The National Insurance Institute has invested approximately NIS 28 million in expanding rehabilitation services for victims of hostile actions through the "Mind, Body, Spirit" centers. The investment goes towards creating a broad care package of leisure, sport, treatment and social activity in dedicated centers across the country.
The centers offer a range of options in one place: swimming pools, gyms, sports and competitive activities, lectures, workshops, complementary treatments for body and mind, and activities for families. The aim is to create a place people can come to regularly – to train, get support, meet others and feel part of a community.
Sports activities include mini-football pitches and CrossFit areas, hydrotherapy pools, aqua aerobics, table tennis, rehabilitative equipment Pilates, cycling and martial arts. Alongside the sports activities, a range of therapeutic and rehabilitation services is also offered, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, emotional therapy and massage, as well as resilience workshops, community gatherings and more.
The services at the centers are intended for those recognized by National Insurance as victims of hostile actions with a disability of at least 20%. For these eligible persons, the first year of activity is provided free of charge.
National Insurance currently recognizes more than 30,000 victims of hostile actions with a disability of 20% or more. About half of them live in the south, and special emphasis has therefore been placed on making the services accessible in that region. Three of the centers selected under the project are located in and around the Gaza Envelope – in Sha'ar HaNegev, Adi Negev and Sderot – alongside other centers across the country.
The centers were selected through an open and equal call for proposals. Most of the centers that met the threshold conditions were approved under the project of the Fund for the Development of Services for People with Disabilities, in the National Insurance Funds Department, in cooperation with the representative organization of victims of hostile actions, with the aim of spreading the services as widely as possible.
The Fund for the Development of Services for People with Disabilities will accompany the centers throughout and will examine how they are used and the needs that arise on the ground. The information gathered will help to understand what works, what needs improving and which additional services could help – with a view to considering, at a later stage, extending eligibility and the range of services.
Zvika Cohen, Acting Director General of the National Insurance Institute: "National Insurance's commitment to victims of hostile actions goes far beyond financial assistance. Through its funds, National Insurance also helps them and their families on the way back to routine and to as full a life as possible. We invite everyone who is eligible to find the center nearest their home and to take part in leisure activities, train in a variety of sports and receive a care package for body and mind."