The government is likely to approve measures aimed at bailing out the country's nonprofit sector during its first cabinet meeting on Sunday, a spokeswoman for Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog told the Post on Friday. According to the minister, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu supports the move which will establish an inter-ministerial committee charged with creating a financial aid package to help struggling social welfare organizations.
The committee, which will include representatives from the Welfare, Health and Education ministries, will be asked to present its findings within 30 days to enable the financial aid to be included in the 2009 state budget. The special fund is part of the coalition agreement made between Labor and the Likud. "The nonprofit sector is under serious threat of crashing completely and most of those who will be affected by this are the country's weakest and neediest populations who rely on their services," Herzog said on Friday.