The "Debate" about Hunger in Israel

Likud party member, Tzachi Hanegbi, recently made headlines after an appearance on the popular Israeli daytime talk show, “Ophira and Berkovich”. On the show, Tzachi was asked what he planned to do for the countless Israelis who don’t have enough food to eat as a result of the recent recession, brought on by COVID-19, and responded by calling the claims that Israelis don’t have enough food to eat “nonsense.” Opponents of Tzachi responded immediately, calling him and his comments “out of touch” with the rest of Israel, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu denounced the comment, releasing a statement that “like in the rest of the world, the coronavirus is taking a high toll on people’s lives, health, and livelihoods. The challenge is real and the prime minister is working around the clock to address it, including via economic aid packages for businesses and citizens.” Tzachi later apologized for his comment, stating that he had been caught up “in the heat of the debate”, and said something that he did not believe.

Despite the apology, this incident has left many of those suffering from food insecurity unsatisfied and undermined. It highlights the issues with food distribution and hunger that Israel is currently facing, and has been facing for years. In April, the Israeli government cracked down on supermarkets and food distributors, taking advantage of the economic crisis and food shortages by raising the prices of goods like eggs, milk, and bread by as much as 90%, instituting heavy fines on businesses found exploiting Israeli citizens. However, the government still hasn’t done enough to prevent hunger in Israel in general. According to an analysis of major food distribution programs under the auspices of the Israeli Welfare Ministry from 2016, the Israeli government provided food for only 11,000 families in Israel out of the 1,599,120 Israelis who suffer from food shortages, and the government only pays for one-third of the expenses for those programs. The rest comes from charities, donors, nonprofit groups, and local authorities. 

The Israeli Government recently approved a new stimulus package to provide aid to families and individuals in need. Hopefully it will be enough to save at least some of the countless families struggling to survive at the moment.