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48/2009
Al Mezan Warns against Exploiting Gazans Entitled to Benefits from Israeli National Insurance
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has learned from a group of its clients that a private Israeli law firm is seeking power of attorney for Gaza residents entitled to Israeli national insurance allowances. The disability and retirement allowances of these Gaza residents have been halted since the start of this year because Israeli banks refuse to transfer them to their accounts in banks based in Gaza. The Israeli law firm is demanding an undetermined percentage of insurance allowances for assisting with the transfer of benefits owed to Palestinians in Gaza in contravention to the law. These people are entitled to receive their allowances without any cuts.
The majority of those entitled to allowances were injured while working in Israel where they were obliged to pay national insurance and taxes until the date of their injury. These workers submitted claims to receive disability allowances from the Israeli National Insurance Institute in accordance with the Israeli National Insurance Law after sustaining work injuries in Israel. Each claim was assessed by a medical committee which determined the type and percentage of disability. In some cases, the level of disability was 100 percent. The committee also affirmed that the injuries were sustained at work and ordered insurance allowances to be paid.
Al Mezan is working to resolve the non-payment of disability and retirement allowances and has sent a series of correspondence to the Israeli National Insurance Institute, the Israeli Ministry of Interior and the Advisor of Humanitarian Affairs for the Gaza Strip. In this correspondence, Al Mezan demanded that the reasons and legal justifications for halting the transfer of allowances be revealed and that the allowances and accrued benefits be immediately transferred. Al Mezan is working in cooperation with Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Gaza, to prepare a petition to the Israeli High Court to demand the immediate transfer of entitled accrued allowances to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mezan aims to ensure that the Israeli National Insurance Institute immediately and directly transfers the disability and retirement allowances owed to Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip in accordance with the law. Al Mezan finds the attempts to mislead this vulnerable group unacceptable, and will take all necessary steps to guarantee their rights and thwart attempts to deceive and exploit them.
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