17][18][19] The planned freeze has been canceled.[20]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Ministry of Justice. "נכה, לא חצי בן אדם" [Disabled, Not Half a Human Being]. Guidestar.org.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 28, 2024.
Valid until December 31, 2026
- ^ Disabled, Not Half a Human Being (December 7, 2022). "יישום והרחבת חוק הנכים – רפורמות 21/22" [Implementation and Extension of the Disability Act – Reforms 2021/2022]. lohetzi.co.il (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ The website system (October 15, 2017). "נכה לא חצי בן אדם: אלכס פרידמן מסביר" [Disabled, Not Half a Human Being: Alex Fridman Explains]. Myziona.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ Telem Yahav (September 8, 2017). "Disabled protest against NIS 2,342 disability benefits". Ynet. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ ToI Staff (September 29, 2017). "After protests, state agrees to up disability benefits to over NIS 4,000". The Times of Israel. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Niv Elis (August 14, 2016). "Forum for Combating Poverty says budget plans fall short". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ a b c "נכה, לא חצי בן אדם" [Disabled, Not Half a Human Being]. Maydorltd.wixsite.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ Sarah Levi (August 25, 2017). "Handicapped protesters block highway to make demands heard". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
Hanan Tal, CEO of NGO "Disabled, Not a Half a Human Being".
- ^ Amir Alon (September 26, 2017). "התגייסות המונית לכיסוי דו"חות הנכים: "הדבר הכי אנושי"" [Mass Mobilization to Cover Fines for Disabled Vehicles: "The Most Humane Thing"]. Ynet. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
The association's legal advisor, lawyer Amit Halamish, explained: "There is a fundamental right to demonstrate."
- ^ Ynet (April 25, 2023). "אלופים: אמיר ויעל זכו בשתי מדליות לישראל באליפות העולם למושתלים" [Champions: Amir and Yael win two medals for Israel at the World Transplant Championships]. Ynet. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
Among the members of the Israeli delegation was Amit Halamish (44), a lawyer from Giv'atayim, who participated in a five-kilometer stage race. Halamish underwent a liver transplant ten years ago because of a rare autoimmune disease.
- ^ KnessetTV (May 9, 2017). "ערוץ הכנסת – אשר רוכברגר: "שנתיים נלחמים שקצבת הנכים תהיה שווה לשכר המינימום", 8.5.2017" [Knesset Channel – Asher Rochberger: "For two years we have been fighting for disability benefits to be equal to the minimum wage", 8 May 2017]. Retrieved November 25, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Mor Levi (June 21, 2016). "The Disabled in a new Campaign: Choose between food and medicine? The allowance has to be raised". Mako (in Hebrew). Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ "Semion Grafman". IMDb. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- ^ Semion Grafman (September 4, 2017). "Think like me? Share!". Facebook (in Hebrew). Length 1:40 minutes. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
He is disabled, he deserves half!
- ^ Alon, Amir; Friedson, Yael (September 18, 2016). "Special Knesset recess debate held on disability benefits". Ynetnews. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ Lidar Gravé-Lazi and Lahav Harkov (February 13, 2018). "Knesset passes bill for NIS 4.34 billion increase in disability allotments". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ The website system (October 29, 2024). "מחאת הנכים מתחדשת" [Disabled people renews]. Myavne.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 28, 2024.
Hanan Tal, founder and president of Disabled, Not Half a Human Being: "A red line has been crossed and the Minister of Finance has no public mandate for such a decision. Not only is the Minister asking to freeze the index supplement for the general disabled people, but also for the kidnapped people, the victims of the Gaza envelope, the victims of the Nova, the soldiers and the wounded of the Israel Defense Forces, the elderly who were nursed, and the disabled children. We will do everything which we can to prevent the decision from reaching the Knesset plenum and tarnishing the Ministry of Finance and the government to the point of universal disgrace".
- ^ Sharon Kidon (October 29, 2024). "סמוטריץ' קורא להיכנס מתחת לאלונקה? האלונקה פסחה על הנכים לפני 20 שנה" [Smotrich calls people to get under the stretcher? The stretcher passed over the disabled people, 20 years ago]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ Hadar Gil-Ad (October 31, 2024). "גזר דין מוות לאנשים עם מוגבלות: מחאת הנכים מתחדשת, על רקע קיצוצי התקציב" [Death sentence for people with disabilities: Protest by disabled people renews, amid budget cuts]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 28, 2024.
Alex Friedman, founder and chairman of the Disabled, Not Half a Human Being organization, said ahead of the government meeting to approve the state budget: "I call on the Minister of Finance to come to his senses. Freezing disability benefits during wartime and the rising cost of living, combined with the VAT increase and other decrees – are a death sentence for the disabled public".
- ^ Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities (November 4, 2024). "בוטלה הקפאת קצבאות הנכים שתוכננה ל-2025" [The freeze of the disability allowances planned for 2025 has been canceled]. Ministry of Justice (in Hebrew). Retrieved November 28, 2024.