(haipo) At a time when more and more residents of Haifa find themselves relying on welfare services due to the ongoing war, economic crisis, and uncertainty that have rocked the country for two years, it has become known that the municipal welfare director's budget will be cut. Such a cut, warns City Council member Sally Abed, could harm a critical array of services and frameworks that are a real lifeline for thousands of families.
The query she submitted raises questions about the municipality's responsibility at this time, and the price the public may pay if the reduction is actually implemented.
City Council member Sally Abed warned in a question she submitted to the mayor about the intention to make extensive cuts to the Welfare Department's budget, as part of the municipality's preparations for the 2026 budget. According to her, this is a cut that is expected to directly affect essential services operating in the city and serving broad populations, including job seekers, people with disabilities, families in crisis, and more.
Abed emphasizes that welfare budgets are not a "favor" or "charity," but part of essential social policy. "The city is committed to protecting the health, safety, and well-being of its residents. Neglecting the weakest people not only harms them, but weakens Haifa as a whole."
She also noted that the past two years, which were characterized by war, economic instability, and loss of livelihood, have created a reality in which the number of those in need of welfare services has increased sharply. Many have lost their jobs, families have dealt with anxiety and hardship, reserve service members and their wives have experienced mental and financial strain, and it is now estimated that the need will only increase in the coming years.
In addition, Abed warned that a large portion of the budgets at risk of cuts come from the Ministry of Social Affairs, i.e., from the state and not from the municipal treasury. Harming these budgets will not only directly harm activity, but will also prevent the flow of state funds to essential services in the city.
Against this background, Abed asked: What is the total size of the cut required from the Welfare Administration for the 2026 budget year?
Relatively limited cuts
The mayor said that the municipal administration had decided on a "relatively limited cut" in the welfare budget and that its practical implications are currently being examined. According to him, welfare issues are handled in the municipality with sensitivity and deep commitment, but it is important to understand that the welfare directorate provides a professional and high-quality service, which also attracts residents from other areas to the city, which creates an additional burden on the municipal budget. However, the response did not provide the exact scope of the cut or how existing services will be affected.
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The harm to the weak in Haifa is a constant headline, all of Kiryat Haim has been harmed for years, the Zevulun police are negligent, defenseless citizens are harmed and threatened. When did they even respond and the situation is only escalating.
Eyal the journalist, for your information, many social workers are friends in Haifa, many of whom left because their salaries were low and they do not receive the conditions that social workers received in the past. They have a great burden on them and you are taking it out on them from the many reviews that are written. Poor people. I know the work of social workers.
Social workers have a workload in relation to the standards that have been cut by some social workers.
Tired of Haifa Municipality accepting everyone who comes to them, they fled from settlements and villages that do not receive any support and everything is on the backs of Haifa residents. Haifa Municipality will ask the welfare department who they are from the applications if they are new and where they are from. What I understood is that before the former mayor opened her doors to them to all the villages, Haifa slowly became occupied by Arabs and that ended it, so the young people fled from Haifa to a place where they know Haifa will live, where they flee, Haifa must remain a majority of Jews. Not to return to the Mandate period when the Arabs ruled here in Haifa.
Sorry, in Haifa we have added Arabs who came from the villages. Since the Gural era, he has come to the point that they came, there was no need for them in Haifa, there were many requests for help, and so everyone who moved to live in Haifa from the villages simply had to be told by the locals that they were from the villages, residents of Haifa were born and men here deserve all the rights of those who moved, not to give them any help. They don't help in the villages, so they moved here and live at the expense of the residents of Haifa.
The welfare director is a huge monster whose contribution to welfare must be examined.
These are 300 social workers who write paperwork all day long…
In the end, they make lists and refer people in need to non-profit organizations and private organizations!!!
Apparently Sally's friends are employed there so she's trying to apply pressure.
All Haifa residents see the homeless and drug addicts who are not being treated, so what kind of welfare is this - is it just the welfare of families in the working-class sectors?