In light of the Kibbutz Movement's 100 year anniversary, Israel Hayom journalist Moti Gilat wrote a research article that brought the topic of kibbutz retirees' rising distress to the public's attention. Their plight raises an ethical and structural question which requires 'outside the box' answers. The gradual decline of the kibbutz system has its roots in the structural changes occurring at the level of kibbutz administration. When the said administration was handled by an external body - that is by the government and its institutions - things ran according to an even and balanced system backed by the Kibbutz Movement. Thus it was that the Ministry of Housing allocated housing units to the Kibbutz Movement which, after careful consideration, then handed them over to the individual kibbutzim. That is how the system worked. Allocations of production quotas, budgets and sources of funding were handed out to the kibbutzim via the central body of the Kibbutz Movement, the same body which was responsible for various issues and to a large extent, prevented preferential treatment. Over recent decades authority over the central Kibbutz Movement shifted gradually to the regional level and administration was handed over to each kibbutz, individually. At this point things got out of hand; this new ruling is not ethical but rather structural and leaves no room for balance and stability. When there is no authority making people stick to the rules, digression is likely. And the digression, inevitably, comes at the expense of those who are weaker; a sad universal truth. Government departments are no longer sole authorities and deal directly with each individual kibbutz without taking on any responsibility - a role previously held by the Kibbutz Movement. This type of conduct harbors disaster. Most of the kibbutzim do not have the professional and managerial know-how to set up good Control and Operation systems. However, the government and its officials do little to change the situation. Worse still, they take advantage of the situation to beat up on anything that resembles the kibbutz. As a result, the weakest within the kibbutz population, the elderly, are harmed. What can be done? The government can take authority and change the existing reality. The Israeli Communal Association Registrar has already set a minimum pension wage, yet change is far-off. The government needs to act fast and set up a system for attributing real estate to each kibbutz and to define clear laws to enact this system. The real estate assets will then be assigned to members of each kibbutz according to basic criteria such as seniority and other relevant parameters. In addition, the kibbutz, if required, will be obliged to redeem assets belonging to an elderly member. This will safeguard the elderly members' rights and self respect. Kibbutz retirees are doing their utmost to support themselves with honor. The government must intervene, and set legislation. If substantial sources of income (the channeling of rental income, acceptable in most kibbutzim today, does not yield sufficient income) are not defined and binding legislation is not set on the government's part, we will continue to hear of the kibbutz elderly's financial hardships, until their voices fade away altogether.
Elderly kibbutznikim in distress
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