Regional Council Fined for Failing to Make School Accessible to Disabled

Jerusalem, 18 August, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Equal Rights Commission for Persons with Disabilities at the Ministry of Justice announced the imposition of a financial sanction in the amount of over 40,000 Shekels ($11,800) on the Merhavim Regional Council (located to the east of Gaza), after its regional school a violated laws requiring it be accessible to the disabled.

The Commission rejected the authority’s claims regarding alleged delays due to the ‘Iron Swords’ War, after it was found that the violation existed for many years before the war, and that even after the accessibility orders were issued, no substantial steps were taken by the Regional Council to correct the deficiencies.

The Commission for Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities operates pursuant to the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, 1998, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which the State of Israel is a signatory.

There are currently about 1.7 million people with disabilities living in Israel, constituting about 18% of the population. Of these, about 100,000 were added following the “Iron Swords” War.