Police officers keep a disabled person from escaping, Vardit Goldner, digital print, 2020
In Israel, disabled people who are unable to work receive a monthly allowance from the government. This allowance is supposed to provide them with enough to live in dignity. However, since 2003 the benefits have eroded. Recently, the benefits were valued at 2,342 NIS (approximately 665$), less than half of the minimum wage and far below the poverty line.
The disabled have begun to use their only "weapons" - blocking major roads and strategic places in protest. These actions have greatly damaged the state economy and the public, and as a result, the struggle of the disabled has made headlines and been widely reported in the media.
So far the government has refused to improve the benefits and agreed only to an extremely small raise. Our struggle is not over yet.
“The Disabled Become Panthers” is the name of one of the groups of the disabled.
Vardit Goldner is a photography and video artist. She's engaged in documenting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, mainly its effects on daily life of Palestinians and addresses social issues. She studied at the Faculty of Arts – Hamidrasha at Beit Berl College, Israel, completing the Postgraduate Fine Arts Program, and she holds an M.Sc. in physics.