The war that has raged in Israel for nearly two years has dramatically reshaped the country’s civil society and social sector. Naturally, donors, government agencies, and the media have overwhelmingly focused on the war’s direct victims.
However, this intense focus has diverted attention and resources away from vulnerable populations who depend on social services to survive. Research shows that this trend has created a precarious reality: At-risk populations, and the organizations that serve them, are facing an existential threat.
Social sector in crisis
Vulnerable groups that were holding on before the war are now sinking fast. Among the most severely affected are people with disabilities, low-income families sliding further into poverty, Holocaust survivors, elderly people living in isolation, and the most vulnerable of all, children and youth at risk, whose vulnerability has surged at an alarming rate.
It’s important to remember that this war erupted against a backdrop of existing national crises and already limited welfare budgets. For a long time now, nonprofits have needed to fund-raise just to provide essential services.
Now organizations working with children at risk report up to a 40% drop in donations.
This decline in charitable giving is only one of several trends threatening critical services for vulnerable communities. These forces combined could lead to severe cutbacks or even the closure of critical programs.
Future price tag
Shrinking welfare budgets: Israel’s growing deficit, as well as skyrocketing defense costs, will inevitably cut into civilian spending in important fields like education and welfare. Even in a best-case scenario, Israel’s Ministry of Welfare faces a minimum annual reduction of NIS 100 million, plus an across-the-board 5% cut, despite rising needs and increasing complexity.
Public attention shift: The media and the Israeli public understandably remain focused on the direct victims of the war. However, over time, this leaves traditional vulnerable groups stranded in a “service desert,” where their basic needs go unmet.
Mental health system breakdown: The ramifications of October 7 struck a mental health system that was already stretched to the limit by decades of underfunding. New emergency resources have been directed toward war-related cases, but not to the vulnerable populations that rely on ongoing care.
The impact of the war will be felt for years, regardless of when it finally ends. If we fail to safeguard and strengthen Israel’s social infrastructure now, we risk its irreversible collapse.
Rising welfare populations: Solely focusing on the direct victims of the war has left traditionally vulnerable populations without a safety net. If this trend continues, we will see a sharp rise in those needing welfare in the future – children at risk, individuals suffering from mental illness, survivors of family violence, and families in ever-increasing poverty.
In their article “Welfare Services for Children and Youth at Risk – The Challenges Before and After the War,” Dr. Hanita Kosher and Prof. Asher Ben-Arieh warn of a rise in the number of at-risk children being referred to welfare services, as well as a deterioration of the risk conditions for populations already known to the welfare system before the war, due to underfunding and a shortage of manpower.
Costly rehabilitation: Allowing problems to fester now and the resulting growth of at-risk populations will demand much greater investment in the future. This raises serious concerns about a potential future collapse of Israel’s welfare system. For example, neglecting children at risk today could lead to an increase in cases requiring removal from their homes, higher dropout rates from schools, and a greater need for costly mental health treatments in the future.
Erosion of social cohesion: When society abandons its most fragile members, the damage spreads. Ongoing neglect of vulnerable populations undermines social cohesion and erodes the public’s sense of security. Children dropping out of the system unnoticed, elderly people left without proper medical care, and people with mental health challenges receiving minimal services all represent a loss of Israel’s human capital, with consequences that will be felt for years to come.
Action needed
Immediate action is required to preserve Israel’s social safety net and prevent a future social and economic catastrophe.
As Prof. Michal Almog-Bar from Hebrew University’s School of Social Work and Social Welfare, argued in a recent article about Israeli civil society during and after the war, nonprofits need functional continuity during emergencies – not just short-term fixes. Philanthropy should prioritize strengthening existing organizations and programs rather than building new ones.
The philanthropic community stands at a historic crossroads: Will it continue a reactive, “emergency-only” approach, or will it develop a strategy that sustains essential services for those who are not direct war victims but who urgently need long-term support and rehabilitation? The cost of making the wrong choice will be borne by entire generations of vulnerable citizens.
A personal note
I write these words from the heart as a member the leadership team of Orr Shalom. We are facing a 30% drop in donations, just as our children’s needs grow ever more complex and demanding – both financially and in manpower.
Last month, hundreds of thousands of children across Israel returned to school after spending the summer with their families in supportive homes. However, I cannot sleep at night thinking of those without a family safety net – the children for whom Orr Shalom is their complementary family. Their lives, today and in the future, depend on our ability to provide the best possible care, despite the steep decline in available resources.■
Rina Edelstein is VP of advancement at Orr Shalom. Orr Shalom serves some 1,300 at-risk children and young adults who have been removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse.