The Interior Ministry is going kosher – ethically – by preparing a guideline to workers dealing with moral questions, such as whether preferential treatment should be given to the handicapped.
The code of ethics is the first to be implemented in the modern State of Israel, said Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas) and parallels similar codes in the United States and Australia.
He explained that one typical question that might arise in the Interior Ministry is the dilemma of whether to pass over requests for assistance from "regular" citizens when handicapped people are waiting for help.
“Is it preferable to give a sick person a reduction in property taxes in cases that do not call for reductions?” is another example he cited.
The code of ethics will be written in cooperation with ministry workers “in order to ensure consistent language for situations that workers have to deal with on a day-to-day basis,” according to Dr. Shuki Amrani, Director-General of the Interior Ministry.
Minister Yishai said, "There is great importance to establishing a code of ethics for Interior Ministry workers. The code will help raise the professional level and consistency of policies, will improve the quality of service to the public and will help win the trust of the public in the Interior Ministry."