page_title: Disability rights in Israel
section_title: Intensification of the protest
hierarchical_section_title: Disability rights in Israel / The Responses of the Disabled / Intensification of the protest
caption_attribution_description: English: Blocking the entrance to the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem by Disabled Israelis, in their battle for equalizing the disability pension to the minimum wage. In October 2017, a full disability pension was 2,342 ILS. The minimum wage in this month was 5,000 ILS, and in December 2017 it increased to 5,300 ILS per month. עברית: חסימת הכניסה למעון ראש הממשלה בירושלים על ידי אזרחים נכים, במאבקם להשוואת קצבת הנכות לשכר המינימום. השיעור של קצבת הנכות המלאה באוקטובר 2017 היה 2,342 ש"ח, ושכר המינימום היה 5,000 ש"ח בחודש זה, עם העלאה ל-5,300 ש"ח בדצמבר 2017.
context_page_description: Disability rights in Israel are based among the rest upon disability pensions, accessibility regulations, therapy, special education, sheltered workshop and assisted living.
  Since the beginning of the 21st century, the disabled people in Israel, with a population of 250,000, have managed to equalize the disability pension from the Bituah Leumi to the minimum wage level in Israel.
  As of 2017, the struggle was made by demonstrations, blocking main roads, highways and industries, activity in social networking services, petitions to the High Court of Justice, negotiations with the Government of Israel and bills in the Knesset.
  In 2017, a full disability pension was 2,342 ILS. The minimum wage in this year was 5,000 ILS, and in December 2017 it went up to 5,300 ILS per month.
context_section_description: On 3 October 2017, the members of "The Disabled Panthers" and "The A-team" blocked two entrances to the Port of Ashdod from six in the morning for five hours, causing heavy financial damage. The demonstrators agreed to evacuate the entrances to the port after the police agreed to void the traffic tickets which it recorded on their vehicles. On 9 October 2017, during the Sukkot holiday, representatives of the disabled were hosted by the President Reuven Rivlin at the president's succah (tabernacle), which was opened to the general public. The president asked the disabled to hold a dignified dialogue with all the professional bodies. Then the disabled went and demonstrated outside the house of the Interior Minister Aryeh Deri in the rain. From Deri, they went to the Prime Minister's residence on Balfour street, and blocked Gaza Street. From there they moved to France Square, and blocked the traffic. On 15 October, for the first time in cooperation with representatives of disabled IDF veterans, the disabled disrupted the southern traffic on the Coastal Road near Netanya by driving slowly on the road, with the approval and in coordination with the police.
  On 17 October 2017, disabled people gathered at a gas station near the Latrun Interchange, and from there they drove slowly on Highway 1 to Jerusalem, causing heavy traffic. They arrived at the Prime Minister's house and blocked the southern entrance gate on Balfour Street. Nicole Raidman arrived and caused a media storm when she gave 2,000 ILS to Hanna Akiva from "The Disabled Panthers". Then the Panthers' spokesman clarified that the money was transferred to cover their expenses, and was not used personally. After blocking the Prime Minister's residence, they blocked Keren Hayesod Street in Jerusalem, blocked Paris Square, and from there they went to the Chords Bridge and blocked the entrance to Jerusalem until evening, under the supervision of the police.
  With the return of the Knesset to the Winter Session on 23 October 2017, disabled people from 15 organizations set up a tent opposite the Knesset, and clashed with its security guards in an attempt to break into the territory of the Knesset. The police closed Kaplan Street to traffic. When Naomi Moravia left the Knesset, the disabled people burst out, shouting at her, and security guards accompanied her out. The disabled also blocked the entrances to the Ministry of Finance.
  On 5 November 2017, members of "the Disabled Panthers" blocked the entrances and exits at the Haifa Oil Refineries for four and a half hours. The security personnel of the Refineries went out to the protestors with refreshments.
  On 19 November 2017, the Disabled people blocked the entrances and exits of the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, when the weekly cabinet meeting was held there, and then blocked the Light rail traffic in Jerusalem.
  On 22 November 2017, at seven o'clock in the morning, "the Disabled Panthers" blocked the exits from Bitan's home in Rishon LeZion, in a similar manner to the four beats designed for the disabled. Some residents of the street tried to confront them, and the police forces in the area prevented it. From there, they went to Ben Gurion Airport and blocked the railway. On 29 November 2017, they returned to Bitan's place at 5:40 in the morning, when it was still dark, and met Bitan on his way to his car, because Bitan's driver could not reach him, due to the blocking by the Panthers. Police accompanied Bitan, and the Panthers told Bitan that they would continue to block him and his neighbors until he realized that just a minimum wage would be the pension for all disabled people. Amnon Ben-Ataf followed Bitan, condemned him, told him that he disliked disabled people, and asked how his wife and his daughter could live on 2,400 ILS if they became disabled. Bitan replied to him: "Do not shout in my ear". In response, Moravia sent a bouquet of roses to Bitan, wrote: "We are not them", and signed on behalf of her organization's members.
caption: The demonstration of the disabled in front of the prime minister's residence on 17 October 2017, with Eyal Cohen, Hanna Akiva (in red), Iris Haya Zigdon (in blue)[59] and Raanan Kerklies, who passed away on 23 May 2018,[60][61] in a gray shirt with his back to the camera. Balfour Street, Jerusalem.
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