Israeli citizens utilizing a government internet search engine at "mybenefits.gov.il," a site that informs citizens of the benefits they are entitled to, were astounded to discover that among the options for "Which country were you born in?" appears "Palestine," complete with a tiny logo of the "country's" flag.
Israeli citizens and people who merely reside in Israel can utilize the government portal to find out if they are entitled to government assistance of any form (including benefits, reductions, exemptions and so forth). This is a service provided by the government itself, not an external organization.
Alon Shvartzer, head of the policy department at Im Tirtzu, lambasted the government for the inclusion of "Palestine" as an option for "country of birth" on an official government website.
"This is improper conduct on the part of a government body and it should be rectified without delay," he said. "In addition, a thorough investigation should be made into how such an error could have occurred -- and it should be ascertained that this was indeed an error and not intentional. Following the investigation the relevant government body should publicize its findings and distribute its conclusions to each and every government office, in order to ensure that such an incident never recurs."
Shai Glick, director of the rights organization Betsalmo, added, "It is both distressing and outrageous that a government body should grant recognition to a non-existent entity -- worse still, to an entity that is our enemy and which seeks to destroy us. The entry must immediately be removed and the matter thoroughly investigated in order to find out how something like this could have happened. Government bodies are supposed to be neutral, not operatives of extreme-left organizations."