Page 27 - shomrim-annual-2024

School Meal Program Follow-Up: Shomrim
Expansion for At-Risk Youth Investigation Leads to Overhaul

of Food Voucher Program
Daniel Dolev
Shomrim’s ongoing investigation into food Daniel Dolev
insecurity among high school students exposed the A year and a half after Shomrim’s exposé revealed
shocking reality of widespread hunger in Israel’s systemic discrimination in the Interior Ministry’s
schools in disadvantaged areas, where thousands food voucher program—favoring certain populations
of at-risk students attend classes daily without over others in need—the state has announced a
access to proper nutrition. major policy shift. In response to a petition filed with

Impact: In 2024, the Ministry of Education the Supreme Court by the Movement for Quality
announced a major expansion of the school Government, following Shomrim’s findings, the
meal program, increasing coverage to 125 government confirmed that the Interior Ministry’s
schools and 17,000 students, with an allocated food voucher program will be discontinued in its
budget of 80 million NIS annually ($22 million). current form and transferred to the Ministry of
This decision marked a significant policy shift Welfare. Additionally, the controversial eligibility
driven by journalistic exposure and public criterion based on municipal tax discounts, a key
pressure. factor in the discriminatory distribution, will be
scrapped.

High school lunch. Photo: Bea Bar Kallos

Shomrim | 27 | Annual Report