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Inclusion Law removed from goverment's economic plan
BIZCHUT
THE ISRAEL HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Press Release
Bizchut announces the removal of the Inclusion Law
from the government's Economic Plan
A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
FOR PUPILS WITH DISABILITIES
On 03.06.26, the Knesset Committee voted in favor of removing Article 36 from the Economic Plan - the article that neutralized the Inclusion Law by canceling the support services essential to children with special needs studying in mainstream schools. As a result of this vote the Inclusion Law will come into action as originally planned in the coming school year.
The Inclusion Law was initiated by Bizchut in 2001, following complaints from parents of children with special needs who wanted their children to be included within mainstream schools. Bizchut, involved in the drafting of the law and at the forefront of promoting its enactment in the Knesset is proud to have led the ongoing struggle to prevent the intended budget cut, together with parent organizations - Yeted, Alut, and others. The struggle included intensive activity in the Knesset to prove two central arguments: the first - that the intended change to the Inclusion Law represents a violation of equal rights for children with special needs who want to be included in mainstream schools, and the second - that the change would actually cost the State of Israel more money.
Advocate Tirza Leibowtiz from Bizchut says that the campaign to remove article 36 from the Economic Plan is an example of combined strategies at all levels - legal advocacy together with public and parliamentary activity, and cooperation between organizations that led the struggle. Leibowitz adds that members of Knesset from both the Coalition and the Opposition were convinced by the arguments put forward by the organizations involved. In the final analysis the Finance Ministry and the Government responded to the significant pressure not to change the Inclusion Law, and a serious blow to the equal opportunities of pupils with special needs was prevented.
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