November 25, 2008 / 27 Cheshvan 5769

The Director-General of the Jewish Agency's Aliyah and Klitah Department and the Director-General of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption met with the olim in Beit Alpha and presented the conclusions of the committee set up to examine the situation

The committee recommends giving comprehensive and immediate solutions to improve the living conditions of the new immigrants in Beit Alpha, including:

• Expanding services giving to olim and increasing the personal assistance given within the absorption process.
• Changing administrative and organizational structure to 2 separate absorption centers in order to improve services.
• Focused employment counseling and vocational training for olim.
• Transferring immigrant children to educational institutions near Beit Alpha.
• Improving living conditions and expanding welfare and health services.

The Director-General of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption Erez Halfon and Director-General of the Jewish Agency's Department of Immigration and Absorption Eli Cohen met yesterday (Tuesday) with the new immigrants in Beit Alpha in order to present them with the conclusions of the joint committee set up to examine the situation. The two directors-general decided to first present the report to the relevant immigrants living in the absorption center; today it will be presented to the members of the Knesset's Aliyah and Absorption Committee.

The committee was set up on October 22nd in response to complaints raised by the olim concerning their living conditions at Beit Alpha. The committee's wide-ranging recommendations provide a comprehensive response to their problems.

The committee was run by Haviv Katzav, responsible for housing in the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, and Rachelle Schilo, Ombudsman of the Jewish Agency. Included in the committee were representatives of the Gilboa regional council and representatives of the new immigrants. Ran Melamed, Deputy Director-General of the "Yadid" association, was an observer to the committee.

Among the committee's main conclusions:

A. Significant improvement in the service given to olim:

• Reducing the number of residents  at the absorption center from 750 to 600.
• Dividing the absorption center into two separate centers in order to give more personal attention to the olim families and improve the services they get.
  
• Giving priority to them regarding expanded housing grants for buying apartments upon leaving the absorption center.
  
• Expanding health services at the center.
  
• Speeding up the conversion process.
  
• Expanding social and cultural activities for olim.

B. Employment counseling by special employment team:

• Running vocational training classes at the center and holding workshops on preparation for the job market.
  
• Finding them work in the area through placements, vocational training and helping in the funding of salaries of olim hired by local employers.
  
• Locating employers and managers of factories in the area, organizing job fairs.

C. Focus on education of children

• Switching educational institutions for children of absorption center in order to significantly cut travel time.
  
• Setting up classrooms and operating day-care centers in the absorption center itself.
  
• Integrating the children in youth activity run by the regional council.
  
• Opening an Israel Scouts branch at the absorption center.

D. Improving Living Conditions

• Organizing regular trips from the absorption center to towns close-by and participating in covering public transportation expenses in order to improve accessibility to urban centers.
  
• Installing air conditioners in the apartments.
  
• Running a sports center, installing play areas and more.

E.  Expanding basket of services in the field of welfare and hiring Amharic-speaking social workers

The Directors-General Eli Cohen and Erez Halfon expressed appreciation for the members of the committee for their conscientious efforts, and after having reviewed the conclusions, decided to adopt them in full; they have already begun putting them into action, as they promised when the committee was established.

According to the directors-general, the committee formulated sound solutions and professional responses aimed at the needs of the new immigrants at the center. The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and the Jewish Agency are now preparing for the implementation of the recommendations and calling on the representatives of the olim to end their protest immediately. The directors-general expressed the hope that the olim would cooperate with the recommendations of the committee, assist in implementing the improvements and would not continue to be led by outside bodies which have extraneous interests.

The new immigrants from Ethiopia are housed in the absorption centers for a fixed period as part of their preliminary absorption in the country, allowing them time to get acclimatized and prepared for life in the State of Israel. Upon leaving for permanent housing, the new immigrants get wide-ranging assistance from the state, including an expanded absorption basket, a special acclimatization bonus, a mortgage bonus of about 400,000-700,000 shekels to buy apartments, assistance in the fields of education and welfare and counseling throughout the process of their integration in society and in the job market.