The Ministries of Finance and Welfare agreed to add 5 million shekels to April's budget for assisting needy families with food purchases. The budget will stand at 8 million shekels instead of the usual 3 million.
The money will be transferred in the coming days to organizations that provide food baskets to the needy, in order to help them prepare for Pesach, which is due three weeks from now. Jewish tradition for Pesach includes what is known as "kimcha dePascha" ("Pesach flour" in Aramaic) - gifts of food to those who do not have enough.
Finance Minister Dr. Yuval Steinitz said that the funding was "another step in a general trend intended to ease hardship for the weaker layers of society - one that gains added importance during the holidays."
He said that the government has taken numerous steps to reduce social gaps, including "negative income tax," raising minimum wage, increasing assistance to the elderly and more.
Welfare Minister Moshe Cachlon said that his ministry was working on implementation of the "program for nutritional security" that is intended to give the needy "the right to live with dignity."