The Knesset’s Labor and Welfare Committee approved a set of benefits for live kidney donors on Tuesday. The benefits were proposed by MK Avraham Ravitz of United Torah Judaism (UTJ) as an addition to the government’s recent decision to reimburse live kidney donors for their expenses.
Ravitz initially proposed major benefits that would have included scholarships, exemptions from income tax and city taxes, and a discount on public transportation. Several MKs objected to Ravitz’s proposal, fearing it could amount to a form of trafficking in human organs if poor Israelis donated kidneys for the sake of the financial benefits.
After meeting with officials from the Health and Welfare Ministries on Monday, Ravitz agreed to submit a new version of the proposal with fewer benefits. The new version, which passed on Tuesday, will grant donors a lifelong exemption from national healthcare payments and free entrance to parks and nature reserves as a sign of appreciation.