What has Yesh Atid done for you lately? Part 4

This is the fourth essay in a multi-part series of blogs regarding what the Yesh Atid party has accomplished for Israel in its year and eight months in office.

THE CHANGE:

Yesh Atid ministers and MK’s have redefined the relationship between social and professional organizations in Israel.  Assistance is provided based on merit without any connection to political affiliation or family and personal connections

THE BACKGROUND:

Throughout the 2013 election campaign, candidates from Yesh Atid, led by MK Yair Lapid, promised that we would bring new politics to the Knesset.   We sought to change the way things were done in many areas of government.  One of the pressing issues which needed to be changed was the relationship between government and social, professional non-profit organizations.  That relationship had become politicized and corrupt with preference and benefits given to political supporters, financial contributors and family members.

One of Yair Lapid’s first acts as Finance Minister was to halt all approvals for non-profit status in order to completely overhaul the process.  Old politics saw finance ministers approving or rejecting these requests.  New politics required separating that process from any connections to politicians.  A professional committee was established to analyze the requests.   The committee sent its recommendations to the finance minister and the finance committee who simply signed off on their recommendations unless they saw that an organization seemed problematic. In that case, it was sent back to the committee for further discussion.  Non-political.  Completely transparent.  New politics.

Yesh Atid strove to make sure that real change was made in tackling the most pressing needs in society.  To this end, we provided assistance to those organizations which demonstrated that they were, in fact, making a real difference.  Rather than writing more in my own words, I present a video which shows the directors of social and professional organizations describing what they have witnessed and experienced during the past year and eight months during which Yair Lapid and Yesh Atid were in office.

Special needs children, the blind community, holocaust survivors, welfare recipients, struggling small businesses and more.  In just a year and eight months Yesh Atid has impacted their lives and improved the relationship with the organizations that represent them.  We look forward to continuing full force on March 18.