Prime Minister Lapid:
• “We have a duty to the pensioners and the elderly – we owe them our country. We owe them our security, our economy, our democracy. We will fulfill our duty and pay them our debt”
• “This cabinet takes the care of the elderly a big step forward. We have a responsibility – not only to respect the pensioners and the elderly, but also to ensure that they live with dignity”
Prime Minister Yair Lapid convened today (Sunday), September 11, 2022, Tu of Elul 2555, the Ministerial Committee on the Aging of the Population. The discussion was held in the presence of Minister of Welfare and Social Security Meir Cohen, Minister of Social Equality Merav Cohen, Minister of Culture and Sports Hili Troper and Minister of Diaspora Nachman Shai.
As part of the discussion, the Prime Minister received an overview of the preparations of the government ministries for the steps being taken to improve the lives of the elderly population in the country in the areas of loneliness, nursing, employment, as well as the reform of the day care centers.
Below are the words of Prime Minister Yair Lapid at the beginning of the debate:
“The plans that will be presented today in the aging cabinet are detailed, practical and budgeted, but what stands behind them is simple: we have a duty to pensioners and the elderly – we owe them our country. We owe them our security, our economy, our democracy. We will fulfill our duty and pay We owe them our debt.
The State of Israel exists thanks to people who worked, fought, established the IDF and established small businesses. They established the Israeli education system, the health system, industry and culture.
Those who are 70, 80 and 90 years old today, are the generation that defined Israeli values. They faced great difficulties and achieved unimaginable achievements. Create a sophisticated, strong country from scratch, with capabilities that the whole world is watching.
They had differences of opinion, but they knew how to unite around a common goal. They had arguments and fights, but they knew they were working for something bigger than all of us. This is a lesson that the current generation should listen to.
This government worked a lot for the elderly population, programs of employment, training and treatment of loneliness. Elderly care and allowances. There is still a lot of work to do, this cabinet is taking the care of the elderly a big step forward. We have a responsibility. Not only to respect the pensioners and the elderly, but also to make sure that they live with dignity.”
Minister of Welfare and Social Security Meir Cohen: “In the current government we have put the issue of population aging at the top of the list of priorities with the understanding that this issue needs special preparation, the life expectancy in Israel is on a constant upward trend which requires us to prepare extensively in all aspects, welfare, leisure employment and more. Therefore, The cooperation of all government ministries is necessary. I thank the Prime Minister for putting this issue on the agenda and giving full support to the move and the Minister of Social Equality Merav Cohen for the important cooperation.”
Social Equality Minister Merav Cohen: “The Aging Cabinet was established by the Minister of Welfare and I, with the understanding that the aging of the population is a strategic issue for which the Israeli government must prepare accordingly. It is not a matter of one ministry, life expectancy is increasing all the time, and inter-ministerial cooperation is required to to adapt the state’s response to the changing reality. I thank the prime minister for the backing and the great importance he sees in the work of the cabinet. Even during an election period and in a complex political reality, we continue to work and promote these critical programs.”
Also participating in the discussion: Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office Naama Shultz, Director General of the Ministry of Welfare Sigal Moran, Director General of the Ministry of Social Equality Meir Bang, Director General of the Ministry of Intelligence Alex Dan, Director General of the National Insurance Meir Spiegler, who is in charge of the The work at the Ministry of Economy and Industry Tair Ifergan, CEO of the Menachem Katz Nursing Homes Association, CEO of the Geriatrics Association Yitzhak Cohen and other professionals.